Historians in the News

Why the Roaring Twenties Left Many Americans Poorer

Despite popular imagery, many Americans – urban workers, African Americans, and farmers in particular – experienced the 1920s as an era of deprivation and hardship that flowed into the worse times of the Great Depression. 

Stabbing, Crucifixion, Eaten by Eels: Learn all about Murder the Roman Way

Historian Emma Souther's new book is a mix of the true crime genre and a history of crime and punishment in ancient Rome. 

Beyond Gay Imperialism

by Samuel Huneke

Do global campaigns for LGBTQ civil rights that originate in affluent Western societies reproduce the "civilizing mission" trope of colonialism, or use the goal of antidiscrimination to buttress the influence of wealthy nations? A historian considers a new book on global gay rights.

When Constitutions Took Over the World

by Jill Lepore

Historian Linda Colley's new book examines the rise of written Constitutions as governing documents, and argues that constitiutionalism and democracy don't necessarily go hand in hand. 

How a Detective Who Was Blamed for One Lynching Solved Another

Wilbur Williams was suspended for a 1976 incident of police brutality that evidence shows he wasn't involved in, and butted heads with the Mobile, Alabama political establishment. In 1981, he led a contentious investigation that led to the conviction of KKK members for a lynching that nearly tore the city apart. 

This U.S. Governor was Impeached—For Cracking Down on the KKK

Governor William Woods Holden responded to a brazen campaign of KKK terrorism with a declaration of martial law in two North Carolina counties. The backlash led to his impeachment. 

The 2021 Bancroft Prizes are Announced

Andy Horowitz and Claudio Saunt are the winners of the 2021 Bancroft Prizes in American History and Diplomacy for their respective books "Katrina: A History, 1915-2015" and "Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory."

Working for a Living: The Depiction of Asian American Women in Film & Theater

Cinema scholar Celine Parreñas Shimizu discusses the ways that film has contributed to social perceptions of Asian and Asian American women. 

“Atomic Cover-Up” Premieres

by Greg Mitchell

Documentarian Greg Mitchell's new movie about the two film crews – one Japanese, one American – who recorded the human toll of the Hiroshima bombing and had their footage suppressed has premiered. Find out how to view it. 

The Trump Presidency Is History. They’re Writing the First Draft

“The challenge with President Trump is understanding the foundational elements of his presidency as deeply rooted in basic features of American history,” Julian Zelizer said, while also noting the places “where the presidency jumped the shark.”

Racism, Sexism Must be Considered in Atlanta Case, Experts Say

Historian Ellen Wu explains that the particular racial and sexual stereotyping of Asian American women derives from the history of immigration, moral panics over prostitution, and the involvement of the United States military in a series of wars against Asian people. 

Liberty’s Discontents: The Contested History of Freedom

Annelien de Dijn's book examines the tensions and contradictions inherent in the idea of freedom, arguing that the individualistic, liberty-focused ideal is a recent phenomenon and has obscured ideas of freedom rooted in democracy and collective security. 

Jonathan Steinberg: Wrote Influential English Study of Bismarck's Germany

Jonathan Steinberg's scholarly work ranged from evaluating participation in the Holocaust to a biographical study of the influential German chancellor, and his teaching work resulted in him supervising the Prince of Wales in his undergraduate history studies. 

Historian Brooke Newman on the Front Lines of COVID Vaccination

Historian Brooke Newman, after careful research, is allowing her daughter to participate in the a trial of a vaccine, already tested for teens, on younger children. They cite the personal desire to return to normalcy, the documented safety of the vaccine in earlier trials, and advancing the collective cause of public health in their decision.

He Redefined ‘Racist.’ Now He’s Trying to Build a Newsroom

Ibram X. Kendi's new venture, inspired by reflection and argument among journalists about the role of the press in covering movements for change, will update the mission of the Willam Lloyd Garrison and abolitionist press of the nineteenth century. 

Why Did the Slave Trade Survive So Long?

by James Oakes

James Oakes reviews John Harris's new book "The Last Slave Ships: New York and the End of the Middle Passage," and praises its insight into the late years of the slave trade and slavery's relationship to capitalism. 

Neil Gorsuch Supports an Originalist Theory That Would Destroy Modern Governance

Julian Davis Mortenson and Nicholas Bagley put forth a sweeping argument: an ascendant legal theory championed by conservative originalists has no actual basis in history.

When Nature is Valued over Human Life

A review of Jacob S. T. Dlamini’s "Safari Nation: A Social History of Kruger National Park" examines how the government of South Africa used tourism promotion to justify the establishment of its apartheid regime. 

U of M Professor Testifies During Hearing on Anti-Asian Violence

Historian Erika Lee testified to Congress on Thursday about anti-Asian violence in the United States, in a hearing scheduled before the killing of eight people in metro Atlanta highlighted the urgency of the issue.

The Deep History of Anti-Asian Violence in the U.S.

Beth Lew-Williams of Princeton discusses the long history of violence against Asian immigrant communities with WNYC's "The Takeaway."