▁the ▁Common ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁ 1 6 7 5 - 1 7 7 6 ▁( 1 9 0 5 ), ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" English ▁records " ▁to ▁distinguish ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁earlier ▁Dutch ▁ones . ▁Even ▁while ▁working ▁on ▁these ▁various ▁projects , ▁Os good ▁continued ▁to ▁teach ▁and ▁super v ise ▁doctor al ▁dis sert ations ▁at ▁Columbia , ▁and ▁among ▁his ▁students ▁were ▁William ▁Robert ▁She ph erd , ▁Charles ▁Austin ▁Be ard , ▁and ▁Arthur ▁Me ier ▁Schles inger . ▁ ▁Bi ograph er ▁G w enda ▁Morgan ▁con cludes : ▁ ▁Os good ▁brought ▁a ▁new ▁s oph istic ation ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁colonial ▁relations ▁pos ing ▁the ▁question ▁from ▁an ▁institution al ▁perspective , ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁was ▁brid ged . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁historian ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁imperial ▁structures , ▁the ▁experimental ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁and ▁the ▁contradict ions ▁between ▁theory ▁and ▁practice ▁that ▁gave ▁rise , ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁to ▁incons isten cies ▁and ▁misunder stand ings .... ▁It ▁was ▁American ▁factors ▁rather ▁than ▁imperial ▁influ ences ▁that ▁in ▁his ▁view ▁sh aped ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁colon ies . ▁Os good ' s ▁work ▁still ▁has ▁value ▁for ▁professional ▁histor ians ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁colon ies ' ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁British ▁Empire , ▁and ▁their ▁internal ▁political ▁development . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Histor i ography ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