John Burgess

John William Burgess (August 26, 1844 – January 13, 1931) was an American political scientist. He spent most of his career at Columbia University where he in 1880 created the first graduate school in Political Science. He has been described as "the most influential political scientist of the period" and "the father of American political science."

Early life and education Burgess was born in Cornersville, Tennessee, on August 26, 1844.

He undertook study of history at Amherst College, graduating in 1867. and wrote that "black skin means membership in a race of men which has never of itself succeeded in subjecting passion to reason, has never, therefore, created any civilization of any kind."

In a 1904, Burgess argued for close British, American and German relations, justifying it in part on the basis of "ethnic affinity". He also argued that Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and the Dutch were "probably the purest Teutonic stock, and the best stock, in Europe". He added that it was a "sober truth that the Teutonic genius and the Teutonic conscience are the two greatest forces in modern civilization and culture."

Burgess defended how Southern planters treated slaves, arguing that most planters treated them well and that most slaves were content with slavery.

According to Leon Epstein, Burgess was a leading academic figure in the last decades of the nineteenth century, but some of his influence was considered negative (due to his advocation of formalism as it applied to politics and governance) and he caused somewhat of an intellectual rebellion at Columbia.

He was the academic advisor of Charles Edward Merriam.

Works 1890: Political Science and Comparative Constitutional Law 1897: The Middle Period, 1817-1858 1901: The Civil War and the Constitution, 1859-1865 1902: Reconstruction and the Constitution 1866-1876 1915: The European War of 1914 - Its Causes Purposes and Probable Results 1915: The Reconciliation of Government with Liberty 1923: Recent Changes in American Constitutional Theory