This post originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of The American Historian. How can the historical study of aging benefit from what historians have learned by studying youth? As someone who has spent more than forty years learning about young people, I think...
Heard Round the World: A War Begins
by Jack Kelly April 19th is Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts. It marks the anniversary of the battles at Lexington and Concord, which touched off the Revolutionary War. It’s also the day of the Boston Marathon, which itself commemorates a Greek … Read the article The...
What’s in the March Issue of the Journal of American History?
The March issue of the Journal of American History is now available online and in print. Included are articles by Emmanuelle Perez Tisserant, William Robert Billups, and Lori A. Flores, as well as Hannah Srajer’s Editor’s Choice article, “Imperfect Intercourse:...
Writing History for a Popular Audience: A Round Table Discussion
This post originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of The American Historian. Most historians would love for their work to reach a wide, non-academic audience. But how does one break into the world of “popular” history and publish a successful book with a trade...
Caresse
by Anne de Courcy Every now and then, when writing a biography or social history, a character crops up who is so intriguing that one longs to know their back story. When I was researching Nancy Cunard’s life in Paris … Read the article The post Caresse appeared first...
Saturday and Sunday Highlights at OAH 2023
Saturday was another full day of events at the OAHâs meeting in Los Angeles. Tours were sold out again on Saturday, as attendees took advantage of the rich history of Los Angeles and its surroundings. A tour to many of LAâs beaches, for example, explored their...
To Hell and Back
by Tom Clavin Below is an excerpt from my new book, Follow Me to Hell. It is November 1875 and Captain Leander McNelly and his company of Texas Rangers have rather rashly invaded Mexico to recover stolen cattle. Faced … Read the article The post To Hell and Back...
Friday Highlights at OAH 2023
Fridayâs meeting began with a morning mixer, where scholars connected and prepared for the full slate of panels. Many attendees arrived Thursday or early Friday morning, so panels were well attended as historians took full advantage of the wide variety of panel...
Thursday Highlights at OAH 2023
Thursday marked the opening of the 2023 Annual Meeting for the Organization of American Historians. Held downtown at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in Los Angeles, just footsteps from historic landmarks such as the Los Angeles Central Library, the conference...
The Marine Corps’ Deadliest Sniper
by Jim Lindsay Charles “Chuck” Mawhinney is a United States Marine who holds the Corps’ record for the most confirmed sniper kills (and the second most of any US service member in history), having recorded 103 confirmed kills in 16 … Read the article The post The...
Life Goes to Vietnam
Perhaps more than any other publication, the Life magazine that went to war in the 1940s helped mold Americansâ opinions of a global conflict that ultimately would propel the United States to superpower status during the Cold War years that followed. A pioneer in...
The Machiavelli of the Mexican American People: Steelworkers, the Catholic Church, and Building Political Power
Robert Segovia (left) instructing class. Emerito Torres and Agapito Cruz (at chalkboard). Photo courtesy of The Hammond Times, March 20, 1955. This piece is a response to our recent Call for Submissions: Histories of Labor in the U.S. For our submission guidelines,...
The Untold Stories of Viking Encounters with Native American Tribes
The Vikings are renowned for their seafaring exploits and explorations, but their encounters with Native American tribes are often overlooked in popular historical accounts. While Vikings and Native Americans did not have significant interactions, there are several...
Busting Diet Myths: Why the Gladiators Ate a High Carbohydrate Diet
The idea of a high carbohydrate diet often sends shivers down the spine of many health-conscious individuals. Carbohydrates have been demonized for their alleged role in weight gain, high blood sugar levels, and other health problems. However, what if I told you that...
Unraveling the Mystery: Was Hitler Really Possessed by the Devil?
Adolf Hitler’s reign of terror is a dark chapter in human history, and his actions have led to countless lives lost and untold misery. Some believe that the man responsible for these atrocities was not entirely human and was instead possessed by the devil. In this...
Did Hitler Actually Escape to the North Pole? The Truth Behind the Conspiracy Theory
The idea that Hitler escaped to the North Pole has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories and popular folklore. Despite there being no solid evidence to support this claim, the theory continues to persist. In this article, we will delve deeper into the facts...
Debunking the Myths: Was Hitler Really of Jewish Descent?
The question of whether Adolf Hitler had Jewish ancestry has been the subject of much debate and speculation over the years. While some have claimed that Hitler’s biological father was Jewish, others have argued that his grandmother may have been Jewish. However, the...
Did the CIA Silence Marilyn Monroe? Investigating the Claims of Foul Play
The death of Marilyn Monroe is shrouded in mystery, with conspiracy theories and rumors of foul play surrounding the circumstances of her passing. One of the most persistent and intriguing of these theories is that the CIA was somehow involved in her death, possibly...