Richard B. Morris was a pioneering historian in colonial American legal history and early American labor history, later focusing on the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution.

Early Life and Education

Richard Brandon Morris was born on July 24, 1904, in New York City. Raised in an intellectually stimulating environment, he demonstrated an early aptitude for scholarship.

Morris attended Townsend Harris Hall, a school renowned for preparing students for rigorous academic pursuits. He then enrolled at City College of New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924. This was followed by a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1925, marking the beginning of a long association with the institution.

Morris pursued a PhD in history at Columbia University, where he was mentored by the distinguished historian Evarts Boutell Greene. His doctoral dissertation, later published as Studies in the History of American Law, with Special Reference to the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (1930), became a foundational work in the field of early American legal history. Although the dissertation was groundbreaking, it faced criticism from legal scholars at Columbia Law School, including Julius Goebel, Jr., and Karl Llewellyn, who took issue with his interpretations. Nevertheless, Morris’s work established a new research agenda for historians studying colonial and early American legal systems.

Academic Career

City College of New York

Morris began his teaching career at the City College of New York in 1927. Over nearly two decades, he influenced generations of students and continued to refine his research on colonial legal history and labor relations. His 1946 publication, Government and Labor in Early America, was a landmark study that underscored the role of labor in shaping the political and social dynamics of colonial America. This work brought him considerable recognition and played a crucial role in his career progression.

Columbia University

In 1949, Morris transitioned to Columbia University as a faculty member in the history department. His tenure at Columbia was marked by significant contributions to historical scholarship. He was eventually appointed the Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, a title that bore no relation to the famous Founding Father but reflected his scholarly prominence.

During his time at Columbia, Morris maintained a commitment to rigorous historical inquiry. Despite his private opposition to the 1968 Columbia University protests, he remained largely silent on the matter, avoiding public controversy. The protests led to the occupation of university buildings, and Morris suffered personal losses when some of his books were stolen from his office. Frustrated by the campus turmoil, he sought opportunities elsewhere, though without success. Nevertheless, he remained a key figure in the university’s historical research initiatives.

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Contributions to American Historical Scholarship

Legal and Labor History

Morris’s early works focused on American legal history, particularly in the colonial and early national periods. His pioneering research challenged traditional interpretations of legal development in America, placing greater emphasis on the social and economic factors that influenced legal evolution. His work on labor history, especially in Government and Labor in Early America, was among the first to explore the role of working-class movements in shaping American democracy.

The American Revolution and Constitutional History

Over time, Morris expanded his research interests to include constitutional, diplomatic, and political history, particularly relating to the American Revolution and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. His book The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence (1965) examined the diplomacy of the American Revolution and earned him the prestigious Bancroft Prize in 1966. This work highlighted the complex negotiations that secured American independence and reshaped the geopolitical landscape.

In 1967, he published John Jay, the Nation, and the Court, which underscored Jay’s role in shaping early American diplomacy and jurisprudence. He further explored the Revolutionary era in The American Revolution Reconsidered (1966) and The Emerging Nations and the American Revolution (1970). His ability to synthesize diplomatic, political, and legal history allowed him to offer fresh perspectives on the period, influencing scholarly discourse for decades.

The New American Nation Series

Morris collaborated with historian Henry Steele Commager to co-edit the influential New American Nation series, published by Harper & Row. This ambitious project sought to present a comprehensive history of the United States through a collection of volumes authored by leading historians. His editorial leadership helped ensure the series’ academic rigor and accessibility to a broader audience.

Project ’87 and the U.S. Constitution Bicentennial

In 1976, Morris played a crucial role in the creation of Project ’87, a joint initiative of the American Historical Association and the American Political Science Association. Frustrated by what many scholars saw as a lackluster commemoration of the American Revolution’s bicentennial, Morris and his colleagues sought to ensure that the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution would be marked by substantive academic engagement. Project ’87 brought together historians, political scientists, and legal scholars to produce high-quality scholarship on constitutional history.

Morris’s own contribution to this effort was The Forging of the Union, 1781–1789 (1987), a volume in the New American Nation series. This book synthesized his decades of research on the political and constitutional struggles that shaped the early United States. It remains an essential work for scholars studying the post-Revolutionary period.

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Personal Life and Legacy

In 1930, Morris married Berenice Robinson, a talented author and composer. Together, they had two sons: Jeffrey B. Morris, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a historian specializing in constitutional and legal history, and Donald R. Morris, a teacher based in Wyoming.

Morris passed away on March 3, 1989, in New York City after a battle with melanoma. His death marked the end of a prolific career that had significantly shaped the fields of American legal, labor, and constitutional history. His scholarship remains influential, with many of his works continuing to be cited in academic circles in our nation and beyond.

As a professor, editor, and historian, Richard B. Morris left an enduring legacy that continues to influence the study of American history.

Major Works

Morris’s extensive body of work reflects his wide-ranging historical interests. Some of his most notable publications include:

• Studies in the History of American Law, with Special Reference to the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (1930, 1959)
• Encyclopedia of American History (1953 and later editions)
• The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence (1965)
• The American Revolution Reconsidered (1966)
• John Jay, the Nation, and the Court (1967)
• Fair Trial: Fourteen Who Stood Accused, from Anne Hutchinson to Alger Hiss (1967)
• The Emerging Nations and the American Revolution (1970)
• Seven Who Shaped Our Destiny: The Founding Fathers as Revolutionaries (1973)
• John Jay: Unpublished Papers, 1780–1784 (1980)
• Witnesses at the Creation: Hamilton, Madison, Jay and the Constitution (1985)
• The Forging of the Union, 1781–1789 (1987)

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Awards and Recognition

Morris received several accolades for his contributions to historical scholarship. His most notable honor was the 1966 Bancroft Prize in History for The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence. This award underscored his impact on the study of American diplomatic history.

Timeline of Richard B. Morris

• 1904: Born on July 24 in New York City.
• 1924: Earned a BA from City College of New York.
• 1925: Completed an MA at Columbia University.
• 1930: Received a PhD in history from Columbia; dissertation published as Studies in the History of American Law.
• 1927: Began teaching history at City College of New York.
• 1946: Published Government and Labor in Early America and joined Columbia University faculty.
• 1949: Became a professor at Columbia University.
• 1966: Won the Bancroft Prize for The Peacemakers.
• 1976: Co-founded Project ’87 to mark the U.S. Constitution’s bicentennial.
• 1987: Published The Forging of the Union, 1781–1789.
• 1989: Passed away on March 3 in New York City.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Richard B. Morris receive his education?

He earned a BA from City College in 1924, an MA from Columbia University in 1925, and a PhD in history from Columbia in 1930.

What was Morris’s early contribution to legal history?

His dissertation, Studies in the History of American Law (1930), defined the research agenda for early American legal history.

Where did Morris teach during his academic career?

He taught at City College of New York (1927–1949) and later became Gouverneur Morris Professor of History at Columbia University.

What was Project ’87, and what was Morris’s role in it?

Project ’87 was a joint effort by historians and political scientists to mark the U.S. Constitution’s bicentennial; Morris co-founded it and contributed The Forging of the Union, 1781–1789.

What major award did Morris receive?

He won the Bancroft Prize in 1966 for The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence.

How did Morris contribute to John Jay scholarship?

He edited and published volumes of Jay’s previously unpublished papers and wrote John Jay, the Nation, and the Court (1967).

What was Morris’s final major work?

The Forging of the Union, 1781–1789 (1987), which culminated his study of the American Revolution and Constitution.

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