Roundup

The End of (Academic) History

by Sumantra Maitra

A former academic historian argues that the discipline has killed itself in the marketplace of ideas by broadening its subjects of study and should return to being an emotionally detached pursuit of nonprofessional elites unconcerned with the relationship of past and present.

What Happened to Pieing Powerful People in the Face?

by Rossi Anastopoulo

For three decades beginning in the 1970s, political groups used the time-honored comedy move as a way of humbling the powerful and (mostly) non-violently resisting bigotry. Why have public pieings nearly vanished? 

I'm a History Professor with 139 Followers. Why Did Elon Ban Me From Twitter?

by Kenneth Osgood

(It was because I called him a "bologna face".)

The Roundup Top Ten (+3!) For December 22, 2022

For the last time in 2022, HNN brings you the top opinion writing by historians and about history from around the web this week. 

Enjoying the Christmas Lights? Thank Jewish Refugees from the Ottoman Empire

by Devin E. Naar

The story of Christmas lighting in America follows the paths of Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Turkey, who coped with nativist prejudice, linguistic difference, and labor exploitation to find community and work—including in light bulb factories. 

Was the Civil War Inevitable?

by David W. Blight

As a growing number of Americans entertain the idea that dissolving the nation might be better than holding its incompatible parts together, it's worth revisiting the series of decisions that led to the Civil War, and to ask whether the nation has, or will, experience the equivalent of the Dred Scott decision. 

National Parks Not Immune from National Tantrums

by Tiya Miles

Yellowstone National Park's 150th anniversary saw visitors and staff dealing with the same kinds of frayed civility and random abuse plaguing the rest of the nation. For better or worse, our parks are us. 

Jews of Color have Made Traditions of "Untraditional" Hanukkah Celebrations

by Samira Mehta

Jews from outside Ashkenazi heritage present celebratory and food practices that show the diversity in Jewish communities and the navigation of tradition in interfaith families. 

The Christmas Tree Predates Christmas Itself

by Troy Bickham

The modern Christmas tree, adorned with lights, has come full-circle with its roots in pagan veneration of evergreen trees at the winter solstice. 

Central Park's New Gate of the Exonerated Prompts Reflection on Parks as Stages for Racism

by Amanda Martin-Hardin

Since at least the 19th century, White authorities have attempted to remove and exclude Black people from park landscapes, and fears of crime or disorder have been weapons in that effort. Honoring the falsely convicted teens in the Central Park Jogger assault is a step toward more inclusive open spaces. 

Today's Tech Bro and the Victorian Genius Both Reflect a False Narrative of Progress

by Iwan Rhys Morus

The cults of "disruption" and genius obscure the fact that innovation is typically cooperative, and dependent on a society that sustains and implements new knowledge. 

China's 2022: Protest, Ceremony, and Surprise

by Jeffrey Wasserstrom and William Yang

China's recent oscillations between official ceremonies of authority and insurgent protests presents a complex picture of a Chinese Communist Party struggling to maintain authority despite its formidable mechanisms of surveillance and coercion. 

Exiting/In

by Francesca T. Royster

A family and community history in Black Nashville puts the rise of "Music Row" in the context of urban renewal projects that destroyed African American communities and institutions, and the unacknowledged Black presence in country music. 

Albion Tourgée's Forgotten Proposal for Power to the People

by Brook Thomas

The Black Republican activist hoped to draft a Reconstruction constitution for North Carolina that vested power in the people, which might have prevented the potential mischief that could be unleashed by Supreme Court cases that threaten to empower state legislatures to thwart democracy. 

Ukrainesplaining, or, Why the West Underestimated Ukraine

by Olesya Khromeychuk

The credibility of Ukraine's claims and commitment to national self-determination have always been dismissed and diminished by the influence of Russian perspectives, even among academic observers. A woman historian finds the phenomenon familiar. 

The Qatar World Cup is History

by Laurent Dubois

The World Cup, more than any previous version, symbolizes the contradictions of the joy of play being entangled with nationalism, global capitalism, and repressive theocratic autocracy. 

The Clue in the Old Lace: Nancy Drew and Fashion History

by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell

"Fashion history is rarely as straightforward as Nancy Drew led me to believe, or as perilous."

The Takeover: The Self-Righteous Faculty and their Self-Righteous Students

by Russell Jacoby

A past critic of the self-proclaimed academic radicals of the 1980s used to think they were really careerists posing as leftists without impact on society. Now, he thinks they've changed the culture for the worse. 

You Can't Unsee the Truth About Cars

by Andrew Ross and Julie Livingston

Despite cultural mythology, cars are actually un-freedom machines, and drivers of inequality, particularly for racial minorities. It's a mistake for the Biden administration's infrastructure agenda to further enshrine the car as the dominant means of mobility. 

Peace is Not Our Profession

by William J. Astore

The unveiling of the newest stealth bomber underscores the fundamental insanity and cruel wastefulness of the policy of peace through nuclear deterrence, argues a historian and retired USAF lieutenant colonel.