20 Most Influential Historians Of All Time

20 Most Influential Historians Of All Time

For the longest time, historians have been seen as the epitome of every great story. They have recorded a number of events that shaped the past, this is to help future generations understand what society was like. Historians are known for using their knowledge to interpret historical events as well as the mistakes that were made by society back then. It should be noted that a historian’s job is very critical and important to humanity.

They record our milestones as a community in order to help our future generation grow and expand their capabilities. Aside from social benefits, they can help promote civic engagement by educating people about the importance of democracy and civic participation.

Here are the 20 Most Influential Historians Of All Time;

1. Herodotus

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He was a Greek historian and geographer who is known for writing a detailed history of the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus is famous for being the father of history. He is also noted for being the first writer to perform a systematic investigation of historical events. Even though he repeats himself and is not quite accurate in his reporting, he is still considered to be the founder of the discipline of history. 

Centuries later, Herodotus’s work is still relevant because it provides our modern society with a glimpse into the past world of the ancient Mediterranean. As much as this information helps us understand the past, it also helps us learn the importance of critical thinking.

2. Frederick Jackson Turne

He was an American historian who is famous for his theory on the frontier thesis. He was born on November 14, 1861. He argued that the American frontier had a great impact on the development of American democracy and culture. His thesis made an important contribution to the study of American history. Frederick strongly argued that the American frontier encouraged democracy, individualism, and inventiveness.

3. Eric Foner

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He is an American historian who was born on February 7, 1943. He is known for his work on the history of the Civil War. Some of his works include Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution. Eric’s book earned him a number of awards including the Pulitzer Prize, the Lincoln Prize, and the National Humanities Medal.

In his work, he argues that the reconstruction era of America was a period of promise for African Americans but ended up being a failure due to the racism of white Americans.

4. Alan John. P. Taylor 

He was a British historian who specialized in 19th-20th century European diplomacy. He was born on March 25, 1906. His work named him the fourth most important historian of the previous 60 years. Some of his famous works include English History, A Personal History, and The Origins of the Second World War. However, Alan faced a lot of controversies for his work. Many people have shared that his work is sympathetic to Hitler and the Nazis.

5. Niall Ferguson

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He is a Scottish historian and author known for being among the most popular and influential historians of his generation. He was born on April 18, 1964. His works include The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World,  Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire, and Civilization: The West and the Rest. Niall’s work has helped many people understand the past and present.

6. Anthony Grafton

He is an American historian whose work focuses on early modern Europe. He was born on May 21, 1950 in New Haven, Connecticut. He is known for his studies of the classical tradition from the Renaissance to the eighteenth century. Anthony is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as a member of the American Philosophical Society. Some of the awards he has received include the National Humanities Medal, the Haskins Medal, and the Guggenheim Fellowship.

7. Simon Schama

He is a British historian who was born on February 13, 1945. He is known for his history books that have been translated into over 30 languages. Some of his famous works include Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution, Patriot and Liberators: Revolution in the Netherlands. Even though he has faced a number of controversies, he is still considered a major figure in the world of history.

5. Andrew Roberts

He is a British historian who was born on March 11, 1963. He is known for numerous books including The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War, Napoleon: A Life, and Churchill: Walking with Destiny. Some of the awards he has received include the Wolfson History Prize and the PEB Hessell-Tiltman Prize. Andrew’s work has been praised for its readability and vivid language.

6. Timothy Snyder

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He is a historian who is known for specializing in the history of Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Soviet Union, and the Holocaust. He was born on August 18, 1969 in Ohio. Timothy’s work includes Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, and The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, and America. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

7. Patricia Clavin

She is a British historian who is known for specializing in international relations, twentieth-century history, and economic crises. Some of her famous books include The Great Depression in Europe: A Transnational History, Securing the World Economy: The Reinvention of the League of Nations, and Invisible Empire: The Pursuit of Power in Europe from 1870 to 1920.

Patricia’s work has been praised for helping people understand how civil society, states, and markets interact during times of crisis. She is noted as a gifted writer who uses her work to impact the way we understand the world.

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8. Josiah Ober

He is an American historian who focuses on ancient Greece and Classical political theorists. Some of his books include Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens: Rhetoric, Ideology, and the Power of the People. Josiah is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the American Philosophical Society.

