Roundup

Noam Chomsky on the Roots of American Racism

by George Yancy and Noam Chomsky

Slavery and oppression of nonwhites were built into the foundations of the United States, and they didn’t end in 1865.

Why Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Should Look to Anton Cermak’s Chicago Mayoral Campaign for Inspiration

by Peter Cole

The parallels between Cermak and Garcia—and Chicago’s political moment in the 1930s and now—are striking.

Spoof: Great Women of History (And Their Husbands)

Host Peter Carlisle presents key women in history (and the husbands that made them who they are) in this collection of the popular Saturday Morning Special from 1987, the year of the first ever Women's History Month.

The Real Scandal Behind Hillary Clinton’s Email

by Fred Kaplan

We are losing a generation of historical records because the National Archives has failed to do its job.

I liked the movie, but “Selma” missed a few teaching moments

by Julian E. Zelizer

There has been a lot written about what is wrong or right with the film Selma. Here are a few unexplored points.

Japan’s Abe Shinzo’s Plan to Dominate Okinawa

by Gavan McCormack

A grand, and massively unequal, struggle over the future of Japan is underway. It’s Okinawa’s protesters against the weight of Abe’s government.

“Too small a change”: How St. Patrick’s Day became a political lightning rod

by Jonathan Zimmerman

Organizers of St. Patrick's Day parade say it's about celebrating "Irish heritage and culture." Here's the problem.

America's New Military Mystique

by Nan Levinson

We embrace the idea of an all-powerful military because at a time when the world seems such a fragile and hostile place, if even our military won’t keep us safe, who will?

Richer and Poorer

by Jill Lepore

Accounting for inequality.

Gov. Aycock and the tug-of-war over NC history

by Tim Tyson

Neither those who wish to rename buildings nor those who wish to leave these monuments present an ideal solution. What would be best is to erect plaques explaining Aycock’s legacy. 

History holds Asia hostage

As the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches, some Asian nations are resurrecting the ghosts of history.

Birth of a Freedom Anthem

by Ethan J. Kytle and Blain Roberts

The long, biracial history of “We Shall Overcome.”

A Christian Nation? Since When?

by Kevin M. Kruse

America may be a nation of believers, but when it comes to this country’s identity as a “Christian nation,” our beliefs are all over the map.

We Have a President for a Reason

by Kathleen DuVal

A History Lesson for the Republicans Who Wrote to Iran

Roundup Top 10!

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

Coming Soon: The Other Lyndon Johnson

by Stephen Sestanovich

After a year about his bright civil rights legacy, prepare to relive his Vietnam legacy.

The new thinking about evolution and how it took place

by David Barash

Our ancestors had to deal with fire, ice, meteors, poison gas, radiation, predators, starvation, changes in habitat, war and more—each leaving traces in our DNA today.r

Israel: The Original Terrorist State

by Adam Kirsch

Bruce Hoffman’s riveting new history of pre-1947 Palestine reviews the violent birth of the modern Jewish homeland

The Anthropocene began with species exchange between Old and New Worlds

by Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin

Human activity has clearly altered the land surface, oceans and atmosphere, and re-ordered life on Earth.

How JFK made NASA his secret weapon in the fight for civil rights in America

by Richard Paul and Steven Moss

Most Americans know the name of the first black player in professional baseball — Jackie Robinson. But how about the first black professional in the US space program?