Historians in the News

Political Prophet Allan Lichtman: Trump is More Likely to Lose Because of Coronavirus

Allan Lichtman has a record of predicting presidential elections — and he thinks pandemic could doom Trump.

Historian John Barry on the Coronavirus Pandemic and the Influenza of 1918

In this video historian John M. Barry outlines the comparison between the influenza epidemic of 1918 and the coronavirus.

5 Essential Works by Maurice Berger, Late Art Historian Who Made Race a Central Concern

A tireless advocate for a more diverse museum world, Berger, who died at 63 of coronavirus-related causes on Monday 3/23, is considered one of the best thinkers on race, in particular as it relates to photography.

A Brief History of Beards and Pandemics

Unlike what was thought during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, beards cannot trap germs nor transfer disease.

Author of 'The Lynchings in Duluth' Broke Silence on City's Dark History

Michael Fedo's 40-plus year old account of the public murders of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie is credited as the first complete resource on the events of June 15, 1920.

Irish Emigrants Tale Told Through Tenement Museum of New York

Hidden away in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the New York Tenement Museum tells the tale of thousands of Irish families that sailed from Ireland to the United States in search of a better life.

Political Historian-Commentator Richard Reeves Dies at 83

Richard Reeves, known for his in-depth examinations of the presidency and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, has died at his home in Los Angeles at age 83.

The War (Not The Flu) That Saved The World Series

“The World Series being moved up had nothing to do with influenza; it had everything to do with the politics of war,” said Purdue historian Randy Roberts, 

‘Unworthy Republic’ Takes an Unflinching Look at Indian Removal in the 1830s

Claudio Saunt’s book traces the expulsion of 80,000 Native Americans over the course of the 1830s, from their homes in the eastern United States to territories west of the Mississippi River.

The Unlikely Story Behind Japanese Americans' Campaign For Reparations

The fight for Japanese American reparations came with significant resistance—not just from the American public at large, but from the Japanese American community itself, as John Tateishi writes in his new book. 

The U.S. Government Has Mobilized Private Companies to Face Crises Before. Here’s What to Know

by Olivia B. Waxman

One aspect of the history is clear: when business has successfully stepped up for national-security purposes, the federal government and the military have played a key role in coordinating the effort.

A Side Effect of Remote Teaching During Covid-19? Videos That Can Be Weaponized

Turning Point, Campus Reform, and other groups have created a cottage industry of naming and shaming professors who they say advance what they call the liberal agenda.

‘East Lake Meadows’ Reveals the Heartbreaking Reality of America’s Public-Housing Crisis

The Ken Burns-produced PBS documentary “East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story” examines our public-housing nightmare through the lens of a storied Atlanta housing project.

The Unseen Survivors of Thalidomide Want to Be Heard

Historians say the lesson of thalidomide is one that society is still learning the hard way.

How Phyllis Schlafly Derailed the Equal Rights Amendment

Proponents hadn’t counted on a conservative grassroots movement led by activist and lawyer Phyllis Schlafly.

Will Americans Actually Comply With a Long-Term Lockdown?

Historian Scott Knowles said the response in the U.S.—where both the president and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised the entire country against participating in large gatherings—is essentially unprecedented.

Czech Museum Director Fired

Director of the Lidice memorial, Martina Lehmannová, was let go amid accusations that the government is trying to whitewash inconvenient facts to suit its preferred narrative.

The Lessons of the Elections of 1918

A nation ravaged by the Spanish flu figured out how to vote back then. Not without incident, but with democracy intact.

Madam C.J. Walker and the Business and Meaning of Black Hairstyles

In Netflix's new series "Self Made" tells the story of Madam C.J. Walker, who tackled the politics of black hair. More than a century later, the battle still rages on.

Malcolm Chase, 1957-2020

The social historian Malcolm Chase rejected “the enormous condescension of posterity” often to be found in history written by the educated rich.