Current Events that Relate to History
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OverviewAugmenting Christmas: Artificial Trees and the Lure of Perpetual Nature
From aluminum to plastic, the evolution of artificial Christmas trees reveal our desires for safer, cleaner, “better” nature and modern convenience.NiCHE -
Book ReviewJames Joyce, Like Kim Kardashian, Understood a Sex Scandal Could Be Good for Business
'Blank Space' and 'A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls' examine capitalism and the arts in different eras.Los Angeles Times -
CommentBefore Trump, and Before the Young Republicans, There Was the Dartmouth Review
Long before Trump, a group of Dartmouth students weaponized outrage and satire to seize the spotlight.Politico Magazine -
DebunkJohn Roberts and the Cynical Cult of Federalist No. 70
Alexander Hamilton’s treatise on executive power is one of the conservative legal movement’s favorite texts to quote—and misquote.The New Republic -
Q&AThe Historians Behind Ken Burns' "The American Revolution"
Three experts discuss their behind-the-scenes experience as historical advisers to the new series.Made By History -
BiographyWilliam Goodell and the Science of Human Rights
William Goodell was praised by Frederick Douglass for being among the most important opponents of slavery in his time.Jacobin -
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.