Pledging Allegiance to a Monarch

Posted on April 30, 2023 by briansandberg

Monarchies are alive and well in the twenty-first century. And, the notion that “constitutional monarchies” have tamed the power of rulers is perhaps misplaced….

The plans for King Charles III’s upcoming coronation ceremonies reveal new assertions of power and authority by a modern monarch.

“Coronation organizers will ask millions of King Charles III’s new subjects to cry out their allegiance to the monarch in unison from wherever they are watching the service, according to newly released plans for the ceremony,” according to the Washington Post.

“Anyone watching, streaming or listening to Saturday’s service will be invited to recite a new ‘homage of the people,’ sounding what organizers hope will form a ‘chorus of millions’ from across the royal realm to mark the symbolic accession of Britain’s new king.”

The text of the planned pledge of allegiance to King Charles III will read: “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

Advocates of monarchical reform and of republicanism in the United Kingdom will probably be shocked by this political innovation and extension of royal authority.

British royal family watchers abroad often view monarchy as quaint, but it may be time to reexamine the continuing strength of the British monarchy and monarchies throughout the modern world.

The Washington Post reports on the plans for King Charles III’s coronation.

Posted in Court Studies, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, History of the Western World, Monarchies and Royal States, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Political Theory, Republicanism, Strategy and International Politics, World History | Leave a comment

Students in Florida Respond to the History Wars

Posted on April 19, 2023 by briansandberg

The History Wars are being waged in classrooms in the State of Florida, as a new front in the broader Culture Wars across the United States.

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated state legislature of Florida have passed a series of laws restricting primary, secondary and higher education curricula, particularly affecting the teaching of historical subjects. The Stop WOKE Act (2022) has already been implemented, while additional legislation, such as House Bill 999, is currently under consideration.

These dangerous laws challenge the principle of academic freedom and disrupt the ability of professors and teachers to select course books, materials, curricular themes, and pedagogical approaches that are appropriate for the subjects they teach.

A reporter for the Washington Post writes: “A chill has fallen over the Sunshine State. On a recent visit to the University of Florida, a student asked me a question that seemed more appropriate to an authoritarian state than an American college campus. …”

The Washington Post reports on Florida college students’ responses to the History Wars: “When talking with me, some students responded to the changes with mockery, others with fear or sadness. But all felt that their education was being compromised and resented that the legislation would limit their choice of study.”

Student’s comment on the History Wars. Source: The Washington Post.

“‘Education can and should expose us to diverse perspectives,’ first-year student Megan Meese said. ‘Ignorance permits hate, discrimination and marginalization. And by limiting discussions and awareness of identity, the legislation in Florida is going to instill ignorance in our students, which will promote intolerance and inequity in our future.'”

The Washington Post reports on the History Wars in Florida.

For broader context on the History Wars and the Culture Wars, see:

Appleby, Joyce Oldham, Lynn Avery Hunt, and Margaret C. Jacob. Telling the Truth About History. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994.

Linenthal, Edward Tabor, and Tom Engelhardt. History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American Past. New York: Metropolitan Books, 1996.

Nash, Gary B., and Charlotte A. Crabtree. History on Trial: Culture Wars and the Teaching of the Past. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1997.

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, High School History Teaching, History in the Media, Humanities Education, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, The Past Alive: Teaching History, Undergraduate Work in History, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

Upcoming Conferences and Calls for Papers

Posted on April 19, 2023 by briansandberg

Graduate students working on the history of war and society, civil conflict, and violence studies may be interested in attending upcoming conferences on related issues. Some of these conferences may still have open calls for papers for graduate students wanting to present their current research.

These listings are drawn from the Society for Military History Newsletter:

September 22-24 – Nineteenth Annual Seminar on the American Revolution. Fort Ticonderoga Museum, NY. Contact:rstrum@fort-ticonderoga.org.

September 27-30 – Northern Great Plains History Conference, Sioux Falls, SD. SMH panels coordinated by Mike Burns – smhatngphc@gmail.com.

October 25-29 – The Society for the History of Technology will hold its annual meeting in Long Beach, California. For more details as they become available, see the Society’s website at News – Society for the History of Technology (SHOT).

November 9-12 – The History of Science Society will hold its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon. For more details as they become available, see the Society’s webpage at History of Science Society (hssonline.org)

Posted in Civil Conflict, Conferences, Current Research, Graduate Work in History, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Global Military Transformations

Posted on April 19, 2023 by briansandberg

Jeremy Black, in collaboration with the Italian Society of Military History (SISM), is pleased to announce publication of a new edited volume titled Global Military Transformations: Change and Continuity, 1450-1800 by SISM. SISM, founded by Raimondo Luraghi in 1984, promotes the critical history of security and conflicts.

