Historians/History

OAH: Slighting '68

by Fran Shor

The OAH plenary on “1968” provided a large audience of historians with a variety of perspectives on the broader context and implications of that tumultuous year. However, in their desire to escape fetishizing a single year, practically all of the panelists (with the exception of Manning Marable) overlooked the actual events of that year and how they were emblematic of significant changes or on-going contradictions. What I would like to highl

Forgiveness : Grandeur or Political Slogan?

by Valérie Rosoux

On February 13, the prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, presented the official apology of his country to the Aborigines, particularly to the “Stolen Generation,” the children wrested from their parents and placed in institutes and with white parents. The words of the head of the government were unequivocal: “To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thu

Human rights and the ‘work of memory’ in international relations

by Valérie Rosoux

For more than a century and a half, the incessant reminder of past confrontations created entrenched positions on either side of the Rhine. These perceptions gave rise to belligerent discourses calling for the crushing of the ancestral enemy. They were based on the same events, but the meaning assigned to these events was totally different. The discourses were thus frequently based on mutually contradictory versions of the past.In 1950, however, Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman stressed

April 4, 1968

by Joseph A. Palermo

"Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you."--Martin Luther King, Jr., Mason Temple, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968

Reporter's Notebook: Highlights from the 2008 OAH Convention: Day 1

by Rick Shenkman

Related Links Past AHA & OAH Conferences OAH 2008: Day 1 OAH 2008: Day 2 OAH 2008: Day 3 Want to share your reflections on the OAH annual meeting? We've set up a special blog so you can. CLICK HERE

Reporter's Notebook: Highlights from the 2008 OAH Convention: Day 3

by Rick Shenkman

Related Links Past AHA & OAH Conferences OAH 2008: Day 1 OAH 2008: Day 2 OAH 2008: Day 3 Want to share your reflections on the OAH annual meeting? We've set up a special blog so you can. CLICK HERE

by Michael Pearlman

The Real Eisenhower

by Ira Chernus

Peace activists love to quote Dwight Eisenhower. The iconic Republican war hero who spoke so eloquently about the dangers of war and the need for disarmament makes a terrific poster-boy for peace. The image of Eisenhower as the “man of peace” is so useful that I almost hate to burst the bubble. But if you look at the historical record there is no escaping the other Eisenhower.

HNN Poll: How Historians Rank the Presidency of George W. Bush (2008)

by Robert S. McElvaine

Deadline Extended! Responses will be accepted through March 24.“As far as history goes and all of these quotes about people trying to guess what the history of the Bush administration is going to be, you know, I take great comfort in knowing that they don’t know what they are talking about, because history takes a long time for us to reach.” — George W. Bush, Fox News Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008An HNN Poll conduc

Reading Stalin's Secret Police Files of the Executed

by Hiroaki Kuromiya

Stalin once said: "Death solves all problems. No man, no problem." The statement may be apocryphal, but a belief of this kind clearly guided his belief and action throughout his life. Stalin was critical of t

What Are We to Make of the West's First Genocide?

by Mark Gregory Pegg

In January 1208 a papal legate was murdered beside the Rhône River. Pope Innocent III accused Raimon VI, count of Toulouse, and heretics of the murder.

Latin American Independence: The Rodney Dangerfield of World Historical Events?

by John Chasteen

As in the famous lament of comedian Rodney Dangerfield, the revolutions of independence in Latin America tend to “get no respect.” At leas

Why George Mason Matters

by Jeff Broadwater

If George Mason has not been literally forgotten, he is at best only dimly remembered. Why the lapse into relative obscurity of a man Thomas Jefferson placed in

What Students Don't Know About History: The Latest Findings

by Diane Ravitch

For most people, the popular culture is far more influential via movies, television, the Internet, radio, and other forms of mass media than what is taught in school. Thus, we see, for example, the latest Harris poll, which asks the public to identify the "best presidents in history." The top ten, rank ordered by adding the votes for first best and second best, are: Lincoln, Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Kennedy, Washington, Clinton, Jefferson, Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, and George

How to Game a Presidential Legacy

by Joseph Wheelan

Someday soon, unless we stand upon our First Amendment rights and demand government transparency, a president’s legacy may depend not on actual accomplishments and leadership, but on the adroit release and suppression of certain presidential papers. We all know, more or less, what a president did, but not always why or how — the answers to which may determine a president’s place in history.

A Christian Nation?

by Carol V. Hamilton

Like Franklin, Jefferson rejected Calvinism.

A Truly Pointless War ... The War of 1812

by Jon Latimer

In their Beginner’s Guide to Canadian Humour, Lynne Stokes and Pamela Chichinskas list 15 reasons why ‘We Can’t Stand Americans.’ Reason number 8 is: ‘Because they don’t know the first thing about Canada, like who our Prime Minister is - or even that we have a Prime Minister, or a different currency. And they glaze over if we try to explain them.’

Both Germany and Russia Are Reinventing Their Pasts

by Dr. Dmitry Shlapentokh

Recently, two European nations have emerged from a long period of national humiliation and, in a way, subservient position toward the USA: Germany and Russia. In both instances, there is a new sense of stability in the minds of the countries’ elite, and this required a new vision of the past. In this construction of the past, the subtle anti-Americanism is present. It manifests itself in the assumption that regardless of all mistakes of the past, neither Germany nor Russia is an exception.

The Hidden-Hand Style of Mamie Eisenhower

by Marilyn Holt

Speculating on what sort of first lady Mamie Eisenhower would be, a 1952 Life magazine article decided that Mrs. Eisenhower would have “the highly commendab

When Will We Be Ready for the Real Harriet Tubman?

by Milton C. Sernett

In the late 1930s, Earl Conrad, the young crusading journalist who thought of himself as a neo-abolitionist, nearly broke his health and his pocketbook trying to find a publisher for his book manuscript about Harriet Tubman. How times have changed.