Daniel Walker Howe is a historian specializing in early American history, with a focus on the antebellum era. His notable contribution to historical scholarship includes What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History. This work is part of the Oxford History of the United States series. Howe’s academic background, including his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his tenure as a professor at institutions such as UCLA and Oxford University, equips him with a credentialed understanding of the period.

Howe’s approach to writing What Hath God Wrought reflects a commitment to detailing the multifaceted developments of the era. Through an examination of events and figures, both prominent and lesser-known, he constructs a narrative that highlights the interconnectedness of societal changes. This methodological approach allows for a critical analysis that contributes to a broader understanding of the period’s significance in shaping modern America. The themes Howe explores, including technological advancement, political reform, and the implications of expansionist policies, are presented in a manner that emphasizes their impact on the American social fabric.

In What Hath God Wrought, Howe’s objective is to chronicle historical events and to interrogate their implications for American identity and development.