The Crolian Progressive

I’m Jeremy C. Young, a doctoral candidate in 20th-century U.S. History at Indiana University. I’ve been blogging since 2003 at a variety of locations around the web. I was the founding editor of ProgressiveHistorians; I also write for the History News Service.

For more information, visit my website or contact me by e-mail.

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Herbert David Croly (1869-1930) was a prominent journalist and philosopher of the American Progressive Era. Croly’s two most important books, The Promise of American Life (1909) and Progressive Democracy (1914), outlined a philosophy of government that was deeply nationalistic, social welfare-oriented, interventionist, and focused on the relationship between charismatic political leaders and their followers. He believed government should be used agressively to reshape the American people, to better their lives, and to apply democratic principles abroad. As the title of this blog indicates, Croly’s philosophy is substantially my own.

For more information on Croly, view his Wikipedia page; Kevin C. Murphy’s excellent article, available online; and David W. Levy’s definitive biography.