Chapter 4, Cycles of History Summary and Analysis

The chapter opens by arguing that Mt. Rushmore represents the four archetypes - nomad, hero, artist and prophet. The fact that they are together on Mt. Rushmore is no coincidence, because the four archetypes function together to produce civilizations and historical cycles.

Chapter 4 explains the American saecular cycle. It arises in the beginning of Anglo-American modernity, with a clash of powerful personalities in the Wars of the Roses and the Protestant Reformation. Heroes and Prophets produced American Civilization in five generations - Shakespaere's Elizabethan generation, John Winthrop's Puritan generation, "King" Carter's Glorious generation, Jonathan Edwards's Awakening generation and Thomas Jefferson's Republican generation. These represent the generational cycles of 1600, 1640, 1690, 1740 and 1790 respectively. American civilization after its founding has representatives of the archetypes among its famous figures. Jonathan Edwards and William Lloyd Garrison were prophets; John Adams and...