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How adequately have historians responded to the controversy over Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture and allegations that some of the information in the book is incorrect? What is the significance of the controversy?
The most recent responses appear first
"Mr. Thurman: I'm sorry that you don't have time to fully develop your ideas re this Colloquy. If you have some rough draft material, I would like to see it..."
"Mr. Williams: Again let me stress my apologies for an inability to set down the whole of my four part essay on the Bellesiles affair, but I cannot count on my computer..."
"Mr. Thurman, you are correct that my analogy of the Roman Republic vice USA today could use more rigor; e.g., Julian Steward's..."
"Having received another shock on seeing the interpretations placed on some of my writings, in this submission I try to make a few clarifications of my last posting in this discussion..."
"Mr. Williams: I have written three additional submissions, each MUCH longer than the first part which has been posted. I see no way of being able to post in full, ..."
"Mr. Thurman, some more items for your analysis. I just wrote an article for History News Network..."
"The Question of this colloquy reads in its last sentence, 'How adequately have historians responded to the controversy...'"
"Mr. Murray: There is more to come. I am under extremely heavy obligations now, and cannot find time..."
"To Mr. Thurman, Questions and comments on only one paragraph of your posting. I'll repost part of that paragraph for context. ..."
"Some interesting reading. Yes, they are long and will take you some amount of time to read. Perhaps you've already read some, but all? ..."
"Having now reviewed the entire discussion, and other items as well, I shall attempt to summarize the Bellesiles affair as I see it. I will offer comments..."
"Mr. Williams: It was good to hear from you again. I still have to reread the last 40 or so contributions to this discussion, but will, I hope, soon be able to send the promised submissions. ..."
"Good to hear from you, Mr. Thurman. I think you are correct about two major political views in the Revolutionary Period. Something people overlook when quoting historical figures..."
"Mr. Williams: I have not given up trying to finish, in the way I wish to finish it, my project of commenting on American and world social structuring..."
"'Emory Dean Decides to Continue to stage 2 in Bellesiles Investigation,' excerpt from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution..."
"Mr. Thurman et al. I will be in Australia for the next three weeks on vacation -- I will check here from time to time when I have access to an Internet cafe, etc..."
"My thanks to Mr. Murray, Mr. Schwartz, and Mr. Williams for their comments. I am especially thankful to the last of these for the considerable time which my questions entailed for him..."
"Mr. Thurman, it occurred to me that you might, for some reason, want specific yes-no answers to your questions. Hence, this supplement to my previous post..."
"Mr. Thurman, to answer your questions from 3/14: 1) Let me begin by noting that when I said "The image of gun owners forming a mob to overthrow legal government..."
"In regards to police and protection. It always amazes me that people think the police are there to protect them. The very same people who otherwise are intelligent..."
"Jumping into the question of 'concealed carry' and 'police power' please let me try to clarify some issues. It is astounding to most people to realize that no..."
"Citizen Murray: My questions were directed to Mr. Williams because his postings throughout this discussion have struck me as unusually scholarly..."
"I know that Melburn Thurman's posting was directed toward Mr. Williams..."
"Mr. Williams: Thank you for your statements, which provide a much better context for the various arguments you have made..."
"Mr. Thurman, re: The William and Mary Quarterly..."
"Mr. Thurman, a short terse summary of my position..."
"I shall make brief attempts to summarize some portions of this discussion..."
"In reply to John Horst -- a clarification. The actual number of arms of various types seized by Governor Gage from the people of Boston was..."
"The Emory Wheel wrote up the Bellesiles story last Friday..."
"I've decided to hold back 'on further comments until I receive my copy of the William and Mary Quarterly. ..."
"SF Gate News, 'A history lesson for historian Archivist refutes claims of prize-winning author,' by Sam McManis..."
"In reply to John Horst, the statement that few weapons in America prior to 1777 could handle a bayonet would seem to be directly contradicted by period evidence..."
"The Washington Times, 'Prize awards for literary losers' by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr...."
"Sooner or later this on-line colloquy is bound to end..."
"One important point to note about guns in colonial American up to 1777 was that few weapons that could handle the bayonet did exist here..."
"Bellesiles has asserted that the probate records only represent a small part of his argument..."
"Mr. Hardwick, I concur that more info is needed on Bellesiles' sampling design..."
