Recently Published

Ancient Amazons -- Imaginary, Man-Hating Virgins Invented to Be Killed by Greek Heroes? Wrong.

by Adrienne Mayor

Rethinking the most notorious "facts" about the ancient Amazons.

The Pentagon's Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. Just How Accurate Is It?

by Edwin Moise

The Pentagon says it only wants to present accurate history.  Here are some errors they can fix.

This Is What We Are Celebrating on Columbus Day. It's Ghastly.

by William Loren Katz

It is time to follow the advice of today’s Native Americans and reject Columbus Day in favor of a Native Americans Day.

How Even President Obama Gets U.S. History Wrong: We Weren’t a Colonial Power?

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

President Obama thinks we lack a colonial past.  What does he think Columbus Day is all about? 

The Curious Case of the University of Nebraska's Lack of Curiosity When Plagiarism Allegations Were Leveled Against Two Books by Matthew Whitaker

by Rick Shenkman

The Nebraska Press has published two of Whitaker's books.  They have never been withdrawn.

Matthew Whitaker, Arizona State University, and the University of Nebraska Press: How Plagiarism is Addressed in the New American Academy

by Brian Gratton

What happened to Matthew Whitaker after he was accused of plagiarism. 

An Interview with MacArthur Genius Award Winner Pamela O. Long

by Ethan Feinstein

"I am especially interested in pre-modern history because you are studying a culture that in some fundamental ways is different from your own."

In World War II these Two British Sisters Worked as Spies. Then the War Ended and so Did Their Chance for a Liberated Life

by Susan Ottaway

If caught the female agents were given the same treatment as their male counterparts. Many of the women were captured, some were tortured and others executed.

This Is What Mythologizing History Looks Like in 2014

by Alan Singer

It’s time to call out mythologizing when we see it.

Why Talking About "Pacifist" Japan Makes Little Sense

by Guy Almog

We should ask ourselves what is this "pacifism" we are talking about?

Why Americans No Longer Hunt Whales—And the Japanese Still Do

by Frank Zelko

Whaling employs a tiny number of people, has no strong support among the Japanese population, and only survives as a result of heavy government subsidies.

Historians May Never Rule the World, but Their Models will Rule the Data-Driven Future

by Jo Guldi and David Armitage

The arbitration of data is a task in which the history departments of major research universities will almost certainly take a lead since it requires talents and training which no other discipline possesses.

Why Don't More People Know About Harry Hopkins

by James MacManus

Britain’s wartime survival in the face of the Nazi onslaught owed a great deal to a man whom Winston Churchill had called “a lighthouse from which there shone the beams that led great fleets to harbour.”

You Know that Abortion Is Legal in the United States. What About Other Countries?

by Bernard M. Dickens, Ph.D., LL.D

Abortion is as old as human understanding of pregnancy, but the gradual transition of its legal characterization from a crime to a legitimate healthcare intervention, and then to a woman's human right, is an international evolution of only recent decades.

Tim Egan on Edward S. Curtis, 'Seattle's Michelangelo' (Interview)

by Robin Lindley

The author talks about the life of Edward S. Curtis, a prolific photographer of American Indians at a time when they faced huge pressure.

Top 10 Excuses for Plagiarism

by Ethan Feinstein

Sometimes we hear fascinating reasons.

A Response to the Critics of the National Women's History Museum

by Joan Wages

“How to Build a Women’s History Museum?” The answer, as the National Women’s History Museum can tell you, is more complicated than it would first appear.

Historians Should Honor Protesting Colorado Students

by Peter Dreier

Wouldn't it be fitting and appropriate for the OAH and the AHA to give these students an award at the next meetings for their commitment to the teaching of American history?

Ken Burns Overlooks the Secret of FDR's Success: The Power of the People

by Peter Dreier

Missing from The Roosevelts is the real secret of FDR's success - the escalating protests that created a sense of urgency throughout the country and the political savvy of a small cadre of FDR's progressive advisers.

Why I Wouldn't Want Steven Salaita as a Colleague

by Steve Hochstadt

"Virtually every bit of writing about Steven Salaita is highly charged and thus probably biased. But I and others have read enough of his writings to see that he consistently, expresses one-sided views."