1619 Project

1776 vs. 1619: Hillsdale College Enters the History Wars

by Adam Hochshild

If conservatives are against "woke" history education, what, exactly, are they for? There's much to be learned from the curriculum created by the Michigan christian college, which presents a jarring contrast with the themes presented in the new Hulu documentary series based on Nikole Hannah-Jones's 1619 Project. 

Cuba and the US: Necessary Mirrors

by Geraldo Cadava

How much more could the 1619 Project have accomplished if it considered the broader connections of slavery, racism and power in the Caribbean? 

Nikole Hannah-Jones: Book Bans "Inevitable Backlash" to 2020 Protest Wave

The journalist cited historian Timothy Snyder's argument that authoritarianism relies on restricting national understanding of civic identity in ways that serve existing power. 

Single Origin Stories Aren't Good History

by Emily Sclafani

Origin stories, whether of idealized liberty or racism as national original sin, tie the present to the past in ways that exclude the possibilities for change that existed then and exist now.

Legislators: Come See How I Use 1619 Project in My Classroom Before You Ban It

by Woody Holton

South Carolina's H. 4343 bill would impoverish the history education legislators claim to value. Could an invitation to observe how the demonized 1619 Project is used as a teaching tool change any minds? 

Jack Rakove on Writing History, and the 1619 Project

The Stanford historian emeritus gives a wide-ranging interview about his career, the American revolution, writing history, and his disagreements with the 1619 Project. 

Nikole Hannah-Jones Angered a Crowd with an MLK Day Speech. The Words Were MLK's

“If you haven’t read, in entirety, his speeches, you’ve been miseducated and I hope that you will,” Hannah-Jones said on Twitter.

The 1619 Project and the Demands of Public History

by Lauren Michele Jackson

"In spite of all of the ugly evidence it has assembled, the 1619 Project ultimately seeks to inspire faith in the American project, just as any conventional social-studies curriculum would."

Nikole Hannah-Jones on the Brian Lehrer Show

With the release of the expanded book version of her 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones is back in the spotlight, for admirers and critics alike. 

The Changing Same of U.S. History

by David Waldstreicher

Historians have returned to the question of whether the Constitution is the problem or the solution with renewed vigor and high stakes. Those accusing ideological rivals of "doing politics, not history" are not innocent of the same charge. 

NYT Magazine's Silverstein: 1619 Is Part of Long Battle over Telling the Nation's Story

by Jake Silverstein

The continuing debate over the 1619 project shows that what we call "history" is inseparable from the process of historiography, which has never been free of bitter conflict and disagreement.

The Historians are (Still) Fighting

by Willam Hogeland

Inside the recent Massachusetts Historical Society dustup between Gordon Wood and Woody Holton over the significance of slavery to the American Revolution, and what it means for the public perception of history. 

Debate and Controversy are Essential to History Education

by Robert Cohen and Sonia Murrow

Claims that critical perspectives on US history are "divisive" or "disruptive" or teach students to "hate America" were wrong in the 1980s, and are being repeated today. Educators must be free to serve the needs of students to compare, evaluate and debate. 

The Specter of Emancipation and the Road to Revolution: A Rejoinder to Richard Brown et. al.

by Woody Holton

Woody Holton responds to a recent open letter of criticism by six Revolutionary-era historians of his interpretation of the significance of slavery as a motivation for colonial independence. 

Group of Historians Challenges Woody Holton's Interpretation of the Significance of Dunmore's Proclamation

by Richard D. Brown et. al.

A group of scholars argues that the famous 1775 decree by Lord Dunmore that enslaved Virginians who joined the British forces would be emancipated was a desperate act that followed, not precipitated, the drive of white Virginians toward independence. 

Historians Can't Leave the Teaching of History to Politicians

by Walter G. Moss

As a historian of Russia, the author finds today's political interference with history teaching "like Soviet authorities forbidding Soviet history teachers to mention Trotsky’s role in bringing the 1917 communist revolution about."

Nikole Hannah-Jones Issues Statement After Passing Up UNC for Howard University

“I cannot imagine working at and advancing a school named for a man who lobbied against me, who used his wealth to influence the hires and ideology of the journalism school, who ignored my 20 years of journalism experience, all of my credentials, all of my work, because he believed that a project that centered Black Americans equaled the denigration of white Americans."

Nikole Hannah-Jones Finally Has Been Granted Tenure. But the Damage Is Already Done.

It's uncertain that the Board of Trustees' decision to grant tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones will lead her to join the University of North Carolina, and unlikely that the decision will erase the damage done by conservative interference in university governance. 

Nikole Hannah-Jones Granted Tenure by UNC Trustees

The vote was 9-4, after a number of protesters were removed from the room. It is not now known if Hannah-Jones will now accept the appointment at UNC. 

Finally: Tenure Vote for Hannah-Jones

by Colleen Flaherty

The Board of Trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will hold a special meeting Wednesday, reportedly to vote on tenure for journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.