Recently Published

Can Donald Trump Be Compared to Caligula, the Mad Emperor of Rome?

by Stephen Dando-Collins

Both men rid themselves of senior advisers who restrained them.

The Beginning of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic – and One Doctor's Search for a Cure

by Seema Yasmin

It was unparalleled, this confluence of public health, politics, clinical medicine, and public anxiety. The unknown disease was spreading faster than imagined. Humanity had never seen anything like it. 

Exploring the Curious Sources of Medieval Law: An Interview with Acclaimed Historian Robin Chapman Stacey

by Robin Lindley

An Interview with Acclaimed Historian Robin Chapman Stacey on Law and the Imagination in Medieval Wales and More

The Power of Microhistory: An Interview with Bancroft Prize Winner Douglas Winiarski

by Elisabeth Pearson

"I think my book will resonate with readers attuned to the politics of religious difference and the troubling connections between religion and violence in our own times."

Jane Addams and Lillian Wald: Imagining Social Justice from the Outside

by Michael Bronski

Addams and Wald were women who loved other women and that these relationships – as well as the female friendship networks in which they were involved – were profoundly instrumental to their vision of social justice that changed America. 

The History of the American System of Interrogation

by Donald E. McInnis

Were the Central Park Five confessions a freak accident? No: every day, adults and juveniles falsely confess to serious crimes they did not commit. Why? 

History Provides a Critical Thinking ‘Toolbox’ for Students: An Interview with Ortal-Paz Saar

by Erik Moshe

“It may not be long before distinguishing true history from its other forms becomes impossible, and worse: irrelevant. My hope is that we, and the student generations we help shaping, will be able to prevent this.”

Climate Change and the Last Great Awakening

by Douglas S. Harvey

The Last Great Awakening, if it is to be massive and successful, must involve profoundly altering our personal behaviors and inner lives while seriously committing to living in a sustainable way.

"If ever I felt that I ought to be five priests it was that week:" Chaplains in World War 2

by John Wukovits

Though they conducted many rigorous tasks, the chaplains cherished the knowledge that they had comforted dying young men, and subsequently their families, in their final moments.

From the Founding Fathers to Trump: Who Can Be an American?

by Donald J. Fraser

Correctly charged as a racist statement, Trump's recent tweets also reflect an age-old question in our history: who can be an American?

Do We Want the America of Frederick Douglass or Donald Trump?

by Walter G. Moss

Which kind of America do we want? A “composite nation” that takes pride in its ethnic and religious diversity and sets an example for other countries who are fearful of immigrants? Or an America afraid of immigrants, especially if not lily white, Christian ones, as Trump and many of his followers desire?

Lyndon Johnson’s Unsung Role in Sending Americans to the Moon

As chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, a White House advisory group, Johnson moved quickly to “dominate Washington space activities."

Apollo: America’s Moonshot and the Power of a National Project

by David Carlin

President Kennedy understood that his “goal [would] serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” We need similar thinking today.

The Truth About the Holocaust and Holocaust Education

by Ira Bedzow and Stacy Gallin

A high school principal was removed from his position after refusing to admit that the Holocaust was a “factual, historical event.” This is not only unacceptable, it is irresponsible. One does not need to be a professional historian to know that the Holocaust occurred.

Billionaires and American Politics

by Lawrence Wittner

Big money politics in America has always existed, but the influence of billionaires has become increasingly influential in recent years.

The Civil War Battle Decided By A General's Mistakes

by M. Andrew Holowchak

The battle for Lynchburg, Virginia, a pivotal city in the Civil War, was decided by one general's mistakes.

American Billionaires' Ties to Moscow Go Back Decades

by Harvey Klehr

Former Fairbanks Whitney CEO David Karr continued the connection between American businessman and Russia throughout the twentieth century.

5 Times Presidents Lost Big in the Midterms But Won (or nearly won) Reelection

by Donne Levy

While presidents have previously overcome midterm election losses, Trump isn’t following any of the previously established paths to rebound and win reelection. 

Alexa: What Can Apollo 11 Teach Us About Our Relationship with Technology?

by Tracy Dahlby

The fact that we pulled off Apollo 11 at all is a testament to American ingenuity and pluck. Yet while the successful moon landing decided the race for space in America’s favor, it didn’t undo our subliminal angst about the tightening embrace of technology.

Mary Jo Kopechne’s Legacy

by William C. Kashatus

This weeks marks the 50th anniversary of the night Senator Edward M. Kennedy drove his black Oldsmobile off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island. His 28-year-old passenger was killed in the accident.