author
John Austin Stevens
1827–1910
A New York businessman turned historian, he wrote with deep interest in the American Revolution and the people who shaped the early United States. He is especially remembered for lively historical essays and for helping preserve Revolutionary memory in public life.
1 Audiobook
Albert Gallatin
by John Austin Stevens
About the author
Born in New York City in 1827, John Austin Stevens Jr. came from a prominent banking family, but his lasting reputation rests more on history than on finance. He was active in civic and business affairs, served as secretary of the New York Chamber of Commerce, and became known as a careful student of the American Revolution and early American public figures.
Stevens wrote historical essays, edited collections, and produced biographical work, including writing on Albert Gallatin. His work often focused on the founding era, combining documentary interest with a readable narrative style that suited magazine and reference audiences.
He also played an important part in historical memory outside his books, helping found the Sons of the Revolution and serving as its first president. He died in 1910, leaving behind a body of writing tied closely to the Revolutionary generation and the civic history of New York and the United States.