Congress

• 
• SOURCE: The Conversation
  3/18/19
  

  Racists in Congress fought statehood for Hawaii, but lost that battle 60 years ago

  by Sarah Miller Davenport

  Sixty years ago, Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation making Hawaii America’s 50th state. 

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• SOURCE: Washington Post
  3/11/19
  

  ‘Grand inquisitors of the realm’: How Congress got its power to investigate and subpoena

  As House Democrats probe the Trump administration, a look back at a Founding Father who wanted his record examined.

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• 3/10/19
  

  Three Unexpected Deaths That Shaped Presidential History

  by Ronald L. Feinman

  Unexpected tragedy in the lives of three political leaders—John F. Kennedy, Jr., Paul Wellstone, and Joe Biden—demonstrate the profound impact of chance on political history. 

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• SOURCE: CNN
  2/13/19
  

  Union demands apology after seeing Confederate book displayed in congressman's office

  Members of a federal labor union visiting a Georgia Republican's congressional office Monday said they discovered a 19th-century book on display that they considered "racially offensive."

• 
• SOURCE: History Extra
  2/11/19
  

  A history of United States government shutdowns

  Like so much else, it’s all the fault of the founding fathers.

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• SOURCE: Washington Post
  1/8/19
  

  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says ‘call me a radical,’ a loaded word with a long history

  The word, used throughout history as both a pejorative and a badge of honor, has deep roots in American political rhetoric.

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• SOURCE: Pacific Standard
  1/5/19
  

  A Former House Historian Speaks About the Unprecedented New Congress – and the Government Shutdown

  No one has ever shut down the government before over a single issue. Plus: What's special about this incoming class of congresspeople.

• 
• SOURCE: Wall Street Journal
  1/3/19
  

  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t the first self-described socialist elected to the House.

  by David Greenberg

  Here's some historical perspective on socialists in Congress.

• 
• SOURCE: Mother Jones
  1/4/19
  

  If You Think Congress Is Bad Now, You Should Hear About What Happened in 1838

  A new book explores congressional violence in the decades leading up to the Civil War

• 
• SOURCE: The Conversation
  1/3/19
  

  Why Nancy Pelosi Was Reelected Speaker of the House

  by Kathryn L. Pearson

  Why has Nancy Pelosi been able to hold on to power for so long? 

• 
• SOURCE: The Conversation
  1/2/19
  

  The new Congress and the history of governing by a house divided

  by Brooks D. Simpson

  As the 116th Congress convenes this week, how can American political history help us anticipate what political shifts might occur?

• 
• SOURCE: Salon
  1/3/19
  

  Criminal justice reform in the U.S. has a long history of repressive outcomes

  by Tony Platt

  A decade from now under the First Step Act, expect that incarceration will be not so much reduced as diversified.

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• 1/13/19
  

  Is There a Statesman in the House?  Either House?  

  by John T. Shaw

  Now more than ever the United States needs leaders willing to put their careers on the line.

• 
• SOURCE: The Washington Post
  12-12-2018
  

  A fanatic and 'Negro-stealer’: One of the ugliest House speaker fights in history

  In 1859, the House went to war over Rep. John Sherman’s leadership bid.

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• SOURCE: NYT
  12-5-18
  

  The End of Privacy Began in the 1960s

  by Margaret O’Mara

  Choices that Congress made decades ago allowed tech giants to become as powerful as they are.

• 
• SOURCE: Politico
  12-2-18
  

  The Congressman Who Created His Own Deep State. Really.

  When he feared communists were infiltrating America, Larry McDonald took extreme measures — building his own intelligence-gathering arm.

• 
• SOURCE: The Washington Post
  11-8-18
  

  ‘I’m no lady. I’m a member of Congress’: The first women who roared into the House

  In 1917 Jeanette Rankin joined the chamber as its first and only female member.

• 
• 9-18-18
  

  Newsflash: The US Senate Has Passed a Resolution Backing Freedom of the Press

  by Bruce W. Dearstyne

  In this day and age that’s news.

• 
• SOURCE: The Washington Post
  9-14-18
  

  Trump could cost GOP control of Congress, historical analysis shows

  “In no previous election has the linkage between opinions of the president and how people are likely to vote been as strong as this time.”

• 
• SOURCE: Perspectives on History
  9-7-18
  

  Historians have briefed members of Congress about the history of federal aid to agriculture

  by Dane Kennedy

  One lesson? Federal intervention led to a revolution in productivity. But there were problems.