ro ft ▁( 1 8 0 0 – 1 8 9 1 ), ▁trained ▁in ▁the ▁leading ▁German ▁univers ities , ▁ ▁was ▁a ▁Democratic ▁politician ▁and ▁accomplished ▁scholar , ▁whose ▁mag ister ial ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁from ▁the ▁Disc overy ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Cont inent ▁covered ▁the ▁new ▁nation ▁in ▁depth ▁down ▁to ▁ 1 7 8 9 . ▁B anc ro ft ▁was ▁im bu ed ▁with ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁Rom antic ism , ▁emphas izing ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁national ism ▁and ▁republic an ▁values , ▁and ▁root ing ▁on ▁every ▁page ▁for ▁the ▁Patri ots . ▁His ▁master work ▁started ▁appearing ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 4 , ▁and ▁he ▁constantly ▁re vised ▁it ▁in ▁numerous ▁ed itions . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁John ▁Gor ham ▁P alf rey ▁( 1 7 9 6 – 1 8 8 1 ), ▁he ▁wrote ▁the ▁most ▁compreh ensive ▁history ▁of ▁colonial ▁America . ▁Bill ias ▁arg ues ▁B anc ro ft ▁played ▁on ▁four ▁rec urr ing ▁them es ▁to ▁explain ▁how ▁America ▁developed ▁its ▁unique ▁values : ▁prov idence , ▁progress , ▁pat ria , ▁and ▁pan - dem ocracy . ▁" Pro v idence " ▁meant ▁that ▁dest iny ▁dep ended ▁more ▁on ▁God ▁than ▁on ▁human ▁will . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁" progress " ▁indicated ▁that ▁through ▁continuous ▁reform ▁a ▁better ▁society ▁was ▁possible . ▁" Pat ria " ▁( lo ve ▁of ▁country ) ▁was ▁des erved ▁because ▁America ' s ▁spread ing ▁influence ▁would