Roundup

Blizzards and the Birth of the Modern Mayor

by Yoni Appelbaum

The Blizzard of 1888 demonstrated the vulnerability of urban life, and led voters to demand greater protection.

This is how the French monarchy changed people's minds about the necessity of smallpox vaccinations

by KIMBERLY CHRISMAN-CAMPBELL

Today parents are reluctant to give their kids shots for measles. What we could learn from the French experience. 

The Day the Purpose of College Changed

by Dan Berrett

After February 28, 1967, the main reason to go was to get a job

The right’s Reaganomics trap: How it distorted “populism” — and the left went along

by Michael Lind

Pushing tax cuts for the masses instead of cuts for the rich isn't "progressive" — it's left-Reaganism. Here's why

How Auschwitz Is Misunderstood

by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen

That misunderstanding distorts what we think about the Holocaust, and about the Nazis themselves.

Reagan’s bizarre defenders: Rick Perlstein, phony centrism and the strange attack on history

by Paul Rosenberg

The right attacked an acclaimed historian's Reagan book. What's really odd is how the sensible, smart set responded.

When the South Wasn’t a Fan of States’ Rights

by Eric Foner

The strange, often forgotten, history of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

Hindsight is not such a wonderful thing after all say scientists

Hindsight is supposed to give us 20:20 vision but scientists have found it distorts our memories and there is not much we can do about it.

How Stable is Saudi Arabia?

by Juan Cole

"The borders of the kingdom are insecure as seldom before in recent decades."

Drones and the new ethics of war

by Neve Gordon

Because drones transform warfare into a ghostly teleguided act orchestrated from a base in Nevada or Missouri, whereby soldiers no longer risk their lives, the critical attitude of citizenry towards war is also profoundly transformed.

Will Obama’s Vision of Child Care Overcome Nixon’s Legacy?

by Carole Joffe

In December 1971, President Richard Nixon vetoed the Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1971, primarily because the measure would have allocated some $2 billion for a Comprehensive Child Care Development Bill.

History and the Right of Return in Israel-Palestine

by David Benkof

In light of competing historical narratives and a fraught political environment, can negotiators find a middle ground on the right of return for Palestinian refugees?

Roundup Top 10!

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

Netanyahu Imported by GOP to ensure Iran War

by Juan Cole

The reason for bringing Netanyahu is that Boehner wants to craft a super-majority in Congress that can over-ride Obama’s veto of new sanctions on Iran.

Why Did Winston Churchill lose the 1945 election?

by Alun Wyburn-Powell

Winston Churchill is remembered as a highly successful politician, but his record at the ballot box was far more checkered than many might think.

Why Banana’s Are Crooked — The Tawdry History (Video)

by Adam Westbrook

The next time you bite into a banana you might want to pause to think about its history. The story begins in Central America.

50 Years Ago, Americans Fired Their Dysfunctional Congress

by Julian E. Zelizer

Like Obama, JFK and LBJ found their agendas stymied by a hostile Congress, until American voters stepped in to demand change.

Here’s What Happened The One Time When The U.S. Had Universal Childcare

by Bryce Covert

Nothing before or since has been like the Lanham Act, though you probably haven’t heard of it.

Obama's Legacy: History Will Be Very Kind

by Jonathan Chait

And if it's not, it will be for a highly ironic reason.

Meet the Black Architect Who Designed Duke University 37 Years Before He Could Have Attended It

by Rachel B. Doyle

In 1902, when Julian F. Abele graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in architecture, he was the school's first-ever black graduate.