9. Femme Gaastra

He was a Dutch historian who specialized in the history of the Dutch East India Company. He was born on July 23, 1945. Femme published a number of books including Sailors and Spices: East India Companies and their Shipping, and The Dutch East India Company: Expansion and Decline. He was a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

10. Marc Raeff

He was a Russian-American historian who is known for specializing in the history of Russia and Eastern Europe. Marc has published a number of books including The Origins of the Russian Intelligentsia: The Eighteenth-Century Nobility, and Understanding Imperial Russia: State and Society in the Old Regime. His work has helped a lot of people understand Russian history as well as society.

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11. Niccolo Machiavelli

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He was an Italian diplomat, historian, philosopher, and playwright who lived during the Renaissance. He is known for writing The Prince which was a political treatise around 1513 but was published in 1832. Even though his writings are seen as cynical, amoral, and promoting violence, many have agreed with his argument that rulers should be pragmatic and ruthless in order to maintain power. Niccolo’s ideas have had a lasting influence on Western political thought.

12. Edward Gibbon

He was an English historian and politician who is known for his work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. His work is known for tracing the history of the Roman Empire from the height of its power to the fall of the empire in the fifteenth century. However, in his work, many have argued that he cites Christianity as a factor that contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire. Edward’s work is noted as an important work in historical scholarship.

13. Leopold von Ranke

He was a German historian who is considered to be among the founders of modern historical research. Leopold’s major work was History of the Popes in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and History of the Latin and Teutonic Nations. However, his work has been criticized for its lack of analysis. It should be noted that Leopold was the first historian to use the seminar method of teaching history.

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14. Howard Zinn

He was an American historian, activist, and playwright. He is known for his book A People’s History of the United States. It has been translated into more than 20 languages and sold over 2 million copies. The book mainly focuses on American history from the view of ordinary people while focusing on the struggles of workers, minorities, and women. Howard has been praised for his originality and traditional view of American history.

15. Richard J. Evans

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He is a British historian who focuses on 19th and 20th-century Europe, more specifically Germany. Richard is the author of eighteen books including In Defence of History, The Coming of the Third Reich, and The Pursuit of Power: Europe. He has extensively written on topics such as the history of Germany, the history of the Holocaust, and the history of historiography. Richard is noted for being the leading figure in the historical studies field.

16. Natalie Zemon Davis

She was born on November 8, 1928. She is a Canadian and American historian of the early modern period. Natalie’s work is focused on France and other parts of Europe as well as North America and the Caribbean. Her book Trickster Travels views Italy, Spain, Morocco, and other parts of North Africa. Natalie has been awarded the Holberg International Memorial Prize and the National Humanities Medal. She was also elected to the American Philosophical Society.

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17. Fernand Barudel

He was a French historian who focused on The Mediterranean and the unfinished identity of France. Even though he was controversial, he is noted as an important historian of the 20th century. Fernand was a member of the Annales School of French historiography and social history in the 1950s and 1960s. His work has been translated into many languages.

Fernand emphasized the role of large-scale socioeconomic factors in the making and writing of history. He also focused on the importance of the mentalities of people in different historical periods.

18. Karl Marx

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He was a German philosopher, historian, and journalist who played a significant role in the development of social science as well as the socialist political movement. Karl has published a number of books including The Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, and many more. Karl’s work has been used to justify a wide range of political movements. Despite all the controversy, Karl is still noted for his contribution to social thought and his ideas that are still discussed today. 

19. Oswald Spengler

He was a German polymath who took an interest in history, philosophy, art, and their relation to his organic theory of history. He is known for his work The Decline of the West. Oswald’s work is recognized for being highly influential in the early 20th century. Even though he was a controversial figure, he is still noted for being an important figure in the history of historiography. Oswald strongly argues that all cultures go through the same cycle.

20. Anne Elizabeth Applebaum

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She was born on July 25, 1964. She is an American journalist and historian known for writing about the history of Communism and the development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2004, Anne won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for Gulag: A History which was published in 2003. Anne was also nominated for a National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

All in all, historians are a critical part of society because they add value to the past, present, and future. Their work is meant to inspire upcoming historians and help future generations learn from the mistakes and successes of past governments as well as societies. The historians listed above are among the greatest that have ever shared their work. Each of them is noted for being pivotal in their respective centuries, this is because they have shared their views on the importance of the decisions that were made in the past.