An exploration of Hollywood's eclectic Christmas film history, surveying developments from the 1990s through today.
Christmas Films as Reflections of American History, Part III: Perfecting the Paradigm from the 1990s to the Present
Christmas Films as Reflections of American History, Part II: Stop-Motion, Action, and Horror in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s
An exploration of Hollywood Christmas film history, including children's, horror, and action movies from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Christmas Films as Reflections of American History, Part I: Dickens, Romance, and the US Military in the 1940s and 50s
An exploration of Hollywood's eclectic history of Christmas films, starting with postwar Dickensian adaptations and Cold War romances.
This Anthem Was Made For You and Me?
When Jennifer Lopez sang Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration in January of this year, it marked the latest use of Woody Guthrie's much-contested song. The history of "This Land Is Your Land," from the many versions of the song to the even more varied responses to it, raise important questions about what a national anthem is—and what it might do in the discordant politics and culture of the United States.
There Has Always Been a Thin Line Separating the United States’ Jails and its Mental Healthcare System
US jails are now the nation’s biggest mental healthcare providers, a fact that surprises many Americans. But, it turns outs, there’s always been a thin division between the nation’s jails and mental healthcare system.
There’s a Legitimate Critique of the 1619 Project. And Then There’s Sean Wilentz.
Conservatives have relied on a small group of historians to validate their criticisms of the 1619 Project. Now one of the most vocal historians against the 1619 Project is trying to distance himself from the far-Right.
Hulu’s Mrs. America and the Real History of the Battle Over the ERA
What can Mrs. America tell us about the historical context of the battle over the Equal Rights Amendment? Where does it shine and where does it fall short? And what should we take away from the show, and its real history, to better understand our present?
Unjust Laws and the Movement for Black Lives: A Historical Perspective
The parallels between the civil rights movement of the early 1960s and the 2020 uprising can situate Gov. DeSantis’s proposal in a broader context. Many of the legislative efforts to curtail Black Lives Matter demonstrations parallel efforts made to criminalize nonviolent actions led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Small Acts of Storytelling: Why We Need More History
College students are taking fewer history classes than ever before. The consequences have implications not just for our collective knowledge about the past, but also for our ability to make sense of the present.
Of Plagues and Papers: COVID-19, the Media, and the Construction of American Disease History
In their attempts to make sense of the novel coronavirus, media outlets frequently invoke the past, comparing COVID-19 to the Black Death, the "Great Influenza" of 1918-19, and other historical disease outbreaks. The act of connecting "then" and "now" has produced two countervailing historical narratives: one that emphasizes medical progress over time, and another that highlights America's failure to learn the lessons of past pandemics.
Clio and the Contemporary 