Current Events that Relate to History
Recently Published
View AllOriginal features and excerpts of new books
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Excerpts
The Art of Writing History
How Eric Hobsbawm brought revolution to a broad audience. -
Features
Young Washington Is Old History
A new movie relies on 19th century myths to portray the very British George Washington as a moralistic proto-American ready to pursue independence. -
Excerpts
A Danger to Civilization
Lothrop Stoddard believed that the concept of “natural equality” between people was a threat to America. In the 1920s, it was hardly a fringe idea.
In the Newsletter
View All EditionsCurated collections that explore a different theme each week
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Book ReviewJames Lawson Was the Civil Rights Movement’s Drill Sergeant
No practitioner of Civil Rights-era nonviolence was more effective and disciplined than Rev. James Lawson.Jacobin -
First PersonWhat a Bicentennial Baby Knows
When I was born, the moniker carried a sheen of optimism. So much feels different now.The Atlantic -
ComparisonBernie Sanders Reminds Me of This Conservative Giant
Democratic socialism’s ascent mirrors Barry Goldwater’s rise.Washington Post -
ProfileEmpire of Grunge
How William Boeing made Kurt Cobain.Imperialist Realism -
LongreadThe Polymarketification of American Life
Prediction markets have been trying to skirt regulators by selling themselves not as sportsbooks but as insurance.The Baffler -
Journal ArticleHow Kudzu Was Supposed to Save the South
Before it became a notorious invasive plant, kudzu was promoted as a solution to widespread soil erosion.JSTOR Daily -
personDolly Parton
January 19, 1946 — August 25, 2026