23 Nov 2006

Influential Americans

No magazine, it seems, can resist putting out a "greatest 100" list. You might remember an excess of these from the build-up to the year 2000 (how long ago that seems!).

In any case, the Atlantic Monthly has put out its own 100 list, and admits openly that it is an attempt to work up historical discussion more than anything else. They polled noted American historians on who has had the greatest influence or impact on American history, and the top 100 figures (ie, those receiving the most votes) are included on the list here. The list can be viewed without a login and password, and the analysis here (which requires a login...you can ask me for it).

The editors note that the list is interesting in that it is very traditional: Founding Fathers, Captains of Industry and Great Inventors rank high, and the overwhelming majority of figures are native-born Northeastern men of European ancestry involved in law or politics. Also, there is a lack of collaborators in favor of singular figures. There are, of course, exceptions to these tendencies (eg. Martin Luther King at 8, Susan B. Anthony and Rachel Carson at 38 and 39). A prejudice is made against the contemporary, for who knows how their achievements will stand over time, as well as those who are popular or are celebrities (fame is fleeting). A bias is made in favor of the fundamental and those who have the widest impact (as opposed to being on the list to just represent a special interest). But still, the argument is raised: is Walt Disney really that important? Have no American Indians influenced American history? The article points out that the list gets more interesting after the first 100, where such figures appear as George Lucas, Julia Child, Nikola Tesla and Willis Carrier, inventor of the air-conditioner, without which the Southern half of the United States would be an underpopulated, hot and humid backwater.

An interesting and worthy topic for debate, in any case. Feel free to read the list and use it for conversation topics this Thanksgiving weekend.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As with all of these top-x lists, there is always room for debate- that's probably why they are created in the first place. Even this list clearly states at the top for recommendations and comments as to who should or shouldn't have been included so it is by no means meant to be a definitive list.

I always take note of glaring omissions on these lists. For example, I saw a list of greatest albums in the Herald and Dark Side of the Moon was not included on the list. In addition to its symphonic qualities, DSOM was a real technical achievement and a breakthrough electronic music. Oh, it's also the 3rd best selling album of all time. But according to the list in the Herald it didn't make the cut. It was also more interesting because the list was broken down by decade. Now granted the 70s was a rather fecund decade for music of all sorts, so DSOM was not the only great album produced in the 70s, but DSOM was, at least, first among equals. Moreover, when I saw the albums in the 90's they were mostly Greatest Hits or compilations of music produced in earlier decades, notably the 1970's.

Were the makers of the list comparing albums against others produced in the same decade and ranking them in that manner? Evidently not given that compilations were included along with other albums. And it wasn't a list of greatest albums of all time since the list was clearly broken into decade. So what standards were applied to make this list?

Needless to say, it was poorly done.

20:42:00
Anonymous said...

The one included on the list that really threw me for a loop was US Grant at no. 12. What's up with that?

I'm sure Southerners didn't have much of a hand in this list as General Lee and John C. Calhoun are ranked at 57 and 58 respectively.

20:52:00

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