John M. Pafford

The clashes between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan during the 1896 and 1900 presidential elections changed the course of American politics. Prior to Bryan's candidacy, the Democratic Party was slightly more conservative than the Republican Party. At the 1896 Democratic National Convention, Bryan's dramatic "Cross of Gold" speech stampeded the delegates left-of-center--a position the party has traditionally held since.Most Americans, though, rejected this new wave, remained conservative and twice elected McKinley. These were dramatic years for the country as it continued its rise to become a major world economic and military. Significantly, freedom increased for those now within the American orbit.

Russell Kirk is widely regarded as the individual most responsible for the revival of conservative thought in the latter half of the twentieth century. Kirk's conservative philosophy was well-established with his magnum opus, The Conservative Mind, published in 1953, and remained constant until his death in 1994. His Christianity, though, grew from something seen as the foundation of Western Civilization to being also a personal faith. He became a Roman Catholic, drawn by its universality, its traditionalism, and his love for the woman he married. Although he believed in certain Catholic distinctives, such as purgatory, he generally seemed to be more of a generic Christian than a dogmatic follower of Rome.

Volume 12 in the "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Russell Kirk's conservative philosophy. Russell Kirk is widely regarded as the individual most responsible for the revival of conservative thought in the latter half of the twentieth century. Kirk's conservative philosophy was well-established with his magnum opus, "The Conservative Mind", published in 1953, and remained constant until his death in 1994. His Christianity, though, grew from something seen as the foundation of Western Civilization to being also a personal faith. He became a Roman Catholic, drawn by its universality, its traditionalism, and his love for the woman he married. Although he believed in certain Catholic distinctives, such as purgatory, he generally seemed to be more of a generic Christian than a dogmatic follower of Rome. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index.