Beard, Charles and Mary, were American historians and authors. The Beards, husband and wife, were coauthors of seven books. Their best-known joint effort was a four-volume series, The Rise of American Civilization (1927-1943). The series expresses the belief that history is shaped by ideas as well as by social and economic events.
Charles Austin Beard (1874-1948) wrote more than 70 books on the history and foreign policy of the United States. His controversial book Economic Interpretation of the Constitution (1913) attracted widespread attention and influenced many other historians. In that work, Beard argued that the U.S. Constitution mainly reflects the economic interests of the men who wrote it.
Charles Beard taught history and political science at Columbia University from 1904 to 1917. He resigned in protest when the university suppressed faculty dissent over U.S. involvement in World War I (1914-1918). Beard later became known for strongly disapproving the United States entry into World War II (1939-1945). He was born on Nov. 27, 1874, on a farm near Knightstown, Indiana. He died on Sept. 1, 1948.
Mary Ritter Beard (1876-1958) focused public attention on the role of women in history. She was the sole author of six books. Her most famous book was Woman as Force in History (1946). Beard became a leader in movements for women’s rights and edited The Woman Voter, a journal that promoted suffrage (the right to vote) for women. She strongly influenced the development of women’s studies programs in U.S. colleges and universities. Beard was born on Aug. 5, 1876, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She died on Aug. 14, 1958.
