MERLE CURTI AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
PEACE RESEARCH IN AMERICAN HISTORY
by Charles F. Howlett
This article investigates Curtis long and distinguished professional interest in peace
history.RelyingonLawrenceWittnersresearchnote,MerleCurtiandtheDevelop-
mentofPeaceHistory,whichappearedintheJanuary1998issueof Peace&Change,
the author expands the discussion with extensive use of Curtis unpublished corre-
spondence. The author critically analyzes Curtis publications in the field in the
1930s,hissupportforWorldWarII,andhisencouragementtoyoungerscholarsto
continueresearchingandpublishinginpeacehistoryasameansofadvancinghuman
civilization.
AttheninetiethannualmeetingoftheOrganizationofAmericanHistorians
in1997,asessionhonoredthelatehistorianMerleCurti.LawrenceWittner,
anotedhistorianofpeacemovements,commentedthatCurtiwasthemost
important figure to channel historical scholarship into the quest for world
peace.
1
His view raises a number of interesting questions. What exactly do
we mean by peace history? How did Curtis writings address the long-term
tensionbetweenpacifismandnonpacifistactivism?Howwasthestrugglefor
peaceanexampleofAmericanreformmovements?InhiswritingsCurticon-
sistently urged the development [of] a sociology of cooperation in opposi-
tion to the prevailing one of struggle.
2
Lastly, how did Americas pioneer
historian of the peace crusade influence scholars in the field, particularly
those of the 1960s and the postVietnam War era?
3
CURTIS DISCOVERY OF THE FIELD
Although Curti is best remembered as the Dean of American Intellectual
Historians, he was also the first to provide scholarly legitimacy to the field
of peace history research.
4
Over seventy years ago, his studies examined the
development of peace movements as an important part of the democratic
reformtradition.Socialimpactbecamethefocusofhishistoricalresearchand
analysis. His discovery of the historical dimensions of the peace movement
431
PEACE & CHANGE, Vol. 25, No. 4, October 2000
© 2000 Peace History Society and
Consortium on Peace Research, Education, and Development