Historians/History

Pearl Harbor Wasn’t the Only Attack that Week that Changed History

by Matthew Levey

Between December 5-11, the war, which had previously been two distinct regional wars, exploded into global war that would consume the planet for another four years. 

The Other Slavery: An Interview with Historian Andrés Reséndez

by Robin Lindley

The cruel, complex and largely overlooked history of "The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America."  

Before FDR Gave His Pearl Harbor Speech, Eleanor Gave Hers

by Greg Sumner

What she said is especially relevant now.

The Grandchildren of Slaves Are Dying

by Roy E. Finkenbine

“Six months ago, I lost my connection to the last generation of American slaves.”

FDR’s Bumpy Road to the Oval Office

by Kathryn Smith

FDR’s journey was a roller coaster ride, including an assassination attempt, a P.R. disaster, the failure of thousands of banks and the untimely death of a key cabinet appointment.

The Roosevelts’ Ruthless Control of Their Image

by William J. Mann

The shocking story of how TR and FDR covered up affairs and blackballed members of their family in the service of their political ambitions.

What’s Fact and Fiction in Jeff Nichols’s Film about the Lovings

by Arica L. Coleman

The story line follows the popular narrative of the interracial Virginia couple, but in typical Hollywood fare, it also takes some creative liberties.

The Case for History as a Tool to Change the World

by Cody J. Foster

This is our moment – if we seize it.

The High Stakes in the History Wars in Israel

by Daniel Gordis

And how one historian confronted them when writing a history of Israel.

Harry Truman’s Heroic Fight for Refugees (And Congress’s Limp Reaction)

by Richard Rashke

The story the next president of the United States should read.

War, Memory, and Vietnam: An Interview with Viet Thanh Nguyen

by Robin Lindley

The people of Vietnam and the people of America see the war fought in and over Vietnam very differently. For Americans, it’s the Vietnam War and for the Vietnamese, it’s the American War.

Sixty Years After the Suez Crisis, It’s Time to Correct Misconceptions

by Yoav J. Tenembaum

Britain and France went along with every effort to resolve the crisis diplomatically.

Clinton’s Emails and Trump’s Tweets: They’re a Politician’s Nightmare but a Historian’s Dream

by Caroline Winterer

But there’s still plenty of new fields of metadata historians can mine even from the distant past.

When the World Looked Away as Jews Died in Europe

by Richard Rashke

The appalling indifference to Jewish refugees in World War II.

The Myth of the Quiet War Veteran

by Jerry Lembcke

He exists, but why is he quiet? Does it make him heroic? Make us feel better about him? And what’s the story he’s declining to tell?

What’s Wrong with the Way We Have Been Defending the Humanities

by Jeremy C. Young

We have misunderstood our critics. They in turn misunderstand us.

Why I Still Believe this Is the Man Who Started the Kent State Killings

by William A. Gordon

A recent reappraisal is thoughtful – and wrong.

6 Great World Series!

by Mark Weisenmiller

For over one hundred years, major league baseball’s World Series has both thrilled fans and reflected historical and societal changes in the United States.

The Inspirational Leader Hungary Found When the People Revolted Against the Soviet Union in 1956

by Jefferson Flanders

His name was Imre Nagy. He was a hero.

What Use Is a Degree in History?

by Vaughn Davis Bornet, BA, MA, Ph.D.

This is what a 99 year old historian discovered decades ago.