I was pleased to participate in this project and contributed a chapter on “Early Modern France and the Military Revolution” to the collective volume.

The book is now available online at Academia.edu and Research Gate:

https://www.academia.edu/95627422/Jeremy_BLACK_Ed_Global_Military_Transformations_Changes _and_Continuity_1450_1800_Fvcina_di_Marte_No_12_

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367380824_Jeremy_BLACK_Ed_Global_Military_Transform ations_Changes_and_Continuity_1450-1800

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, French History, History of Violence, Renaissance Art and History, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Leave a comment

Army Heritage Center Foundation Grants

Posted on April 19, 2023 by briansandberg

The Army Heritage Center Foundation (AHCF) offers research grants to graduate students adn researchers who are working on military history.

Graduate students pursuing research on civil conflict, violence studies, and war and society may be interested in applying for a grant.

Here (below) is the announcement from the AHCF:

American military forces in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Ruth Research Fellowship.

Graduate students in good standing may apply for the annual Ruth Fellowship. One student will be selected to receive a $1,500 research fellowship to engage in a concentrated 3 week summer research program with the Army Heritage Center Foundation (AHCF) at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Funding for the award is graciously provided by AHCF Board Member, Christopher Gleason, in memory of and to honor the service of two members of his family. Applicants are not limited to topics of military history but may apply to work on any topic that the USAHEC collection supports. Applicants are encouraged to consult USAHEC’s online catalog and identify resources they would like to utilize for their research and include in their application. Currently, research at USAHEC is by appointment only, so the awardee will need to coordinate with USAHEC staff for an appointment and provide a pull list of materials in advance. Application deadline has been extended to May 1, 2023. Application is available at: https://www.armyheritage.org/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/Ruth-Application-Form-2.0.pdf.

Lieutenant Colonel John William Whitman Research Fellowship

In honor of Lieutenant Colonel John William Whitman, the Army Heritage Center Foundation is pleased to announce the LTC John William Whitman Research Grant. This grant of up to $1,750 is designed to provide monetary support to unfunded independent researchers who are working on under-explored topics of military history. Funded research is to be conducted at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, Pa. Applicants interested in the LTC John William Whitman Research Grant should submit an application including a proposed project budget, to the Army Heritage Center Foundation. Application deadline has been extended to May 1, 2023. Grant funds must be expended not later than August 31 the following year. Application is available at: https://www.armyheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/WhitmanResearchGrant.pdf.

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Graduate Work in History, Grants and Fellowships, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Webinar on University Presses and Academic Publishing

Posted on April 18, 2023 by briansandberg

The Association of Canadian University Presses (ACUP) is hosting a Webinar on University Presses and Academic Publishing.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday 26 April at 1 pm EST (12 pm CST) via Zoom.

Here is the announcement:


Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, April 26, 1 PM EST

We are excited to invite you to a lively discussion led by the Association of Canadian University Presses (ACUP), Edinburgh University Press, Berghahn Books, and University of British Columbia.

Topics will include collection development strategies for university press books and the multitude of considerations from transaction processes to the value of content to academic institutions.  Publishers will share their perspectives on the unrelenting challenges and tensions between the business of publishing books and their scholarly mission.

Our panelists include:

  • Arielle Lomness, Collections Librarian, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus
  • Vivian Berghahn, Managing Director, Berghahn Books
  • Nicola Ramsey, CEO, Edinburgh University Press
  • Brian Scrivener, President, Association of Canadian University Presses, and Director, University of Calgary Press

This session is also an opportunity to meet the university press communities in Canada and the U.K. as well as the particular challenges of smaller scholarly presses.

We hope you’ll be able to join us and share your experiences and perspectives.  Please share this invitation with colleagues who you think might be interested.

For more information, see the full announcement.

Posted in Academic Publishing, History of the Book, Humanities Education, Writing Methods | Leave a comment

Instructor of Military Strategic Studies Position

Posted on April 14, 2023 by briansandberg

The United States Air Force Academy is currently hiring an Instructor of Military Strategic Studies.

Graduates with a M.A. in History and doctoral candidates in History who are ABD are eligible for this position.

