John Clark Ridpath

author

John Clark Ridpath

1840–1900

A prolific 19th-century historian and educator, he helped bring sweeping world and American history to a wide popular audience. His books aimed to make big subjects readable, ambitious, and engaging for ordinary households.

4 Audiobooks

The Life and Work of James A. Garfield, Twentieth President of the United States Embracing an Account of the Scenes and Incidents of His Boyhood; the Struggles of His Youth; the Might of His Early Manhood; His Valor As a Soldier; His Career As a Statesman; His Election to the Presidency; and the Tragic Story of His Death.

The Life and Work of James A. Garfield, Twentieth President of the United States Embracing an Account of the Scenes and Incidents of His Boyhood; the Struggles of His Youth; the Might of His Early Manhood; His Valor As a Soldier; His Career As a Statesman; His Election to the Presidency; and the Tragic Story of His Death.

by John Clark Ridpath

James Otis, the Pre-Revolutionist

James Otis, the Pre-Revolutionist

by John Clark Ridpath, G. Mercer (Graeme Mercer) Adam, Charles K. (Charles Keyser) Edmunds

Campfire and battlefield : an illustrated history of the campaigns and conflicts of the great Civil War

Campfire and battlefield : an illustrated history of the campaigns and conflicts of the great Civil War

by Rossiter Johnson, Selden Connor, John Brown Gordon, Henry W. B. (Henry Ward Beecher) Howard, O. O. (Oliver Otis) Howard, John Tyler Morgan, John Clark Ridpath

History of the United States

History of the United States

by John Clark Ridpath

About the author

Born in Putnam County, Indiana, in 1840, John Clark Ridpath built his career through teaching, writing, and public scholarship. He studied at Indiana Asbury University, later known as DePauw University, and went on to serve there as a professor and vice president.

Ridpath became best known for large-scale historical works written for general readers, including Cyclopedia of Universal History and other popular histories of the United States and the wider world. He also wrote biographies and edited literary collections, earning a reputation as a tireless compiler and explainer of big subjects.

Remembered as an educator as well as an author, Ridpath helped shape how many late-19th-century readers encountered history outside the classroom. He died in 1900, but his books remained widely circulated for years afterward.