▁bring ▁liberty ▁and ▁freedom ▁to ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁" Pan - dem ocracy " ▁meant ▁the ▁nation - state ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁drama , ▁not ▁specific ▁hero es ▁or ▁villa ins . ▁ ▁B anc ro ft ▁was ▁an ▁in def at ig able ▁research er ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁thorough ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁sources , ▁but ▁his ▁rot und ▁rom antic ▁style ▁and ▁enthus i astic ▁patri ot ism ▁anno yed ▁later ▁gener ations ▁of ▁scientific ▁histor ians , ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁assign ▁his ▁books ▁to ▁students . ▁Furthermore , ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁the ▁" Im per ial ▁School " ▁after ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁took ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁favor able ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁ben ign ▁intent ions ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁than ▁he ▁did . ▁ ▁Creating ▁and ▁pres erving ▁collect ive ▁memory ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 1 ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Historical ▁Society ▁became ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁first ▁state ▁historical ▁society ; ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁private ▁association ▁of ▁well - to - do ▁individuals ▁with ▁sufficient ▁le is ure , ▁interest , ▁and ▁resources ▁for ▁the ▁society ▁to ▁prosper . ▁ ▁It ▁set ▁a ▁model ▁that ▁every ▁state ▁followed , ▁although ▁usually ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁popular ▁base ▁and ▁state ▁fund ing . ▁ ▁Archiv ist ▁Elizabeth ▁Kap lan ▁arg ues ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁a ▁historical ▁society ▁begins ▁an ▁up ward ▁spir al ▁with ▁each ▁advance ▁legit im izing ▁the ▁next . ▁Col lections ▁are ▁gathered ▁that ▁support ▁publication ▁of ▁documents ▁and ▁histor ies