Northern Illinois University graduate students and recent graduates in History who are interested in these or similar professional positions should contact me via email at bsandberg@niu.edu to discuss preparing for careers in Public History.

According to the job description, the Instructor “Teaches undergraduate courses in military strategy and/or international security. Provides well-organized instruction to facilitate, assess, and continuously improve cadet learning.”

For more information, see the job description at USAJobs.

Posted in Graduate Work in History, Jobs and Positions, Security Studies, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Voices of Nîmes Book Review

Posted on March 31, 2023 by briansandberg

I am happy to report that my book review, “Review of ‘The Voices of Nîmes: Women, Sex, and Marriage in Reformation Languedoc’,” The Journal of Modern History 95 (March 2023): 199-200, has been published and is available online at https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/723330.

Suzannah Lipscomb’s The Voices of Nîmes: Women, Sex, and Marriage in Reformation Languedoc (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019) is a very interesting book.

And, it is always nice to think back to the province of Languedoc, which figured prominently in my dissertation research and my first historical monograph, Warrior Pursuits: Noble Culture and Civil Conflict in Early Modern France (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010).

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, French History, Languedoc and Southern France, Mediterranean World, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Historian Positions with the US Air Force

Posted on March 29, 2023 by briansandberg

The Air Force Historical Research Agency of the United States Air Force is currently hiring Historians.

Recent graduates (within the past two years) with a B.A., M.A., or Ph.D. in History are eligible for these positions.

Northern Illinois University students and recent graduates in History who are interested in these or similar professional positions should contact me via email at bsandberg@niu.edu to discuss preparing for careers in Public History.

According to the job description: “This is a formal Air Force position for the Air Force Historical Research Agency, established under the PALACE ACQUIRE program. It is centrally managed and funded by the Civilian Career Management Directorate and administered by the History and Museums Civilian Career Program. Interns receive formal, informal, and/or on-the-job training in the discipline and assignments.”

For more information, see the full job description on the USAJobs website.

Posted in Jobs and Positions, Museums and Historical Memory, Public History, Strategy and International Politics, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

RSA High School Teaching Grants

Posted on March 29, 2023 by briansandberg

The Renaissance Society of America has issued a call for proposals for its RSA High School Teaching Grants.

High school teachers are invited to submit innovative teaching projects in the field of Renaissance Studies for consideration for these grants, which offer a monetary grant and travel expenses to the next RSA conference.

Northern Illinois University graduates who are serving as high school teachers in Illinois should feel free to contact me via email at bsandberg@niu.edu to coordinate on their teaching projects in Renaissance Studies.

Here is the call for proposals from the Renaissance Society of America:

We are pleased to announce that the Committee on Renaissance Studies for High School Students is once again calling for proposals for innovative teaching projects in Renaissance studies by RSA members who are high school teachers.

In 2019, the RSA Board of Directors formed an interdisciplinary committee made up of members who all have experience teaching at the secondary level. The members of this committee include Susan Forscher Weiss (Professor Emerita, Modern Languages and Musicology, Johns Hopkins University), Lorenzo Buonanno (Assistant Professor of Art, University of Massachusetts, Boston), Monica Calabritto (Associate Professor of Italian, Hunter College/CUNY), and Lawrence Rhu (Professor Emeritus of English, University of South Carolina).

These innovative teaching projects might include, but are not limited to, such activities as attending a theatrical or musical performance, bringing visiting specialists to the school to work with students, studying early modern art objects in a museum or texts at a collection of manuscripts or rare books. Whatever the proposed project, there is an expectation that it would result in work done by the students that could be shared in some form on the RSA website to serve as a model for other teachers and students. We would also expect that the teachers leading these projects would present an account of their experience at the RSA Annual Meeting in Chicago in March 2024 or Boston in March 2025 (conference travel and lodging expenses will be covered for grant winners).

Our membership is committed to ensuring the future of the society and one of the ways we are doing that, thanks to the contributions of a generous donor and numerous RSA members, is by promoting the study of the Renaissance among the next generation of students. We will award two grants this year, each of approximately $2500 (plus travel expenses to the RSA conference). Do spread the word among your colleagues and friends who are secondary school teachers, and please feel free to e-mail us at rsa@rsa.org with any questions you may have or with ideas about how to promote Renaissance studies in the schools.

Please click on this link to access the application, which will be due on June 22. The winners will be announced on July 17, and their projects will take place during the 2023–24 academic year.

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Grants and Fellowships, High School History Teaching, History of the Western World, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, World History | Leave a comment