Historians in the News

History professor Greg O'Malley to create new public database about the slave trade

The website, Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, will begin featuring data about the second voyage many slaves took to their final destination.

In a wide-ranging interview Manisha Sinha discusses abolitionism, Bernie Sanders and socialism

"Sanders’ campaign against economic inequality has a long antecedent in the history of American democratic radicalism, in the abolition, labour and feminist movements."

Bill Gates recommends reading Yuval Noah Harari’s "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind"

He got his wife to read it so they could talk about it.

Fritz Stern, a Leading Historian on Modern Germany, Dies at 90

German-born and a longtime professor at Columbia University, Mr. Stern identified themes and intellectual currents that lead to Germany's drift toward totalitarianism.

Yale profs disagree with the school’s decision to keep the Calhoun name

“A convenient way to sidestep history.”

Carol Gluck explains why it took 71 years for an American president to visit Hiroshima (interview)

"The Japanese ignore everything before Hiroshima and the Americans ignore everything after Nagasaki."

LGBTQ historians complain of discrimination

by Mary Louise Roberts

An article in the AHA’s Perspectives is drawing attention to the problem.

The scientist as historian: Eske Willerslev Is Rewriting History With DNA

As the director of the Center for GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen, Dr. Willerslev uses ancient DNA to reconstruct the past 50,000 years of human history.

Historians meet to consider ways to rethink Grand Strategy in foreign policy

by Elizabeth M. Nielsen

The meeting, held at Oregon State University, featured scholars David Greenberg, Frederik Logevall, Christiopher Nichols, David Milne, Mary Dudziak, and others.

Story of Toronto’s 19th-century sex trade uncovered by professor, students

Laurie Bertram led a team of 12 students into the archives to unearth the truth about Toronto’s taboo past.

Students protest Stanford history professor Aishwary Kumar’s tenure denial

He’s an expert on non-Western intellectual history.

Allan Lichtman has predicted every presidential election since 1984

He’s still trying to figure out 2016.

The Dutch Prime Minister Is a Big Fan of Robert Caro

The PM is fascinated by Caro’s biography of Robert Moses. Caro gave him a tour through Moses’s New York.

Historian Charles Strozier in new book denies Lincoln was gay

Honest Abe shared a bed with the same man for four years, but the times were different and so was the nature of the love shared between people of the same sex.

He's the Official Historian for the U.S. Marshals Service: Yes, Virginia...Cool Jobs for History Buffs Do Exist

The story of David Turk and he is the official historian of the United States Marshals Service.

The Obama Administration Just Granted Henry Kissinger a Distinguished Public Service Award

by Greg Grandin

Greg Grandin is appalled.

Ilan Pappe says Israel Is the Last Remaining, Active Settler-Colonialist Project

In an interview he explains why he’s an anti-Zionist.

Hundreds support fired William Carey University professor

More than 500 people have signed a Change.org petition in support of a William Carey University religion and history professor who was fired this week, despite his tenured status.

A Conversation with Nathaniel Philbrick

He talks about his new book and why he thinks Benedict Arnold has gotten a bum rap.

New York State finally has a state historian

It’s Devin Lander, the executive director of the Museum Association of New York.