Ethnic Leadership And Midwestern Politics ─ Scandinavian Americans And The Progressvie Movement In Wisconsin, 1890-1914

If historians were once preoccupied with politics, they are no more. In the past century history has embraced the whole range of human activity. Yet historians cannot, or at least ought not, avoid politics. Aristotle was right: humans are by nature political beings and politics is naturally an essential human activity. Whatever else history must do, then, it needs always to take politics into account.
The Norwegian-American Historical Association is therefore pleased to publish Jorn Brondal's study of Scandinavian-Americans in politics. His book is noteworthy for its emphasis on the role played in American politics by cohorts of ethnic leaders. It is also an able contribution to an undeveloped field, the comparative study of Scandinavian ethnic groups in the United States. In these respects his work complements other studies, including a number published by the Association itself, that have emphasized popular involvement in Norwegian-American politics or the careers in politics of single individuals.

Jorn Brondal is Associate Professor in American History at the University of Southern Denmark.