History Professor Fred Anderson of the University of Colorado at Boulder will deliver the 100th annual Distinguished Research Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m. in the Old Main Chapel.
CU-Boulder聮s Distinguished Research Lectureship is the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the Graduate School, recognizing an entire body of creative work and research.
聯The Distinguished Research Lectureship singles out someone who has done extraordinary and exceptional work over the course of a career, not just one book or one project,聰 said John Stevenson, associate dean of the Graduate School. 聯Fred has the reputation as being one of the great teachers on the Boulder campus; he has inspired many students over many years.聰
The lecture titled 聯War and Peace in American History聰 is free and open to the public. The talk is sponsored by the Council on Research and Creative Work, or CRCW, through the CU-Boulder Graduate School and will be followed by a reception.
Anderson聮s research and teaching focuses on the colonial period, the American Revolution and early U.S. history. His publications include two critically acclaimed books 聯Crucible of War: The Seven Years聮 War and the Fate of the British in North America, 1754-1766聰 and 聯The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America, 1500-2000.聰
His book 聯Crucible of War聰 was the inspiration for the Public Broadcasting Service documentary series called 聯The War That Made America.聰 He also wrote the companion book for the series and served as an adviser to the PBS program.
Anderson聮s Feb. 20 lecture will explore how wars have shaped North America and the United States, and examine how Americans view the place of warfare in their history.
聯Because Americans love peace and value freedom, we tend to imagine our wars mainly as occasions when we have been compelled to defend our liberty, or to liberate others,聰 Anderson said. 聯But if we look beyond the three conflicts that everyone knows best -- the Revolution, the Civil War and World War II -- and seriously consider the impact of less-celebrated conflicts like the French and Indian War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War, it becomes possible to understand war as a pervasive, immensely powerful influence in our history.
聯I hope to argue that a more encompassing understanding of warfare as a shaping force can yield a different view of American history, its turning points and its meanings,聰 Anderson said.
Anderson was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2001. Also in 2001, 聯Crucible of War聰 received two prestigious awards, the Francis Parkman Prize for 聯the best book on American history,聰 and the Mark Lynton History Prize for the 聯best book-length work of history.聰
In 1987-88, and again this year, Anderson was awarded a Faculty Fellowship from the CRCW. Anderson received his doctorate from Harvard in 1981 and joined the history faculty at CU-Boulder in 1983.