Considering History: Public Broadcasting’s Origins Remind Us of Its Vital Role Today
This institution has played an important role in American society for nearly 60 years.
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Considering History: Common Sense, Loyalists, and the Fight for American Ideals
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet can offer a perspective on the overlooked Revolutionary community known as the Loyalists, who demonstrated that the Revolution was fought not by or for a particular culture or community, but for a set of foundational ideals.
Considering History: 10 Events That Shaped the First Quarter of the 21st Century
American Studies Professor Ben Railton reminds us of historical events that offer context for ten of the most significant political, social, and cultural developments of the last two and a half decades.
Considering History: The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Spirit of Hanukkah, and American Ideals
Tracing the history of Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society highlights how much this organization embodies both the spirit of Hanukkah and Judaism and the best of America.
Considering History: When the Federal Government Came for Christmas Films
The movie industry’s complicity in McCarthy’s anti-Communist witch hunts can be seen in the era’s Christmas films, as they turned away from stories like “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Considering History: The Heroic, Tragic, Very American Ballad of Ira Hayes
On this Veterans Day, no figure more clearly offers an inclusive vision of American history and identity than does Ira Hayes.
Considering History: Protest Art and Art as Protest in American History
Art has been integral to the foundational American story of protest.
Considering History: The MOVE Bombing and “the War from Within”
The 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia lays bare the horrific and inevitable tragedies whenever we wage war from within.
Considering History: We’re Living in, and Need to Live Up to, Bruce Springsteen’s America
Two of the Boss’s earlier albums foreshadowed the worst of where America has gone over the last few decades, but also modeled crucial ways we can resist those trends and move closer to our collective ideals.
Considering History: 20 Years After Katrina – a Harbinger of the Best and Worst of America
Much of what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina foretold patterns of events that would unfold over the next 20 years – from police brutality to National Guard occupations to the unexpected generosity of fellow Americans.
Considering History: Tracing the Story of America from New Orleans to Detroit
The interconnection between two of our great but endangered historic cities also exemplifies a multilayered American story, one with a lot to tell us in 2025.
Considering History: The U.S.S. Indianapolis, Jaws, and the Human Horrors of War
Just before the end of World War II, an American cruiser on a secret mission experienced one of the ghastliest naval disasters in U.S. history. But it was only 30 years later, when the movie Jaws was released, that the true horrors of the U.S.S. Indianapolis were revealed in one of the greatest monologues ever.
News of the Week: Shark Week, Corn Sweat, and the Joy of a Great Moon Pie
In the news for the week ending July 25, 2025, are the end of summer, Midwest humidity, and all the SPAM recipes you could ever want.
Considering History: Ben Franklin, the U.S. Postal System, and Founding American Ideals
Ben Franklin and his role as the postmaster general of the U.S. Postal Service embodied a combination of individual and communal ideals that was at the heart of America’s founding.
Considering History: The Scopes Monkey Trial and the History of Attacks on Educators
This week marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most sensational trials in American history.
Considering History: How Individual Ideas and Policies Built America’s Most Exclusionary Era
A climate of exclusion doesn’t happen in a vacuum; decades of racist views and policies shaped America’s attitudes toward immigrants throughout the 20th century.