author
Charles Ramsdell Lingley
1877–1934
A Dartmouth historian with a gift for making American politics and public life readable, he wrote clear, wide-ranging histories for students and general readers alike. His best-known work follows the United States through the turbulent decades after the Civil War, tracing how the nation changed in government, industry, and society.
1 Audiobook
The United States Since the Civil War
by Charles Ramsdell Lingley
About the author
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1877, Charles Ramsdell Lingley became an American historian and teacher whose career was closely tied to Dartmouth College. Dartmouth Alumni Magazine described him as a native of Worcester, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a scholar who took advanced degrees at Columbia University, and a member of Dartmouth's history department from 1907 onward.
Lingley wrote both scholarly and accessible history. His books included The Transition in Virginia from Colony to Commonwealth and Since the Civil War (also issued as The United States Since the Civil War), a broad account of the United States after 1865 that remained widely circulated. He also collaborated on textbooks and teaching materials, reflecting his interest in explaining complex history in a straightforward way.
After his death in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1934, colleagues at Dartmouth remembered him as a great teacher, fine scholar, and thoughtful counselor. That combination of classroom clarity and serious historical work helps explain why his writing still feels useful to readers looking for a grounded introduction to modern American history.