East Providence, R.I. – Gordon S. Wood, the esteemed Pulitzer Prize-winning historian renowned for his scholarship on the American Revolution, died Sunday, June 7, 2026, at the age of 92, after being struck by a motorist in a supermarket parking lot in East Providence, Rhode Island. His daughter, Amy Wood, confirmed his passing, stating he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Shaw's supermarket on Taunton Avenue.
Wood, a professor emeritus of history at Brown University, dedicated decades to researching and writing about the American Revolution and the founding fathers. His seminal work, "The Radicalism of the American Revolution," published in 1992, earned him a Pulitzer Prize. In this work, he argued that colonists rebelled not only against British taxation but also against an age-old worldview dividing commoners from nobility.
His contributions significantly deepened the understanding of the forces and events that led to the birth of the United States. Wood's name also gained wider recognition through its mention in a memorable monologue in the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting," a detail he often humorously acknowledged. "That’s my two seconds of fame," he once remarked about the film reference.
Fellow historians and institutions have expressed profound sadness at his death, particularly as it comes close to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Ken Burns, whose recent PBS documentary "The American Revolution" featured Wood, described himself as "devastated," calling Wood "a teacher of generations of students and other historians." The Rhode Island Historical Society had planned to honor Wood at a gala later this month.
