American History as Written by American Presbyterians

Besides ecclesiastical histories, some American Presbyterian clergymen, as students of history in general, have written notable volumes on the civil history of America, from the time of its discovery by Europeans forward, tracing God's providential hand in it. 

Consider the following examples:

• Jacob Harris Patton (1812-1903), The History of the United States of America; Four Hundred Years of American History (2 vols.); Concise History of the American People; Yorktown; The Democratic Party: Its Political History and Influence; and Political Parties in the United States: Their History and Influence;
• John Rodgers (1727-1811), The Divine Goodness Displayed in the American Revolution;
• Robert Ellis Thompson (1844-1924), The Hand of God in American History; and
• Henry Alexander White (1861-1926), A School History of the United States; and The Making of South Carolina.

To which can be added, Alexander McLeod (1774-1833)'s discourses on the War of 1812; William Carlos Martyn (1841-1917)'s history of the Pilgrim Fathers of New England; and William Pratt Breed (1816-1889)'s volumes of the War of 1776; among other contributions to American history studies. 

These volumes and more can be found at Log College Press, and make for valuable reading on the history of the United States of America from its earliest foundations onward. There are fascinating insights to be found within -- such as chapters on the aboriginal people living on the continent when Europeans arrived, the pre-Columbian discovery of America by Leif Erikson, and the first Protestant colonies planted in America by the French Huguenots (half a century before Jamestown and Plimoth Plantation). If you are in search of histories of America written by godly ministers from the past, take note of the volumes listed above, and start reading about the past today. 

Two key 19th century histories of the American Presbyterians Churches

In the late 1890s, Phillip Schaff led a team of editors in publishing the American Church History Series, "consisting of denominational histories published under the auspices of the American Society of Church History." Thomas Cary Johnson wrote the history of the Southern Presbyterian Church, and Robert Ellis Thompson wrote the history of the Northern Presbyterian Church. Both are foundational for understanding how the 19th century Presbyterian churches understood themselves and their past, present, and futures. One nice feature of these books is a detailed bibliography of sources used from the 18th and 19th centuries. These volumes are little known, but worth reading.