Roundup

In Praise of Speculative History

by Frank Palmeri

Conjectural works share a method and a project: to broaden the scope of historical understanding beyond the thin span of written rec­ords by speculating on the basis of the available evidence about the origins of human behavior.

What would Abraham Lincoln say to Donald Trump about religion, politics and being a ‘Know Nothing’?

by Donald Nieman

As the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump could learn a lot from his party’s first president, Abraham Lincoln.

Chilcot Report damns the charade of Iraq War

by Andrew J. Bacevich

Like Bush, Tony Blair chose to believe what he found it convenient to believe.

It Is Important to Have Perspective on Elie Wiesel's Legacy

by Max Blumenthal

While Wiesel leveraged his literary talents to win sympathy for Jewish victims of genocide, he sought to limit the narratives of other groups subjected to industrial-level extermination.

How Hitler’s Rise to Power Explains Why Republicans Accept Donald Trump

by Jonathan Chait

Hindenburg and the German right viewed Hitler in strikingly similar terms to how Republican elites view Trump.

Roundup Top 10!

This week's broad sampling of opinion pieces found on the Internet, as selected by the editors of HNN.

Social Media News: What Historians Are Talking About

This week ... Annette Gordon-Reed, Simon Schama, Tim Naftali, Kevin Kruse, Ron Radosh and more. 

Crazy, Fascinating & Horrifying:  Latest Edition

The "gay cure," Nazi summer camp on Long Island, Disneyland and more!

Pop Culture Roundup: This Week

This week ... J.R.R. Tolkien, Ken Burns, the bikini at 70, Hamilton (bien sur!), Nazi art, and Tarzan!

The Secret Black History of the Revolution

by Alan Gilbert

As we know all too well, the Revolutionary War was not fought so that all men could be free, but its role in creating the seeds of abolition should not be forgotten.

A radical proposal to save Europe in the wake of Brexit

by Peter Turchin

The EU is dying. Let it go. Replace it with a new EU made up of the core peoples who once belonged to the Carolingian Empire.

Story of the Week: The Hidden Racist History of the National Anthem

by Jason Johnson

In the third, forgotten stanza, Francis Scott Key refers darkly to the members of the Colonial Marines, a battalion of runaway slaves who joined with the British Royal Army in exchange for their freedom. 

The lingering stain after the flags come down at Washington & Lee

by Adam Lewis

But the university handled the controversy just right.

How Douglas MacArthur would have responded to ISIS terror attacks

by Arthur Herman

Douglas MacArthur taught the single important strategic lesson any American president can learn: before starting a war, make sure you are committed to winning it.

Ralph Nader Still Refuses to Admit He Elected Bush

by Jonathan Chait

But he did.

The American Revolution was a huge victory for equality. Liberals should celebrate it.

by Jeff Stein

The left is turning its back on the Revolution. Here's why that's a mistake.

For More Than 100 Years, the U.S. Forced Navajo Students Into Western Schools. The Damage Is Still Felt Today

by Luci Tapahonso

Photographer Daniella Zalcman explores how native populations had a new nation foisted upon them.

A conservative see parallels between Trump and the Founding Fathers

by Ira Stoll

"Critics accuse Trump of tolerating or tacitly encouraging violence at his rallies. The same accusation was made against the American Revolutionaries."

Did a Fear of Slave Revolts Drive American Independence?

by Robert G. Parkinson

To the founders, separation from Britain was about racial fear and exclusion as much as it was about inalienable rights.

From the Somme to 7/7: what war memorials can tell us about ourselves

by Ana Souto

What's striking is how our memorials have changed.