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History As It Happens

Nov 30, 2021

The massing of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border is raising the specter of war between two countries that share a complex history of ethnic, linguistic, and political conflict and coexistence. Seven years after annexing Crimea and instigating a separatist revolt in eastern Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin...


Nov 25, 2021

Is there an American origin story than evokes more good feelings than the first Thanksgiving? Pilgrims and Indians, having survived a harsh winter, sitting around the table, the cornucopia, and peace and harmony at Plymouth Rock. The story taught to every American school kid is a myth that obscures the nastiness of...


Nov 23, 2021

The Chinese Communist Party elevated president Xi Jinping into the pantheon of revered leaders, alongside Deng and Mao. This means the autocratic Xi is now poised to extend his rule for at least another 5-year term, as he faces no serious opposition. Like all nations and all people, China and Xi are using a revised...


Nov 18, 2021

In the American origin story, King George plays the role of the villain. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson accuses the monarch of establishing “an absolute tyranny” over the thirteen North American colonies. School textbooks uncritically adopted this view, teaching generations of students that...


Nov 16, 2021

The controversy over whether Critical Race Theory is being taught to kids has turned history classes into the front line in the culture wars. While CRT seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the most divisive issues in America -- one that is deciding the outcome of elections --  battles over history...