David Hackett Fischer

American historian at Brandeis who wrote Albion's Seed, The Great Wave, Paul Revere's Ride, and Washington's Crossing — known for The Great Wave's argument that price revolutions (long waves of inflation) have driven historical crises, and Albion's Seed's identification of four British folkways as the deep source of American regional cultures.

Identified the long-wave price revolution as the driver of historical crises — The Great Wave demonstrates that periods of rising prices, demographic pressure, and inequality across four centuries (Medieval, 16th century, 18th century, 20th century waves) produce predictable sequences of social breakdown — making macroeconomic structure the key to historical rhythm.