History Op-eds February 17, 2012: Jules Witcover A brokered convention?

FEATURED HISTORIANS A brokered convention? Source: Baltimore Sun, 2-17-12 The winnowing process in the Republican presidential nomination race has reduced the field to four candidates — Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich– each of whom has a legitimate rationale to keep going.Mr. Romney continues to have the most money and largest field [...]

History Buzz February 9, 2012: Dr. Boyce Watkins: What is President Obama’s Role in Black History?

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP What is President Obama’s Role in Black History? Source: News One, 2-9-12 As I’ve run around the country giving Black History Month speeches, I’ve been thinking a great deal about where we are and where we are going as a community; I’ve also been asked [...]

History Op-eds January 31, 2012: Noah Feldman: Historian-in-Chief Newt Gingrich Can’t Shake His Past

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP Historian-in-Chief Gingrich Can’t Shake His Past: Noah Feldman Source: Bloomberg, 1-30-12 I was driving when I heard the latest Republican front-runner intoning that “the centerpiece of this campaign, I believe, is American exceptionalism versus the radicalism of Saul Alinsky.” He went on from there, but [...]

Featured Historian Matthew Dallek: Mitt Romney is no George Romney

FEATURED HISTORIANS Matthew Dallek: Mitt Romney is no George Romney Source: Politico, 12-1-11 Romney has claimed that his greatest political inspiration was George Romney, the author says. | AP Photo Close Mitt Romney is casting himself as the lone Washington outsider in the Republican presidential field with the best shot at defeating President Barack Obama. [...]

Featured Historian Julian Zelizer: What Newt Gingrich offers the GOP

FEATURED HISTORIANS Julian Zelizer: What Newt Gingrich offers the GOP Source: CNN, 11-28-11 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich drew a great deal of attention in the CNN National Security Debate on Tuesday. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Newt Gingrich got the endorsement of the New Hampshire Union Leader Julian Zelizer says Gingrich aids GOP by putting focus on [...]

Featured Historians Julian E. Zelizer: It’s too early to name Bachmann, Perry front-runners

FEATURED HISTORIANS Julian E. Zelizer: It’s too early to name Bachmann, Perry front-runners Source: Julian E. Zelizer, CNN, 8-22-11 STORY HIGHLIGHTS No votes have been cast, but some Republicans have been declared front-runners Julian Zelizer: Activists, media and donors usurping presidential selection process He says Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have been elevated to front-runner [...]

Featured Historians Julian E. Zelizer: Americans want security for 2012

FEATURED HISTORIANS Julian E. Zelizer: Americans want security for 2012 Source: Julian E. Zelizer, CNN, 8-15-11 STORY HIGHLIGHTS Julian Zelizer: Economic security is going to be defining theme of 2012 race Americans want to know jobs are safe and available, he says Zelizer: Neither party has done a good job developing policies for economic security [...]

Featured Historians Julian E. Zelizer: Where are the Democrats’ ideas?

FEATURED HISTORIANS Julian E. Zelizer: Where are the Democrats’ ideas? Source: Julian E. Zelizer, 8-8-11 STORY HIGHLIGHTS Lately, the silence of liberalism has been striking, says Julian E. Zelizer During the debate over the debt ceiling, Republicans hammered home their point, he says Yet the Democratic response was mostly half-hearted, he says Zelizer: Unless Democrats [...]

Featured Historians Gil Troy: Wanted: A President Who is Tougher Than Terrycloth

FEATURED HISTORIANS By Gil Troy, 8-8-11 The downgrading of America’s credit rating just days after the debt ceiling fight ended risk branding Barack Obama’s presidency as an historic failure. The S and P analysts made it clear that they were passing political judgment on the United States, not just making an economic assessment. While Republicans [...]

Featured Historians Gil Troy: Obama at 50 Should Have More Faith in America

FEATURED HISTORIANS By Gil Troy, 8-4-11 Barack Obama turns fifty today, August 4th.  Both he and his country appear battered these days, as Obama’s White House recuperates from the bruising debt ceiling showdown and the United States remains stuck combating two wars along with one long-lasting recession.  But the progress Obama and America have made [...]

Timothy Snyder: Neglecting the Lithuanian Holocaust

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP Source: NY Review of Books, 7-25-11   The desecrated memorial stone to the Jews murdered in 1941 at the Ponary Forest, Vilnius, Lithuania, July 2011. The graffiti reads “Hitler was right.” In early July the words “Hitler was right” were painted on the memorial stone to the 72,000 Jews who [...]

Patricia A. Kennedy: Accessible Document, U.S. Constitution designed to be read by all

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP Source: The Reporter, 7-19-11 As a former history professor who has recently moved to Vacaville, I took the opportunity to attend the Tea Party seminar on the Constitution. I have taught American history and world civilizations in college classes for 30 years. I also have taught the history of the [...]

Gil Troy: Our Moral Conversation With Students

Featured Historian: Gil Troy By Gil Troy, Chronicle for Higher Education, 7-17-11 Enlarge Image Dave Plunkert for The Chronicle Most Americans have not noticed, but Canadians are still reeling from the June 15 riots in Vancouver following the Canucks’ loss to the Boston Bruins for the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup. Thousands of drunken fans [...]

Robert N. Wilkins: Montreal’s sad indifference to history

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP Source: Montreal Gazette, 7-14-11 The blue bird cafÉ fire is not alone among important events that Montrealers seem hesitant to commemorate A recent article about the fast-approaching 40th anniversary of the Blue Bird Café fire of September 1972 (“These people have been forgotten” Gazette, July 4) and the city’s failure [...]

Rick Perlstein: Betty Ford, Pioneer

HISTORY BUZZ: HISTORY NEWS RECAP Source: NYT, 7-11-11 Enlarge This Image Vivienne Flesher THE obituaries for Betty Ford, who died Friday at the age of 93, were filled with colorful stories about an incongruous life: former Martha Graham dancer, dispenser of scandalous comments to the media, alcohol and drug addict. So colorful, in fact, that [...]