▁in ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁their ▁lab ors ▁at ▁Philadelphia . ▁ ▁Be ard ' s ▁most ▁influ ential ▁book , ▁written ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁Mary ▁Be ard , ▁ ▁was ▁the ▁wide - r anging ▁and ▁best s elling ▁The ▁R ise ▁of ▁American ▁Civil ization ▁( 1 9 2 7 ). ▁It ▁had ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁on ▁a ▁generation ▁of ▁American ▁histor ians . ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁Be ard ian ▁histor ians ▁included ▁C . ▁V ann ▁Wood ward , ▁Howard ▁K . ▁Be ale , ▁Fred ▁Har vey ▁Harr ington , ▁Jackson ▁Turner ▁Main , ▁and ▁Richard ▁Hof stad ter ▁( in ▁his ▁early ▁years ) ▁ ▁Similar ▁to ▁Be ard ▁in ▁his ▁economic ▁interpretation , ▁and ▁almost ▁as ▁influ ential ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁was ▁literary ▁scholar ▁Vern on ▁Louis ▁Par r ington . ▁ ▁Be ard ▁was ▁famous ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁liberal , ▁but ▁he ▁str enu ously ▁opposed ▁American ▁entry ▁into ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁bl amed ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁more ▁than ▁Japan ▁or ▁Germany . ▁This ▁isol ation ist ▁st ance ▁destroyed ▁his ▁reputation ▁among ▁sch ol ars . ▁By ▁about ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁they ▁also ▁abandoned ▁his ▁material istic ▁model ▁of ▁class ▁conflict . ▁Richard ▁Hof stad ter ▁concluded ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 : ▁ ▁Today ▁Be ard ' s ▁reputation ▁stands ▁like ▁an ▁impos ing ▁ru in ▁in ▁the ▁landscape ▁of ▁American ▁histor