James Roger Sharp

James Roger Sharp is a political historian, academic and author. He is a professor emeritus of History at Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

Sharp is most known for his work on American political history, particularly the early national and middle period (1789–1860). He has authored and co-authored research articles and books such as The Deadlocked Election of 1800: Jefferson, Burr, and the Union in the Balance, American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis, The Jacksonians versus the banks: Politics in the States after the panic of 1837 and 4 volumes of American Leaders (South, Northeast, Midwest, and West). He is a recipient of the 1971 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, the 1979–1980 American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship, 1995 Chancellor's Citation for Exceptional Academic Achievement and was named the Scholar-Teacher of the Year by Syracuse University in 1996.

Education Sharp obtained an AB in Political Science in 1958 and an MA in American History in 1960, both from the University of Missouri. Subsequently, he received a PhD in American History from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966.

In 1977, he was a Conferee on the Annual Chief Justice Earl Warren Conference on Advocacy in the United States, and subsequently served as a Consultant to SUNY to evaluate history department and program at SUNY Potsdam in 1980. In addition, he was a member of professional societies like the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic, where he became the national program chairman for the conference in 1981, while also being on the Advisory Council from 1981 to 1985. Concurrently, he served on the Board of Editors for the Journal of the Early Republic and later became a Consultant to the Courage Foundation from 1986 to 1992.

Research Sharp has contributed to the field of political history by studying American political history, major events, legislative leadership and decision making, along with the general situation in the period between 1789 and 1860.

In his 1993 book American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis, Sharp presented an analysis of the challenges faced by the new nation between the years 1789 to 1801 in establishing a stable union amid political polarization, sectional allegiances, and foreign policy complexities. John H. Flannagan wrote, "a very informative, thought provoking, and scholarly assessment of the so-called Federalist Era.... [that] may well replace the pioneering work of John C. Miller as the new standard text or required reading in college and graduate school classes."

Sharp, along with his wife, Nancy W. Sharp, edited four volumes assessing the state house speakers from 1911 to 1994, offering biographical and career details on over 1,400 speakers, entitled American Legislative Leaders in the Mid-West, 1911–1994, American Legislative Leaders in the Northeast, American Legislative Leaders in the South and American Legislative Leaders in the West.

Furthermore, Sharp authored The Deadlocked Election of 1800: Jefferson, Burr, and the Union in the Balance, where he wrote on the historical context by reevaluating the 1800 election, dispelling misconceptions about states' rights, international conflicts, and political polarization in the era, and stated that the French Revolution significantly influenced early Americans' perceptions, serving as a mirror to assess their own nation's historical progress and potential challenges. In his review for the Journal of the Early Republic, Andrew W. Robertson remarked, "Sharp explains in vivid detail the dramatic oscillations in public support between the Federalists and Republicans in the late 1790s. Here the author shows himself to be the master of the telling details of both state and national politics."

Awards and honors 1971 – Fellowship, National Endowment for the Humanities 1979–1980 – Fellowship, American Council of learned Societies 1995 – Chancellor's Citation for Exceptional Academic Achievement, Syracuse University 1996 – Scholar-Teacher of the Year, Syracuse University