Current Events that Relate to History
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Book ExcerptThe Groundbreaking Political Legacy of Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s popularity, charisma, and progressive politics.Literary Hub -
OverviewHappy Birthday, Jane!
A survey of recent Austen-related books and artworks to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.Los Angeles Review of Books -
NewsStatue of Black Teen Who Fought Segregation Replaces Robert E. Lee at U.S. Capitol
Barbara Rose Johns was only 16 when she led a walkout in 1951 to protest horrendous conditions at her segregated high school in rural Virginia.Washington Post -
VideoHow Activists Fought for Rights for People With Disabilities, and Made Them the Law
The long struggle for the Americans with Disabilities Act.Retro Report -
Argument‘Cadillac Desert’ Reconsidered
Reflections on the book and lessons for the present environmental movement.The American Prospect -
Film ReviewKen Burns’s Wake-Up Call
Ken Burns’s newest docuseries may have its shortcomings, but others looking to tell the story of the Founding could learn from his attention to detail.Law & Liberty -
exhibitCrimes of War
Stories about the civilian victims of past wars, and the extent to which Americans have acknowledged and accounted for atrocities committed in their name.
From the HNN Archive
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How to Succeed in Government Without Really Trying
The long history of promising an “efficient” federal government. -
If the Slipper Doesn’t Fit
A scorched shoe is a crucial part of Zelda Fitzgerald’s modern mythology. But there’s no proof it existed. -
Indifferent to the Fate of Freedom Elsewhere
Jimmy Carter is known for his defense of human rights worldwide. But in 1979, he threatened to deport thousands of Iranian student protesters. -
Elevating the Few
What JD Vance excludes from the history of the Civil War and immigration. -
Whose Side Are College Administrators On?
There’s a long history of politicians targeting student protesters — and of campus leaders abetting those efforts. -
Solve for AI
What the history of the pocket calculator reveals about the future of AI in classrooms. -
“At Any Future Time”
In 1880, the daughter of a Welsh politician turned to fiction to expose perspectives missing from the official record, upending histories for generations to come. -
Slamming America’s Door Behind Him
How a son of European immigrants fought to keep Indian immigrants out of America. -
Governing by Police
The Metropolitan Police Department in DC has been an essential component of Washington politics since its founding. -
When Good Housekeeping Meant Getting Vaccinated Against Polio
The pages of 1950s lifestyle magazines offer a glimpse of a time when childhood vaccines were anything but controversial.