Stephen Girard

Captain of American Enterprise and Philanthropy
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-95679-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 188 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm

Reihe: Routledge Historical Americans

This book is the first systematic scholarly analysis of Stephen Girard’s views on race, gender, class, and enslavement, connecting the details of Girard’s life with litigation surrounding his estate and school.

By the time Girard died, the merchant-banker was one of the wealthiest men in the United States. He shocked the people of his adopted city and nation by posthumously devoting his fortune to philanthropic projects—most notably the construction of a charity school for White orphan boys. For nearly two hundred years, Girard’s name has been mired in controversy because of his last will and testament, which became the centerpiece of numerous legal battles. With narrative sophistication and probing analysis, this book combines a succinct overview of Girard’s life with much-needed context for making sense of his decisions and legacy. In doing so it further addresses controversial topics in the modern U.S. public sphere—freedom of religion, institutional racism, gender equality, the relationship of private philanthropy to the public good—directing the reader to reconsider the health of American republican institutions in the twenty-first century in the light of Girard’s history and legacies.

Augmented by many historical images and primary-source documents, including the text of his much-debated last will and Supreme Court arguments about his philanthropy, the book is an ideal resource for students and scholars of American history, Atlantic world studies, legal history, history of education, and history of philanthropy.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ames, Alexander Lawrence

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Amerikanische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: The Ghost of Stephen Girard, 1. An Atlantic Existence: Girard’s Formative Years, 2. Becoming a (French) Philadelphian: Girard’s Religious and Cultural Life, 3. Immigrant Millionaire: Girard’s Economic Ascent, 4. The Ship of State: Girard’s Vision for Philanthropy, 5. A Legacy-Defining Gift: Republican Education and the Long Afterlives of Girard, Conclusion: “Mummy of Glory”: The Eternal Girard, Historical Documents, Reflection and Discussion Questions, Bibliography

Über Autor(innen)

Alexander Lawrence Ames is Curator & Senior Director of Collections Engagement at the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia, USA. He holds an M.A. in American Material Culture, an M.A. in History, and a Ph.D. in History of American Civilization and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware. His publications include Grolier Club Bookplates: Past & Present, (2023, with Mark Samuels Lasner), and Portrait of a Citizen: Stephen Girard, Mariner, Merchant, Banker, and Philanthropist of the Early American Republic (2026).