Historians in the News

Review: How Espionage Has Helped Win Wars

A roundup of new books in the history of espionage covers Asian Americans in the WWII OSS, the early Cold War, and an examination of the roots of Putin's aggressiveness against dissidents.

The US is Not a "Nation of Immigrants" (Excerpt)

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Celebrations of multiculturalism obscure the country’s settler colonial history—and the role that immigrants play in perpetuating it, argues Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz in a new book excerpted here.

Andrew Bacevich: What Does the Fall of Afghanistan Mean?

Military historian Andrew Bacevich speaks with host Robin Young about what the fast fall of the government in Afghanistan means for the U.S. after 20 years of war in that country.

What an Englishwoman’s Letters Reveal About Life in Britain During the American Revolution

by Julie Flavell

"Jane was convinced that her husband had embarked on a humanitarian errand. She believed the British war machine that carried him to New York was not intended to drive the Americans to desperation, but to force them to the negotiating table."

The Canadian Historical Association's Genocide Statement "Brazenly Unscholarly" (Opinion)

Columnist Barbara Kay supports Canadian historians who have dissented from the Canadian Historical Association's statement that Canadian treatment of First Nations peoples was genocidal. 

Where America Went Wrong in Afghanistan (Review Essay)

by Fredrik Logevall

"It will be up to historians of the future, writing with broad access to official documents and with the kind of detachment that only time brings, to fully explain the remarkable early-morning scene at Bagram and all that led up to it. But there’s much we can already learn — abundant material is available."

Appeals Court Sides with Polish Holocaust Historians

The decision is seen as a victory for historians and academic freedom in a Polish political climate where denying Polish complicity in the Holocaust is part of right-wing politics. 

Leon Litwack, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Scholar of America’s Racial Divide, Dies at 91

"History teaches, after all, that it is not the rebels, the iconoclasts, the curious, the dissidents who endanger a democratic society but rather the accepting, the unthinking, the unquestioning, the docile, the obedient, the silent, and the indifferent.”

"Be Paranoid": Will Administrators Back Faculty Teaching Controversial Topics?

"Many faculty members across the country are concerned that in this politically polarized environment, some students or outside groups could come looking for trouble. The threat of students recording classroom conversations and posting snippets online out of context is not new, after all."

Two Scholars Discuss Black-Asian Solidarity in America

"It’s complicated. But I think it’s a narrative that’s mediated by white mainstream media that deliberately pits us against each other."

Hourlong Wisconsin Legislative Debate over "Critical Race Theory" and Teaching History

"Teachers do not deliberately set out to make students feel bad about themselves. The problem this bill seems to identify, that Wisconsin's teachers intentionally or otherwise want to make students feel bad, is simply not real," said Jeremy Stoddard, a University of Wisconsin-Madison curriculum and instruction professor.

Are Critical Race Theory Bans Targeting Women of Color Scholars?

Enforcement of bans on teaching "critical race theory" are likely to lead to threats to employment and even harassment that impacts women and faculty of color most. 

The Culture Wars – They're Back

by Laura Ansley

Texas historian Trinidad Gonzales discusses the local and national context of the state's efforts to ban the teaching of divisive concepts. 

Greenwood, Mississippi Asks What Comes After Confederate Monuments

As political pressure brings down Confederate statues, the question of what replaces them becomes more urgent but remains unanswered. 

Ying-shih Yu, Renowned Scholar of Chinese Thought, Dies at 91

"Professor Yu often returned to the theme that China’s long traditions could be a wellspring, not an enemy, of enlightenment, individual dignity and democracy."

Yale, Historians Honor the Contributions of Donald Kagan

Donald Kagan is remembered as a prolific and influential scholar of Ancient Greece and an engaging teacher with a gift for narrative and storytelling. He was also a key figure in the linkage between political conservatism and classical tradition.

History Was Never Subject to Democratic Control

by Helen Lewis

Neither the local economic elite who put up Edward Colston's statue in Bristol, England nor the activists who tore it down operated with a public mandate. What are the prospects for democratic and consensual public history? 

A Star Times Reporter was Paid by Government Agencies He Covered

Historian Alex Wellerstein's book is one of two that exposes the self-dealing of reporter William Laurence and his complicity with propaganda about the effects of nuclear weapons. 

Filmmaker Greg Mitchell on the Government's Suppression of Scientists' Film about A-Bombs

"I’ve always wanted to promote an honest debate about what happened. I want all of the facts out there. I want Americans to have conversations and examine moral issues."

Jefferson Expected the Constitution to Last 19 Years. Where are We Now?

by Jesse Wegman

Our eighteenth-century Constitution combines with twenty-first century partisanship to block meaningful reforms and place basic rights in the hands of the judiciary. A panel of legal scholars weighs in on the possibility of change.