Parts of this post are based on my book Why Study History: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past. In a recent piece at The Atlantic, Yale historian Joanne Freeman writes about Hamilton: The Musical: It has also gained new relevance over time, promoting […]
historical thinking
Moral reflection in the doing and teaching of history (part one)
This post is adapted from Why Study History: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past. Should historians cast judgment on the past? Is this part of their vocation? Some believe that the past must be critiqued from the perspective of Christian […]
David Blight: An “educated and civil society” is “open to each other’s stories” and “open to the essential pluralism of the human drama”
Yale historian David Blight talks about the differences between history and the past on the “Live the Best Version of You” podcast. It is a nice introduction to how historians work and how the work historians do must contribute to […]
Ed Ayers: The “past can’t be reduced to static variables and predictable outcomes”
Here is the University of Richmond historian‘s piece at Medium: History is best explained by supple narratives of sequence, change, and consequence. We call those narratives stories. All humans understand stories and explain themselves and their worlds in stories. Even […]
*The New York Times* covers the “clash of the historians” at SHEAR
Jennifer Schuessler has written a fair report on what happened last weekend during (and following) the Society for Historians of the Early Republic (SHEAR) ZOOM panel titled “Andrew Jackson in the Age of Trump.” Schuessler quotes from the second blog […]
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton opposes “cancel culture.” Unless, of course, it is the 1619 Project
I just learned today that Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton is trying to pass legislation to prohibit schools from using federal funds to teach the New York Times‘s 1619 Project. (If you are unfamiliar with the 1619 Project, read our coverage here. […]
What I wrote about John Lewis in *Believe Me*
p.176: “But the problem with Donald Trump’s use of American history goes well beyond his desire to make America great again or his regular references to some of the darker moments in our past–moments that have tended to divide Americans […]
How does a historian think about the past?
Adapted from Why Study History: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past: The past is everywhere. Take some time to think about the many ways you have encountered the past today. Perhaps you shared a memory with a family member or […]
David Blight gives Joe Biden some advice about monuments
David Blight has been a voice of reason on this whole monument debate. In a piecepublished yesterday at The New York Times, he offers Joe Biden some historical advice. He suggests that Biden should establish a task force devoted to “our […]
When the Supreme Court engages in bad history
Willamette University law professor and historian Steven K. Green makes a compelling case that the Supreme Court was “sloppy” in its use of history in the recent Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue decision. Here is a taste of his […]
Thinking historically about Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech
A lot of conservatives liked Trump’s speech on Friday night. I am told that The Wall Street Journal gave it a positive review. I commented on the speech here, but I thought I would say a few more things about Trump’s […]
On complexity and revisionism in the doing of history
From Why Study History: Reflecting on the Importance of the Past: On complexity: Historians realize that the past is complex. Human behavior does not easily conform to our present-day social, cultural, political, religious, or economic categories. Take Thomas Jefferson for example. […]
Monday night court evangelical roundup
What have Trump’s evangelicals been saying since our last update? Greg Laurie is still suggesting that the United States was “born out of a revival.” I addressed the many problems with this view here. In fact, religious attendance and membership was at an all-time […]
Thoughts on Trump’s Proposed “National Garden of American Heroes”
At his July 3, 2020 speech at Mount Rushmore, Donald Trump said: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alEE-5Pk5DQ&w=560&h=315] More here. And here is the text of the executive order: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws […]
Thoughts on Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech
In case you missed it, Trump gave a speech at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota on the night of July 3, 2020. Read the text here. Watch the entire event here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z61WalX3m_k&w=560&h=315] Thoughts: 1. Mary Hart 2. South Dakota governor […]
Tuesday night court evangelical roundup
What have Trump’s evangelicals been saying since our last update? Rudy Giuliani shares a tweet from a spokesperson for Liberty University’s Falkirk Center. Notice how Giuliani uses Jenna Ellis’s tweet of Psalm 27 to make a political statement. When he says “we all […]
Wilfred McClay on Historical Monuments
Whether you agree or disagree with him, Wilfred McClay is always thoughtful. If I see his byline at First Things or another conservative outlet, I will always read the article. As one of America’s best conservative historians (not a historian […]
Tuesday night court evangelical roundup
What have Trump’s evangelicals been saying since yesterday’s update? Franklin Graham is on the stump for Trump. This is from his Facebook page : In the last presidential election in 2016, I reminded people across the country that the election was not about […]
Friday night court evangelical roundup
What have Trump’s evangelicals been saying since yesterday’s update? They are not technically “court” evangelicals, but they are definitely Trump evangelicals. The Harris family is back and they are now a Trump worship band: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fZOgnIYdQs&w=560&h=315] Some of you may remember them from […]
When it comes to Supreme Court decisions, context matters. But whose context?
Earlier today, I published two posts on yesterday’s Supreme Court decision on LGBTQ rights. The first post addressed the politics of the decision and what it means for white evangelical support for Donald Trump. The second post dealt with the […]