Current Events that Relate to History
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CommentHistory Is Not a Buffet
The National Park Service safeguards artifacts from theft and trails from erosion. It should protect public truth with the same seriousness.Re:Public -
Book ReviewThe Age of Revenge
Once upon a brief time, there was consensus around social progress. But the backlash began almost immediately—and has been with us ever since.Democracy Journal -
Book ReviewThe Bedrock of Patriotism
David McCullough helps readers understand why it's worth remembering the past.Law & Liberty -
RetrievalA 168-Year-Old Question Still Worth Asking
A forceful 19th-century essay on the rise of the slaveholding oligarchy asked: “Where will it end?”The Atlantic -
CommentHow Elite Colleges Aided Censorship During the Red Scares
Powerful organizations during the Red Scares crafted a world where “academic freedom” was conditional on political allegiance.Inside Higher Ed -
Book ReviewPassage To A Better World
The meaning of “revolution” has shifted between feared upheaval and hopeful progress, and its promises often bring violence and mixed results.Literary Review -
exhibitDoing Black History
Exploring the ways that African American history has been learned and taught in schools, museums, and popular culture.
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.