Our guest on this episode, public historian Alena Pirok, explains how John D. Rockefeller’s vision of Colonial Williamsburg eventually gave way to a vision of the site championed by an early 20th century clergyman who saw ghosts. Join us for a conversion...
early America
Harvard’s Houghton Library digitizes its early American manuscripts
Here is Anne Buress at The Harvard Gazette: In a recent virtual curatorial discussion, Houghton librarian John Overholt took an item from the Colonial North America collections to share with his audience. Rather than highlighting a letter from John Hancock or a...
The Author’s Corner with Robert Watson
Robert Watson is Distinguished Professor of American History at Lynn University. This interview is based on his new book, George Washington’s Final Battle: The Epic Struggle to Build a Capital City and a Nation (Georgetown University Press, 2020). JF: What led...
Readings on Sickness and Disease in Early America
This is a great list for those interesting in getting a long view on our current coronavirus crisis. Thanks to the good folks at the Omohundro Institute for compiling it....
Exploring Religious Disestablishment: State by State
I am glad to see the release of Disestablishment and Religious Dissent: Church-State Relations in the New American States, 1776-1833. Carl Esbeck of the University of Missouri and Jonathan Den Hartog of Samford University have edited a very useful book for...
The Author’s Corner with Sarah Pearsall
Sarah Pearsall is University Senior Lecturer in the History of Early America and the Atlantic World at the University of Cambridge. This interview is based on her new book, Polygamy: An Early American History (Yale University Press, 2019). JF: What...
The Author’s Corner With Kelly Ryan
Kelly A. Ryan is Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Professor of History at Indiana University-Southeast. This interview is based on her new book Everyday Crimes: Social Violence and Civil Rights in Early America (New York University Press, 2019). JF:...
North Carolina General Assembly Session Records Are Now Online
“History for All the People,” a blog of the State Archives of North Carolina, recently announced that the state’s General Assembly session records are now online. Here is a taste of the post: After three years, The General Assembly Session...
The Author’s Corner With Benjamin Armstrong
Benjamin “BJ” Armstrong is Assistant Professor of War Studies and Naval History at the U.S. Naval Academy. This interview is based on his new book Small Boats and Daring Men: Maritime Raiding, Irregular Warfare, and the Early American Navy (University...
Diary Entry of the Day
More James Craft from Burlington, NJ: “[Saw] Man on a Hogshead with a Label fixed to his breast with these words: ‘I Thomas Butler, stand here, for unlawfully killing and stealing a Steer graizing in the Pines.” James Craft Journal, November...
Muslims Were in America Before Protestants
Yes, as Sam Haselby reminds us, this is true. Here is a taste of his piece at Aeon: “Muslims of Early America“: The writing of American history has also been dominated by Puritan institutions. It might no longer be quite...
Yes, There Was an “Evangelical” Movement in the Eighteenth Century and it Should Be Defined Theologically
(This is the first post in a series on the word “evangelical” in the eighteenth-century and today). If the Jonathan Merritt dust-up had a positive result, it was that it got historians thinking again about the meaning of the word...
Father Junipero Serra is OUT at Stanford
Here is the Stanford press release: Stanford will rename some campus features named for Father Junipero Serra, the 18th-century founder of the California mission system, but will retain the Serra name and the names of other Spanish missionaries and settlers...
The Author’s Corner with Cameron Strang
Cameron B. Strang is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Nevada-Reno. This interview is based on his recently released book Frontiers of Science: Imperialism and Natural Knowledge in the Gulf South Borderlands, 1500-1850 (Omohundro Institute/University of North Carolina Press,...
Author’s Corner with Elisabeth Ceppi
Elisabeth Ceppi is Associate Professor of English at Portland State University. This interview is based on her new book Invisible Masters: Gender, Race, and the Economy of Service in Early New England (Dartmouth University Press, 2018). JF: What led you to write Invisible...
The Author’s Corner with Victoria Johnson
Victoria Johnson is Associate Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College of the City University of New York. This interview is based on her new book American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early...
“Fake News” is an Old Problem
Jackie Mansky, the humanities editor at Smithsonian.Com, reminds us that “fake news” has a long, long history in the American republic. Here is a taste of her piece, “The Age-Old Problem of ‘Fake News’“: Earlier echoes of John Adams’ frustrations...
Freedom on the Move
Cornell University is the host of “Freedom on the Move,” a digital database of fugitive slave ads from North America. Here is a taste of Allison Meier’s article on this resource at Hyperallergic: Readers of the May 24, 1796 Pennsylvania Gazette found...
Americans and Land
Earlier this week President Donald Trump tweeted: Our Nation was founded by farmers. Our independence was won by farmers. And our continent was tamed by farmers. Our farmers always lead the way — we are PROUD of them, and we...
“Religion and Politics in Early America” Conference Recap
I’ve been a haphazard tweeter but some thanks from #SEAStLouis2018! @SpencerWMcBride @BenjaminEPark continue to be the best conference friends. Great lunch organizers along with @brfranklin4. @econroykrutz let me tag along for ice cream. And I saw @JohnFea1 for one second....