Category Archives: History in the Media

On Historical Advocacy and the Supreme Court

Posted on August 7, 2025 by briansandberg

“As the Supreme Court’s decisions increasingly turn on their understanding of the distant past, the number of supporting briefs from historians has exploded and their influence has grown,” according to Adam Liptak, who has published an article in The New … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, History in the Media, Legal history, Political History of the United States, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Modern America

Posted on July 28, 2025 by briansandberg

Charlie English has published an essay in The New York Times on the role that George Orwell’s 1984 played in the Cold War, drawing comparisons to the book being banned in the United States in the twenty-first century. English is … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Academic Publishing, Authoritarianism, Civil Rights Issues, Education Policy, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, High School History Teaching, History in the Media, History of the Book, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Information Management, Intellectual History, international relations, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Administration Aims to Manipulate History

Posted on April 24, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump and his administration are attempting to manipulate the historical record of the United States and control historical interpretations of its past. President Trump issued an executive order on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” on 27 March … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, Contemporary France, Education Policy, French History, Higher Education, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Race and Racism, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Museums and Historical Memory, Political History of the United States, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The American Revolution Began 250 Years Ago

Posted on April 20, 2025 by briansandberg

Today is the 250th anniversary of the first shots of the American Revolution at the battles of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775. The 250th anniversary celebrations of the War of American Independence (1775-1783) have begun. Prepare for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, Historical Re-enactment, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Museums and Historical Memory, Political History of the United States, Revolts and Revolutions, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Historians Address the Attacks on Education in the U.S.

Posted on April 5, 2025 by briansandberg

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) is meeting in Chicago this week and many historians have been addressing the Trump administration’s attacks on education in the United States. The OAH is the premier academic association of historians who work on … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Authoritarianism, Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Higher Education, History in the Media, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Public History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On the Technocratic and Fascist Ideology of Elon Musk

Posted on April 4, 2025 by briansandberg

Elon Musk may exhibit highly erratic and volatile behavior, but he espouses a coherent Technocratic and Fascist ideology that was articulated in the 1930s. Jill Lepore, Professor of History and Law (Harvard University), traces the history of Elon Musk’s grandfather, … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Civil Rights Issues, Cultural History, Higher Education, 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, Information Management, Information Revolutions, Intellectual History, Italian History, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe in Trumplandia

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

Europeans are in shock after the recent Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of European diplomats and international security officials in Germany. Academic colleagues and friends across Europe have been contacting me to ask what exactly the Trump administration is … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Authoritarianism, Contemporary France, Democracy, European History, European Studies, European Union, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Italian History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, Security Studies, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Declares Himself King

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump has declared himself king, opposing himself to the legitimately elected representatives of the State of New York over a congestion pricing law. The White House issued a post on X stating that “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Democracy, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Legal history, Monarchies and Royal States, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, Republicanism, Revolts and Revolutions, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOGE itself is Unconstitutional

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

A former Associate White House Counsel and legal scholar asserts that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is not a legitimate department at all, and as such is completely unconstitutional. Alan Charles Raul, former Associate White House Counsel and … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Democracy, History in the Media, Information Management, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Governor Pritzker on Defending the Constitution

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered a powerful Illinois State of the State Speech this week, arguing that Illinois representatives and citizens must act to defend the U.S. Constitution and oppose tyranny in the United States. After discussing Illinois policy issues and … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Democracy, European History, Genocides, Globalization, History in the Media, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Legal history, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Strategy and International Politics, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment