Gordon S. Wood, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and leading scholar of the American Revolution, died Sunday at age 92 after being struck by a car in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island. Wood, a professor emeritus at Brown University, was known for his influential works on the early American republic, including The Creation of the American Republic and The Radicalism of the American Revolution.
Wood’s scholarship emphasized the social and political transformations of the Revolutionary era, and his books became essential references for historians and students. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal for his contributions to understanding the nation’s founding.
While widely respected, Wood faced criticism in recent years from younger academics who argued his work minimized the roles of enslaved people, women, and Indigenous communities. John L. Brooke of Ohio State University noted Wood’s avoidance of interpretative complexity, though he acknowledged his scholarly rigor. Despite disagreements, colleagues like filmmaker Ken Burns and historian Woody Holton praised Wood’s mentorship and openness to differing perspectives.
Wood’s death occurred just weeks before the U.S. was set to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a milestone he had anticipated.