Historians/History

Sparta and the Collapse of Greece

by Jennifer T. Roberts

Why the Peloponnesian War went on longer than is commonly thought. 

Writing Fiction about Real People

by Gill Paul

The best novels about real people make us re-evaluate the subject and perhaps alter our preconceived ideas.

The Value of History Podcasts: An Interview with Historian and Podcaster Mike Duncan

by Scott Benigno

"Wherever we’re headed history will always thrive.”

A New History of Islamic Empires Defined Through Illustrious Cities

by Erik Moshe

"History constantly refreshes and reinvents itself and that is its abiding power. It has a built-in resistance to obsolescence."

The Carter Presidency Reconsidered

by Richard Moe

“We told the truth, we obeyed the law, we kept the peace and we championed human rights.” 

The Rabbi, the Telegram, and the Holocaust

by Rafael Medoff

Seventy-seven years ago today, a telegram bearing a horrifying and unforgettable message reached America’s foremost Jewish leader. It revealed the first comprehensive details about the systematic mass murder that would come to be known as the Holocaust

The Short War Illusion

by Cathal J. Nolan

Generals may win battles but they hardly ever win wars, for there really is no such thing as genius in modern war.

Chocolate and the History Behind Historical Fiction

by Karen Brooks

The history of chocolate in England and how a 17th century diary and a chance encounter with public history inspired The Chocolate Maker's Wife. 

Devil's Bargain: The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact 80 Years Later

by David Carlin

Eighty years ago, two dictators agreed to divide up Eastern Europe. Their agreement would change the lives of millions.

What We Can Learn On the 80th Anniversary of the San Antonio 1939 Municipal Auditorium Riot

by Martin Halpern

80 years ago, thousands of people rioted at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium to prevent the Communist Party from holding a public meeting. The story reminds us that words can often incite violence. 

The Civil War and the Black West

by William Loren Katz

The integral role people of color played in winning the Civil War. 

Counterculture 1969: a Gateway to the Darkest and the Brightest

by Harlan Lebo

The question of how counterculture emerges is a reflection of an era, with results that produced the worst and best of a generation.

Tiananmen Square-1989: Beijing’s Amnesia and Memory Hole

by Kevin M. Shanley

Revisiting Tiananmen Square 30 years later.

The Greatest Generals Across Generations

by Benjamin Runkle

The Greatest Generation’s generals’ triumphs were anything but predetermined, and required a series of accidents and twists of fate to bring them to the point where their innate courage, intelligence, and determination could be decisive.

The History and Mythology of the Mayflower Arrival in 1620

by Martyn Whittock

The true history of the Mayflower's arrival in 1620.

Russian History Gives the United States an Ominous Warning

by Laura Engelstein

What can Russia's tumultuous history teach us about the brevity of stable governments. 

The Ever-Present Billy the Kid: Protagonist of the Old West

by Richard W. Etulain

Interest in the Kid remains uniformly high, but the predominant images of him in the past half century in histories, biographies, novels, and films have notably shifted.

FDR's Token Jewish Refugee Shelter

by Rafael Medoff

Granting temporary refuge was a way of addressing the life-and-death crisis that Europe’s Jews faced, without incurring the wrath of those who opposed permanent immigration.

How Two Regicides Escaped to America and Became Folk Heroes

by Matthew Jenkinson

How Edward Whalley and William Goffe went from household names to forgotten historical figures. 

JSTOR Interview Archive Helps Preserve History

by Alex Humphreys

The new JSTOR Interview Archive prototype preserves full length interviews with historical figures for educators, students, and researchers.