Historians/History

Let’s Hold a Convention in … Cleveland?

by Stan M. Haynes

Yup. It’s the 3rd time.

The Sound of Bigotry

by Rockwell Stensrud

Bigotry has long had a voice in American politics. It has an East Coast edge, a Midwest flatness, a Southern drawl, a West Coast slackness.

It Has Been 63 Years Since I Raised My Right Arm and Joined the Navy

by Vaughn Davis Bornet

What this 99-year-old historian thinks of war memorials to our soldiers.

Sorry, but the “Pursuit of Happiness” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

by Karen Robbins

Jefferson wasn’t giving us license to do whatever we wish. He wanted us to have the right to pursue virtue.

It’s Time to Cultivate a New Grand Narrative

by Harvey J. Kaye

Americans, especially young people, are rejecting the narratives of both the Republican and Democratic establishments – narratives that have bolstered corporate ambitions.

If You Want to Understand Slavery It Helps to Visit the Places Where Slaves Lived

by Pearl Duncan

The actors in the new “Roots” did just that. So did I. The experience was transformative.

The Cruel History of Eugenics in America: An Interview with Adam Cohen

by Robin Lindley

Acclaimed author Adam Cohen traces the grim history of American eugenics in his groundbreaking new book "Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck."

Shark! What Happened 100 Years Ago this Summer Shocked a Nation

by Rick Shenkman

The story of the worst shark attack in American history. 

The Surprising Role of Rocks in the Civil War. Yes, Rocks.

by Scott Hippensteel

Differential weathering of carbonate rocks creates sharp-sloping ridges that are ideal for defensive tactics, it turns out.

Can You Indict Someone for Their Beliefs? It Happened in 1948. In the United States.

by Aaron Leonard

In this interview author Scott Martelle explains what happened and why he decided to write about the case.

The Time, the Place, the Date and the Hour that the Confederacy Died

by Jim Stempel

It happened in 1864 in Virginia and now it’s the subject of a novel, as the novel’s author explains.

It’s Time to Make Juneteenth a National Holiday

by Karl Jacoby

This was the day – June 19, 1865 – in 1865 when slaves in Texas finally were freed.

Reflecting on the Charleston Syllabus One Year Later

by Chad Williams, Kidada Williams and Keisha N. Blain

How 3 educators tried to put the Charleston massacre into historical perspective online.

Did Talking Head’s Founder David Byrne Fabricate a Connection with the Berrigan Brothers?

by Shawn F. Peters

Sadly, it appears that he did. But it wasn’t for the reason he later copped to.

Bob Woodward’s Secret. Shouldn’t He Have Disclosed It?

by Ray Locker and Len Colodny

“Woodward's lack of disclosure calls into question every story he has ever pitched, edited or written.”

The Political Graphics from a Turbulent Time

by Robin Lindley

Historian Hal Elliott Wert on the poster art of George McGovern and the Democratic insurgents.

Ordinary People Learn History from Teachers, Movies, and This

by Robert W. Thurston

This? Romance novels. The academy should pay attention.

The Rape Scenes in “Roots” Suggest Why DNA Studies of African Americans Are so Vital

by Pearl Duncan

Using DNA can help reveal the hell that was slavery.

How Are History PhD Programs Responding to the Job Crisis?

by Robert B. Townsend

The short answer: Schools still seem to be placing their emphasis on research degrees.

Think You Know Custer’s Story?

by Brian Johnson

TJ Stiles thinks you don’t, as he explains in this interview about his new book.