On the 65th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education II: Implementing a Sweeping Change
This year’s high school seniors understandably feel cheated by the cancellation of graduation ceremonies and other rites of passage due to the coronavirus. Yet as I listen sympathetically, I find […]
Female Education in the Early Republic
Although May and June are often seen as the “end” of the school year in modern America, June of 1787 marked the beginning of the brief existence of the Young […]
1688: The Germantown Quakers Protest Slavery
While the seventeenth century is in the news again this week thanks to the 1619 project, we thought we would draw attention to the efforts of some early American Quakers […]
The 75th Anniversary of VE Day
8 May 1945 was declared “Victory in Europe Day,” after the remaining leaders of Nazi Germany signed documents accepting their unconditional surrender on 7 May. American and British forces had […]
Federalism and Pandemics: A National Teachable Moment
“Emergencies are crucibles that contain and reveal the daily, slower burning problems of medicine and beyond – our vulnerabilities; our trouble grappling with uncertainty, how we die, how we prioritize […]
Beyond the Amistad: The antislavery legislative career of John Quincy Adams
On February 21st, 1848 Representative John Quincy Adams rose on the House floor to vote no on a resolution designed to celebrate the United States’ victory in the recent war […]
An Interview with Political Economist Brianne Wolf
We have known and appreciated Brianne Wolf since, shortly after earning her PhD from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she came to teach political economy at Ashland University. Now […]
Eisenhower in a Time of Crisis
On June 5th, 1944, just one day before D-day’s Normandy landings, General Eisenhower composed a short letter to be read to all of the soldiers and sailors who would take […]
Happy 200th, Susan B. Anthony!
This Saturday, February 15, 2020 marks the 200th anniversary of woman’s rights advocate Susan B Anthony’s birth. Anthony is best known for promoting women’s rights and starting up the women’s […]
Loser Wins: William Jennings Bryan and the Legacy of Populism
History teachers rarely focus on the losers of presidential elections. Yet two men stand out as notable exceptions; Henry Clay and William Jennings Bryan. Both men were nominated for the […]