James Tracy (historian)
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James Donald Tracy is an American historian. With Heiko A. Oberman, he was co-founder of the ''
Journal of Early Modern History The ''Journal of Early Modern History'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on the early modern period. It is the official journal of the University of Minnesota Center for Early Modern History, and is published by Brill since 1997. The ...
'', and editor from 1999 through 2010.  He has served as president of the
Sixteenth Century Society and Conference 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. It is the fourth power of two. In English speech, the numbers 16 and 60 are sometimes confused, as they sound similar. Mathematics 16 is the ninth composite number, and a ...
, th
Society for Reformation Research
and the
American Catholic Historical Association The American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA) was founded by Peter Guilday in Cleveland, Ohio, in December 1919 as a national society to bring together scholars interested in the history of the Roman Catholic Church or in Catholic aspects ...
. At the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
, he was associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, chaired the Department of History, and held the Union Pacific Chair in Early Modern History from 2001 to 2004. Upon his retirement, Tracy was granted emeritus status. Among early modernists he is known for his contributions to an unusual range of research areas.


Early life and education

Tracy was born in 1938 in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
. He received his BA from
Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...
, and a MA from the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
and another from
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
, before receiving his PhD. from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
in
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
and
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
History. He married Suzanne K. Swan, M.D. in 1997, and has three children from his first marriage.


Research areas


Renaissance and Reformation

Erasmus of Rotterdam Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and p ...
ranks among the greatest of scholars. But as ''Erasmus: The Growth of a Mind'' (1972) and other studies show, he was more caught up in the bitter conflicts of the age than has been thought. Events made him change his mind in some ways. Like politically active friends in the
Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
, he harbored dark suspicions about the government of his native provinces (''The Politics of Erasmus,'' 1979). Even while distancing himself from Luther’s Reformation, Erasmus quarreled more with fellow Catholics than with Protestants (''Erasmus of the Low Countries,''1996)''.'' Tracy also co-edited two volumes of state-of-the-question essays on
Early Modern Europe Early modern Europe, also referred to as the post-medieval period, is the period of European history between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the mid 15th century to the late 18th century. Histori ...
, and published a textbook, ''Europe’s Reformations'' (1999), described as “a well-informed, critical, independent-minded, but essentially traditional view of the subject.”


War and finance

Early modern wars were fought on borrowed money, but princes had terrible credit ratings. One solution was for provinces to fund and manage, in the sovereign's name, a long-term, low-interest debt in which investors could have confidence. ''A Financial Revolution in the Habsburg Netherlands'' (1985) was said to have identified “a major development in European history that has somehow escaped all previous scholarly treatment.” What Tracy calls “fiscal intermediation” took many forms. ''Emperor Charles V'', ''Impresario of War'' (2002), which examines how
Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...
exploited in different ways the credit-worthiness of his various realms, has been called “one of the few serious contributions in any language during the last century to the study of Charles V in his European context.


The Low Countries

Prior to the 1980s, historians of the Dutch Revolt tended to pass over the preceding Habsburg era relatively quickly. ''Holland under Habsburg Rule'' (1990) described how fiscal pressure from Habsburg authorities forced the provinces to develop many of the institutional mechanisms that would, in a few decades, prove necessary for local self-government. This was “in many respects a new and attractive view of Holland’s provincial government.” Historians also like to credit the young republic's success in withstanding
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
to a patriotic cohesion among the rebel provinces, notwithstanding the selfish "particularism" of wealthy
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
. ''The Founding of the Dutch Republic'' (2008) argued that what held Spanish armies at bay in the difficult early years was that the States of Holland directed resources first and foremost to a successful defense of their own provincial border.


Early modern history

As director of Minnesota's Center for Early Modern History (CEMH), Tracy organized in 1987 a major research conference on “Merchant Empires.” He then edited one volume of substantial essays on long-distance trade in the early modern world and another on the characteristically European entanglement of state power and mercantile interest. These volumes were well received: “To speak of these essays as attaining a high level would be faint praise; their quality is excellent.” Subsequent CEMH conference volumes dealt with the global phenomenon of walled cities, and the relations between religion and the early modern state as seen from
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, and
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
.


The Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire

In the long confrontation between the Habsburgs and
Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
, the sultan's forces held the upper hand until nearly 1600. Historians pay little attention to conflicts during the sixteenth century, and virtually ignore the southern or Croatian sector of the frontier. ''Balkan Wars'' (2016) traces the connected histories of three adjoining provinces that shared the same language and culture but were divided among rival empires: Habsburg Croatia, Ottoman Bosnia, and
Venetian Dalmatia Venetian Dalmatia () refers to the territories of Dalmatia under the rule of the Republic of Venice, mainly from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Dalmatia was first sold to Venice in 1409 but Venetian Dalmatia was not fully consolidated until 1420, ...
. Tracy does not read Turkish or Hungarian; he uses published sources in other languages and unpublished diplomatic correspondence to “break ground in a field as yet little cultivated.” Several essays deal with the Hungarian sector of the frontier and propose a modified version of
Samuel Huntington Samuel Huntington may refer to: * Samuel Huntington (Connecticut politician) (1731–1796), American jurist, statesman, and revolutionary leader, 18th Governor of Connecticut * Samuel Huntington (Ohio politician) (1765–1817), American jurist, thi ...
’s “
clash of civilizations The "Clash of Civilizations" is a thesis that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post–Cold War world. The American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington argued that future wars would be ...
” thesis.


Awards

Tracy received a
Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...
in 1972/1973, a
Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
Research Grant to Belgium in 1979/1980, and a
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
Conference Grant in 1985. He was a Fellow of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies in 1993/1994. He has been Gastdocent at the Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden (Spring 1987), Professeur associé at the Université de Paris-IV (the Sorbonne) (Spring 2001), and Gastdocent at the
Universiteit van Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlands still in operati ...
(Fall 2004).


Selected publications


Renaissance and Reformation

''Erasmus: The Growth of a Mind'' (Geneva: Droz, 1972, 258 pp.). . ''The Politics of Erasmus: A Pacifist Intellectual and his Political Milieu'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979, 216 pp.). .
Erasmus of the Low Countries
' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996, 297 pp.). . ''Europe’s Reformations, 1450–1650'' (Lanham, Md., Rowman & Littlefield, 1999, paper and hardback, 387 pages; 2nd edition, 2006). . Co-edited with Thomas A. Brady and Heiko A. Oberman, ''Handbook of'' ''European History, 1400–1600'', vol. I (709 pp.), and vol. II (722 pp.) (Leiden: Brill, 1994, 1995, paperback edition Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996). . Co-edited with Manfred Hoffman, ''Collected Works of Erasmus,'' vol. 78, ''Controversies'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011, 498 pp.). .


War and finance

''A Financial Revolution in the Habsburg Netherlands:'' Renten ''and'' Renteniers ''in the County of Holland, 1515–1565'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, 276 pp.). . ''Emperor Charles V, Impresario of War: Campaign Strategy, International Finance, and Domestic Politics'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002). .


The Low Countries

''Holland under Habsburg Rule: The Formation of a Body Politic'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990, 332 pp.). . ''The Founding of the Dutch Republic: War, Finance, and Politics in Holland, 1572–1588'' (346 pp., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). . ''The Low Countries in the Sixteenth Century: Erasmus, Religion, Politics, Trade and Finance'' (Ashgate/Variorum, 2005), Fourteen essays from 1968 to 2000). .


Early modern history

Edited volume, ''The Rise of Merchant Empires: Long-Distance Trade in World History in the Early Modern World, 1350–1750'' (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990, 442 pp., paperback edition 1993). . Edited volume, ''The Political Economy of Merchant Empires State Power and World Trade, 1350–1750'' (New York:  Cambridge University Press, 1991, 504 pp., paperback edition 1993). . Edited volume, ''City Walls: The Urban Enceinte in Global Perspective'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, 687 pp.). . Co-edited with Marguerite Ragnow, ''Religion and the Early Modern State: Views from China, Russia, and the West'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004, 415 pp.). . Edition, translation, and introduction, ''True Ocean Found: Paludanus’ Letters on Dutch Voyages to the Kara Sea'', 1595/1596 (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1980, 77 pp.).


The Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire

''Balkan Wars: Habsburg Croatia, Ottoman Bosnia, and Venetian Dalmatia'' (Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, 456 pp.). .


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tracy, James 1938 births Living people 20th-century American historians 21st-century American historians 21st-century American male writers Historians of the Renaissance 20th-century American male writers Scholars of Ottoman history Historians from Missouri American male non-fiction writers Writers from St. Louis University of Notre Dame alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni Saint Louis University alumni University of Minnesota faculty Princeton University alumni Historians of warfare American academic journal editors American historians of religion Reformation historians