Author Archives: briansandberg

Geckos, Environmental History, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Historians are collaborating with scientists in new ways these days, especially in the growing field of environmental history. Scholars are making new and fascinating discoveries about the long history of human transformations of environments. Historians of the Columbian Exchange, beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, Environmental History, Globalization, History of Science, Maritime History, Renaissance Art and History, World History | Leave a comment

History of the Medici Family Podcast

I recently gave an interview on the history of the Medici family for an episode of the Ithaca Bound podcast, hosted by Andrew Schiestel. I spent three years working as a post-doctoral fellow with the Medici Archive Project, a major … Continue reading →

Posted in Art History, Court Studies, Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History in the Media, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Historians Respond to Critical Race Theory Controversy

Historians and educators across the United States are responding to the current political attacks on Critical Race Theory and politicians’ attempts to dictate the ways in which professional historians teach about race and racism in American history. Many historians and … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Education Policy, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, Globalization, High School History Teaching, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Race and Racism, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Renaissance Art and History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Multiracial Ships and Maritime History

Maritime historians have recognized that premodern ships represented diverse onboard communities, composed of multicultural—and often multiracial—crews. The social spaces of ships brought together officers, navigators, sailors, soldiers, artisans, and slaves recruited or coerced from very different population groups. But, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, History in the Media, History of Medicine, History of Race and Racism, History of Science, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Maritime History, Museums and Historical Memory, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Renaissance Fairs and Pandemics

En garde ! Renaissance fairs are reopening across the United States this summer, bringing the clanging of arms and armor back to an enthusiastic public. These festivals celebrate late medieval and Renaissance culture through costume displays and historical re-enactments—including jousts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Historical Re-enactment, History in the Media, History of Medicine, Mediterranean World, Renaissance Art and History, Social History | Leave a comment

Innovative High School Teaching in Renaissance Studies

The Renaissance Society of America (RSA) recently sponsored a competition for high school teaching in the field of Renaissance Studies. High school teachers across the United States submitted teaching projects and class plans on various topics in Renaissance Studies. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers in History, Conferences, Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, High School History Teaching, Humanities Education, Italian History, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, The Past Alive: Teaching History | Leave a comment

Roman History and Modern Society

Ancient Roman history is alive and well, and newsworthy. An interview with Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, in The New York Times highlights diverse ways in which Roman history is actively used in today’s society … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History, Cultural History, European History, History in the Media, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Diversity in Historical Re-enactments

Colonial Williamsburg, one of the most important sites for historical re-enactment in the United States, is increasingly stressing diversity issues in its historical interpretations of colonial American society. The community of Williamsburg, Virginia, has been promoting building restoration and living … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, Historical Re-enactment, History in the Media, History of Race and Racism, Museums and Historical Memory, Social History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society, Urban History, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for Research in France

The Fulbright Scholar Program of the United States Department of State is hosting a Fulbright U.S. Scholar: Spotlight on France Webinar on its research awards for U.S. scholars to travel to France to conduct research in various fields. The Fulbright … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Cultural History, French History, French Wars of Religion, Graduate Work in History, Grants and Fellowships, Study Abroad, Undergraduate Work in History | Leave a comment

¡ Viva la Libertad !

The Newberry Library is currently showing an exhibition on ¡ Viva la Libertad ! Latin American and the Age of Revolutions. ¡ Viva la Libertad ! explores Latin American revolutions in the nineteenth century and their legacies for Central and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Crowd Studies, Cultural History, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Human Rights, Manuscript Studies, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Revolts and Revolutions, World History | Leave a comment