One of America's greatest historians just died at 92 after being hit by a car in a supermarket parking lot | Fortune

Gordon S. Wood, one of America's most influential historians, died at 92 after being struck by a car in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island. A Brown University professor emeritus, he authored The Creation of the American Republic and The Radicalism of the American Revolution, shaping debates about the founding era and the Constitution. His passing removes a towering figure whose work guided generations of scholars and informed public discourse on America's origins. Wood's scholarship earned major prizes, including the Bancroft Prize in 1970 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for The Radicalism of the American Revolution; Empire of Liberty was a finalist in 2009. In 2011 Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal. Critics argued he downplayed the lives of slaves, women, and Indigenous people, reflecting ongoing tensions between tradition and revision. Peers such as Ken Burns praised Wood as a teacher of generations of historians, while others offered nuanced critiques. His work remains a reference point as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, and his ideas even found a place in popular culture, cited in media and dialogue.