Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-01-22
BANCROFT DEAD.
Americas llustrious Historian
Passes Away Peacefully.

George Bancroft, the historian, died
in Washington, January II, 1891. He
was one OF those literary characters
of whom the United States has the
best reason to be proud, also, to whom
his countrymen are indebted for hav.
ing redeemed from mediocrity the lit
erary history OF the young republic.
There is no English speaking historian
alive at the present day who is any
thing like his equal in the two most
important characteristics OF faithful
his orian: devoted research and rigid
impalliality George Bancroft was
born daring the last year of the
eighteenth century, at Worcester,
Mass, and vas scion of one of the
most respectable and highly esteemed
families in that section of the state.
His parents, like most Of the natives
OF New England, looked upon good
education as the one thing needful to
young man in order 10 enable him
to work out his own salvation in the
world OF struggles and hand to hand
conflicts. lie graduated with high
honors at Harvard College, Vi soon
after his graduation he con'llasd his
education by long European tour
ending with some years OF study at
the Gottingcn and Berlin Universities,
at the latter Of which institutions he
received the degree OF Phi. ID. His
parents had intended that he should
study for the ministry, but having had
taste of what literary life aud activ-
ity really was and shrinking from the
duh monotony of u New England par
sons life, he at last decided to devote
his whole time to making for himself
prominent place in the world OF let
tiers. He held for short time the
| position of Greek professor at his
alma mater. His first literary ven-
ture was the publication OF n volume
of poems. some of which were very
beautiful but without "a great deal of
force or originality. He then trans
lated an edition of Heerens "Reilec.
| ton on the Politics of Ancient Greece"
which was very well received by
American scholars. Soon after this
time he opened II very large school
Tor the instruction of youth ut North
ampton, Mass, and got large num-
Der of well-known German instructors
to assist him in his work In the in
tervals OF his professional labors he
succeeded in finishing translation OF
Heeren's History OF Antiquity and the
Political History of Europe and it,
| Colonies. This was also received
favorably. DIR. .Bancroft's greatest
work and the work which has Civ en-
him position at the head OF Amari
cas- prose writer's is his History of the
United States. The work on this pro.
duction was done chiefly between the
years of 1884 and 1886. The writer
treats his subject after the most ad
vanced style of modern criticism, and
the work itself is recognized as one of
| the first OF its kind in the English Ian
guage. The historian has been WE'LL
known contributor to the North Amer
lean Review and other periodicals,
and within the last few years he has
brought out n history of the formation
OF the United States constitut' on, which
is one OF the most valuable works eX.
taut on the subject. In 1871 DR.
Bancroft was appointed minister &c
B erin, but resigned that position IN
| 1874. He was one of the most genia
men and enc of the most polished
gentlemen in the literary world ut the
| present time.