Historian Gordon S. Wood Dies at 92 After Being Struck by Vehicle

Gordon S. Wood, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, died at the age of 92 after being hit by a car in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island, on June 8, 2026. Wood was a professor emeritus at Brown University and authored influential works on American history, including 'The Creation of the American Republic' and 'The Radicalism of the American Revolution.' He received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in 2011 for his contributions to scholarship on the founding of the United States. While Wood's work was widely respected, he faced criticism from some younger historians for his traditional approach and perceived minimization of the experiences of marginalized groups. His writings often emphasized a nuanced understanding of historical events, rejecting both overly simplistic narratives and the notion that the American Revolution was solely a struggle for freedom. Wood's legacy includes a significant impact on the study of early American history, and his ideas continue to be discussed and debated in academic circles.