Current Events that Relate to History
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Book ReviewHenry James’s American Journey
Why his turn-of-the-century travelogue still resonates.The Chronicle of Higher Education -
AntecedentGeorge W. Bush Lives on in Donald Trump’s Migrant Policies
The “war on terror” led to a sweeping curtailment of immigrants’ rights that swept up green card holders as well as citizens.Jacobin -
Book ReviewWhen Jews Sought the Promised Land in Texas
While some Jewish exiles dreamed of a homeland in Palestine, the Jewish Territorial Organization fixed its hopes on Galveston.The New Yorker -
Book ReviewThe Dialectic Lurking Behind the Brutality
Greg Grandin’s new book tells the story of US expansionism and its complex relationship with the rest of the New World.Los Angeles Review of Books -
CommentHow Trump Wants to Change History
Late last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to restore “truth and sanity to American history.”Compact -
Book ReviewTranscending the Glass Ceiling
Five women who made important contributions to 19th-century American philosophy finally get their due.The American Scholar -
exhibitAmerican Environmentalisms
Tracing the many forms that environmentalism has taken in the U.S., from transcendentalism and conservationism to the 20th century push for regulation to today's climate justice movement.
From the HNN Archive
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What Is the Role of the Historian?
Rethinking the job of history — and the American Historical Association — after the veto of the Gaza “scholasticide” resolution. -
“A Party for the White Man”
The scene at the 1964 Republican National Convention, when Barry Goldwater was nominated and black Republicans’ worst fears about their party were confirmed. -
Indifferent to the Fate of Freedom Elsewhere
Jimmy Carter is known for his defense of human rights worldwide. But in 1979, he threatened to deport thousands of Iranian student protesters. -
Ohio’s Little-Known Fascist Member of Congress
How a local prosecutor protected white supremacists and went on to a career in Washington, DC. -
Whose Side Are College Administrators On?
There’s a long history of politicians targeting student protesters — and of campus leaders abetting those efforts. -
The Constitution Does Not Speak for Itself
In 1841, John Tyler said he was the president. The Constitution said he wasn’t. What happened next? -
“At Any Future Time”
In 1880, the daughter of a Welsh politician turned to fiction to expose perspectives missing from the official record, upending histories for generations to come. -
Letting the World Scream
In 1984, the U.S. rejected the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction, revealing its tendency to ignore international rules it sees as unfavorable — even when it helped write them.