Recent Posts
Should the Smithsonian Have Warning Signs Put Up Outside Its Museums?
The strange order from the president to post warning signs outside the Smithsonian’s American History museum has been met with abhorrence in many parts of…
New Podcast-“Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise After the War” With Malcolm Gladwell, David Blight and Manisha Sinha Episode 1
Malcolm Gladwell is the host of a new podcast series on Reconstruction. Called Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, the podcast explores Reconstruction in short episodes. If…
Poll from 2025 Shows Americans Don’t Support the Attacks on the Smithsonian
With all the attention given to President Trump’s effort to clamp down on the Smithsonian, including placing signs around the museums denigrating the Smithsonian, how…
Monument to the Immigrants Who Died in Long Island Shipwreck
Many of us have swum off Nassau Beach at Nickerson County Park in Long Beach. If you had been there in the second and third…
Soldier Memorial Ouleout Cemetery in Franklin, New York
Franklin, New York is one of the smallest villages in the state. Its current population is only 374 people. In 1870 there was about twice…
Civil War Historian David Blight Testifies Against the Assault on the Smithsonian in Congress
Civil War and Reconstruction historian David Blight spoke in Congress against President Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian and the historical profession. Blight recently won the…
President Orders Warning Signs Outside of Smithsonian
On July 4 the White House published a report indicting the Smithsonian’s American History museum for devoting too much space to depicting African American, Native…
Trump Administration Goes After the Smithsonian Institution Because Smithsonian Doesn’t “Want You to Love Your Country”
Today there will be a hearing directed at the claimed “wokeness” of the Smithsonian Institution. A report came out late on July 4, 2026 that…
Three New Sites Have Been Added To The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network
The National Park Service (NPS) is doing more good work in recognizing places in the United States that contributed to Reconstruction. Here is the release…
The Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the tallest and largest monument in Indiana. I had never visited Indianapolis before and as we came…