Current Events that Relate to History
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LongreadAuthoritarianism from Below
To some cops and their unions, the federal invasions of American cities are a chance to undercut the already fraying democratic constraints on police power.New York Review of Books -
personJesse Jackson
Oct. 8, 1941 — Feb. 17, 2026
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CommentThe Founders Would Have Opposed ‘Nationalizing’ Elections
The writers of the Constitution sought an approach that balanced control between the states and the federal government.The Atlantic -
Film ReviewKen Burns's Inevitable Revolution
Burns in his new documentary failed to ask the most important question: "Why?"Panorama -
Book ExcerptThe Myth of the Red-Lipped Suffragette
On "Femvertising" and fashion as feminism.Literary Hub -
AntecedentFrom Guantanamo to Minneapolis
The use of unlawful imprisonment during the ‘war on terror’ set the stage for the US government’s detentions and deportations today.New Lines -
exhibitDoing Black History
Exploring the ways that African American history has been learned and taught in schools, museums, and popular culture.
From the HNN Archive
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How to Succeed in Government Without Really Trying
The long history of promising an “efficient” federal government. -
If the Slipper Doesn’t Fit
A scorched shoe is a crucial part of Zelda Fitzgerald’s modern mythology. But there’s no proof it existed. -
Indifferent to the Fate of Freedom Elsewhere
Jimmy Carter is known for his defense of human rights worldwide. But in 1979, he threatened to deport thousands of Iranian student protesters. -
Elevating the Few
What JD Vance excludes from the history of the Civil War and immigration. -
Whose Side Are College Administrators On?
There’s a long history of politicians targeting student protesters — and of campus leaders abetting those efforts. -
Solve for AI
What the history of the pocket calculator reveals about the future of AI in classrooms. -
“At Any Future Time”
In 1880, the daughter of a Welsh politician turned to fiction to expose perspectives missing from the official record, upending histories for generations to come. -
Slamming America’s Door Behind Him
How a son of European immigrants fought to keep Indian immigrants out of America. -
Governing by Police
The Metropolitan Police Department in DC has been an essential component of Washington politics since its founding. -
When Good Housekeeping Meant Getting Vaccinated Against Polio
The pages of 1950s lifestyle magazines offer a glimpse of a time when childhood vaccines were anything but controversial.