Blog Archive
The Resistance Files: The (18th Century) War on the Mainstream Media
By Betsy Golden Kellem Recent Trump administration characterizations of the news media as an “opposition party” have invited debate about the tension between liberty, security, and transparency. The President’s insistence that only sympathetic media outlets have the ability and the privilege to accurately represent his administration is shocking, and seems unprecedented in . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: 5 Things I Wish Donald Trump Knew About Refugees
By David Silkenat Like many people, I was horrified by Trump’s call for a Muslim ban during the campaign and his Executive Order halting travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries. I was outraged that refugees escaping persecution and war were being denied sanctuary in the United States, especially after they had been . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: Why Republicans Should Think Twice About Destroying the EPA
By Brian Allen Drake Today the Senate voted to confirm Scott Pruitt as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt is, to put it mildly, no fan of the organization that he now heads. He has filed a number of lawsuits against it in his capacity as Oklahoma’s attorney general and . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: Protesting Trump from Auld Reekie
By David Silkenat Like many historians, Donald Trump’s election has caused me to fret over what, if anything, I can do to stop his destructive agenda and counter his profoundly un-American style of politics. Since November, I’ve lost a fair amount of sleep, spent more time on Twitter than promotes mental health, . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: When Milo Comes to Campus
By Jo March On January 20, the Trump Administration moved like lightning to capitalize on their unprecedented opportunity to undermine competing sources of political, economic and cultural power. It’s as if they took a page out of Richard Nixon’s original playbook, as Jonathan Schell wrote about it in his 1976 classic, The . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: Talking about Frederick Douglass (Who Is Not Alive)
By La Protestita What do you do when DJT mutters nonsense to begin Black History Month and, in so doing, insults an icon of American history? “I am very proud now that we have a museum on the National Mall where people can learn about Reverend King, so many other things. Frederick . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: Elizabeth Warren, John Quincy Adams, and the Dangers of the Gag Rule
By Chace Howland Historians love to make connections between past and present; sometimes it’s a stretch and at other times the parallels are striking. Three weeks into a new presidential administration, and historians have been busy, writing about historical antecedents dating back 180 years. On February 7th, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and . . .
Read MoreThe Resistance Files: Submission Guidelines
If you would like to submit a piece for The Resistance Files, here are some guidelines: Length: 500-1200 words (ish). Topics: Anything related to the actions of the current administration and resistance to it. Style: Historical, cultural, literary analyses; personal essays; listicles. Whatever gets your point across. Please include: Imbedded hyperlinks to . . .
Read MoreHistorista Presents: The Resistance Files
Like many of you, I have been thinking a lot in recent weeks about how best to resist the current administration and its destructive and hateful policies and actions. I have considered what skills, tools, and access I have, and how I might use them on behalf of my fellow humans who . . .
Read MoreTop Ten Eyewear Looks for the AHA and MLA 2017
Given that the two major academic conferences are convening this week in Denver (American Historical Association) and Philadelphia (Modern Language Association), I present my annual fashion post: this year, a list of recommended looks for that accessory almost all academics sport: glasses. Sure, there are probably academics out there with perfect vision. . . .
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