A controversy over comments by the president of the American Historical Association reveals deeper truths about the challenges historians face.
Extremism in the United States: From the Ku Klux Klan to January 6—Syllabus
This course provides a historical overview of extremism in the United States from Reconstruction through the present. Students will explore primary sources ranging from political pamphlets to diaries, religious tracts, government records, and films, alongside scholarly literature, to equip them with a foundational knowledge of the history of extremism in the US during the long twentieth century.
Gaslit Zeroes in on Loyalty to Nixon, But Not Nixon’s Crimes
Gaslit is at its best when it ruminates on presidential power, showing viewers how loyalty can lead to criminality. The show's individual stories are fascinating, but they often obscure Nixon's guilt, along with the social movements of the period.
Suffrage Pie, Honest Watergate Salad, and (Im)Peach-Mint Crumb Cake: Food, Recipes, and Humor as Political Commentary
Although social media enables political food puns to go viral, they are rooted in a long tradition of journalists, activists, and average citizens combining food and humor to poke fun at political opponents. This article examines three such moment: (Im)Peach-Mint Crumb Cake and President Trump, The Watergate Cookbook and President Nixon, and Suffrage Pie For the Doubting Husband from the women's suffrage movement.
Justin Trudeau’s Brownface and Blackface in Historical Context
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's history of donning brownface and blackface connects to a troubling history of blackface in Canada.
HIST 380F: Gender and the Presidency in American History – Syllabus
Course Description With the recent 2016 presidential election in mind, this course uses the history of American presidential elections to examine how gender has shaped campaign issues and outcomes in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Presidential candidates throughout US history have used gendered rhetoric as a campaign strategy to appeal to voters; at different moments... Continue Reading →