
The World in Time / Lapham’s Quarterly
Episode 78: Michael Knox Beran
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- The WASPs emerged during the Gilded Age as a class and movement devoted to power and reform, reconciling their corrosive blood-pride with their idealistic nature.
- The decline of the WASPs was propelled by cultural shifts, social changes, and criticism of their elitism, leading to their diminishing influence in public life.
Deep dives
The Rise of the WASPs
The podcast explores the origins and rise of the WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants), a prominent American aristocracy. The WASPs – comprised of families like the Boston Brahmins – initially emerged in the Gilded Age feeling overshadowed and displaced by a new class that embodied a different conception of life. Influenced by European civic humanism, the WASPs sought to develop a different idea of the good life in the late 19th century. Notable WASP figures include Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Cold Warriors like Dean Acheson and Avril Harriman. Despite starting from humble beginnings, the WASPs' influence extended across cultural, political, and diplomatic spheres. Their wealth and networks allowed them to hold positions of power and shape America's societal landscape. The podcast emphasizes the WASPs' legacy in American history and their contribution to national development.