Africa in the American Imagination
One of the charms of Africa for Americans has long been its purported blankness. The…
Browsing: Public
Process Explores the History of America and Africa
This week Process begins a series on the history of America and Africa. Inspired by…
Still Bringing the State Back In Private Prisons and Mass Incarceration
Mass incarceration has been a project of state building. Accordingly, when I teach my students…
The Notion of Tax Reform in Historical Perspective
With the recent release of the Trump administration’s tax plan, the notion of “tax reform”…
The Craft Beer Explosion: Why Here? Why Now?
We are in a golden age of beer. For example, in the small upstate New…
Why Maxey Flats Matters—or, How to Find New Environmental Icons
In 1962, with powers vested by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Kentucky licensed a…
The Racial Wealth Gap and the Problem of Historical Narration
From articles in the liberal press to histories of the “Frontiers of Wealth” during “America’s…
Toward an Environmental History of American Prisons
On a warm night in June 1845, two inmates recently escaped from the newly opened…
For-Profit Colleges in American History
Donald Trump can claim many firsts as president. He’s the first billionaire president to have…
Televising the Revolution: Turn’s Peggy Shippen Arnold
Not long before her death in 1804, Margaret Shippen Arnold (better known as “Peggy”) lamented…