Jefferson CowieJames G. Stahlman Professor of American History, was appointed to Pulitzer Prize 2023 winner for his book Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power in the history category. Cowie joins the 107th class of Pulitzer Prize winners, which includes 23 honorees. Cowie will receive a $15,000 prize.
The book is described by the Pulitzer Board as “a resonant account of an Alabama county in the 19th and 20th centuries shaped by settler colonialism and slavery, a portrait that illustrates the evolution of white supremacy by drawing powerful connections between anti-government and racist ideologies. .. A fascinating story of the long In a confrontation between whites and federal authority, this book radically changes our understanding of what freedom means in America.”
“This is a wonderful and shocking surprise. I am honored beyond imagination. The generous support offered by Vanderbilt and the James G. Stahlman Chair in American History was instrumental in enabling me to write this book,” he said Cowie. “I hope readers will understand some of the violence and themes of domination that are often at the heart of American freedom. Although this is only one county’s story, there is much to learn about the need of an entire country of energetic commitment to our democratic institutions.”
“Jeff Cowie could not be more deserving of this impressive and meaningful recognition,” said John G. Geer, Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The influence of his book is profound, as it continues to shape how we understand history, society and politics. His scholarship and insights will have a lasting and significant impact for decades to come.”
Cowie’s scholarship focuses on how class, race, and labor shape American capitalism, politics, and culture. Cowie is the author of three other books, including Stayin’ Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class, which won the Francis Parkman Award for the best book in American history. his book Capital Movements: RCA’s Seventy-Year Quest for Cheap Labour received the 2000 Philip Taft Award for the best book in the history of work. Cowie has also written numerous articles and edited volumes, incl Beyond the Ruins: The Meanings of Deindustrialization with Joseph Heathcott. In addition to his scholarship, his work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Time, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic.
The year-long Pulitzer Prize selection process begins when distinguished jurors make recommendations for three finalists in each award category. The 18-member Pulitzer Board, composed of prominent journalists, news executives, and academics or people in the arts, then makes the final decision after evaluating the jury’s finalists. The Pulitzer Prizes were established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper editor, who left money to Columbia University after his death in 1911.