"Mr. Galle: Your comments are much to the point for several reasons..."
"I have been reading the various postings with great interest, but have hesitated to contribute due to the fact that I have not read Bellesiles's book..."
"Perhaps as a gun owner, and collector of antique guns, and a member of the NRA, my opinions may qualify for instant dismissal..."
"As the daughter of an historian, and an undergraduate member of Phi Alpha Theta, I am saddened by the blind support of Mr. B..."
"Wall Street Journal, 'Guns and Poses' BY KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL, Friday, February 22, 2002..."
"In reply to Mr. Williams: I am substantially in agreement with most of what you say. I do not think Mr. Bellesiles intended for his statistical data to bear the weight that has been asked of it by his critics..."
"During the Revolution, the American militia had another big advantage: high mobility which came from being mounted on horseback..."
"'As for why "Bellesiles thinks the militia of 200 years ago would have been contemptible against regulars," it furthered his agenda...'"
"To Mr. Williams: I see the point you are making about the readiness of the Guard units. I haven't followed budgets of the Guard since I left the Guard, so I don't know about that issue..."
"To Mr. Hardwick: Thank you for the references. Some comments: a) It seems to be that the burden is on Mr. Bellesiles to prove/demonstrate..."
"The Weekly Standard, 'The Historian Who Couldn't Shoot Straight' -- From the February 25, 2002 issue: The truth about Michael Bellesiles's Arming America. by David Skinner..."
"To Mark Murray re Your question: 'As to your last statement, "However, additional training is needed to actual preparation for combat," I fail to find the truth in that...'"
"Mr. Williams, you stated, 'Bellesiles constantly tries to suggest that being a soldier in early America was...'"
"The 'Philosopher-King Culture:' In August 2001, Michael Bellesiles was interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) where he cast himself as an objective scholar..."
"Mr. Hardwick, you stated that you wish to take seriously, 'that elderly men left guns to younger men, outside of the probate process' (not your quote, I know)..."
"In Chapter 8 of Arming America, Bellesiles appears to suggest that the militia fell apart in the peaceful period after the War of 1812 extending into the 1830's..."
"In reply to Mr. Williams: It was not my intent to quarrel with anything you said -- merely to ask for the sources of information..."
"Thanks, Mr. Thurman. Your comments (in the post of 2/14 at 2:15 p.m.) triggered some ideas..."
"Once again Mr. Hardy has made a notable statement in this discussion. The question of the intent of the Framers..."
"Mr. Williams: It is always gratifying to learn (as in your #168) that some of my thoughts have triggered ideas in others..."
"Re: Possible Bias in Bellesiles Probate Sampling discussed in my earlier post..."
"Mr. Thurman's comments bring to mind a problem (or mindset) often encountered in statutory and constitutional interpretation..."
"According to the Tribune article, the formal investigation is occurring because of the response of the Contra Cosa Historical Society..."
"Mr. Hardy touches on some very crucial matters in American social and political history..."
"Thurman's comments about cultural differences between the Tidewater and the backcountry parts of Virginia..."
"This submission is concerned with only one of the points raised by Mr. Williams (in #158)..."
"'I believe Bellesiles used these low prices as evidence that most guns were old or broken...'"
"Chicago Tribune, February 13, 2002: 'Emory can wait no longer: Historian is under investigation,' by Ron Grossman..."
"'The other estates reveal that guns were not expensive. See 1:507, where Thomas Nowell's probate inventory includes...'"
"Clayton Cramer points out Larry Cress's interpretations tended to be biased (but not undocumented or false)..."
"1) In 1790 the largest State, both in total population and in number of white men of militia age (16+ years), was Virginia..."
"To Hardwick -- Part 3 1)The H-OIEAHC poster was Ann Little (Assistant Professor, History, University of Dayton)..."
"Concerning the completeness of probate inventories..."
"Mr. Hardwick, you make an important point -- but maybe not the one you think..."
"'Historians who reviewed an Emory University history professor's controversial book'..."
"I have just finished reading the introduction of Arming America, and I wanted to comment on my initial impressions..."
"Professor Zimbleman observes, 'Disinterested scholarship seems to be a thing of the past'..."
"By way of modification of my previous statement..."
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Copyright © 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education