Historically Thinking

Join Alex Mikaberidze, a Professor of History known for his expertise in the Napoleonic Wars, and Scott Eric Nelson, an award-winning author specializing in 19th-century history, as they delve into the importance of intellectual humility among historians. They discuss the impact of historical memory shaped by personal experiences and the interconnectedness of historical figures like Napoleon. Additionally, they unravel the myth of John Henry, revealing his true significance in American labor history, while highlighting the joys of rediscovering authentic narratives.

David Staley, an associate professor at The Ohio State University, dives into the future in this engaging discussion. He presents "twenty histories of the future" from his book, exploring predictions about AI, democracy, and education. Staley emphasizes the importance of historical context for anticipating future events and reflects on his past pandemic predictions. The conversation also touches on social mood's impact on governance, innovative suburban energy solutions, and even the intriguing concept of city secessionism. Prepare to envision some thought-provoking futures!

Thomas Albert Howard, a professor of humanities and history at Valparaiso University, discusses his new book, which challenges the assumption that secularism is inherently less violent than religion. He argues that various forms of secularism, especially during tumultuous periods like the French Revolution, have instigated significant violence. Howard also delves into the conflicts between Marxism and religious practices in Russia, the implications of France's 1905 secular laws, and the transformative effects of Kemalism on Turkey's identity.

In 1845 a water mold named Phytophthora Infestans which afflicts potato and tomato plants began to spread across Europe, killing potatoes from Sweden to Spain. “The potato blight caused crisis everywhere it appeared in Europe,” writes my guest Padraic X. Scanlan; “in Ireland, it caused an apocalypse.” In 1845, a third of the United Kingdom’s population lived in Ireland; an 1841 census had counted a population of 8.2 million. In the next six years, 1 million of them would die from famine related causes; another 1.5 million had emigrated. The 1851 census totaled the Irish population at 6.5 million, and the population of Ireland would continue to decline for another 100 years. “Although the labouring poor ate potatoes throughout northern and western Europe, only Ireland experienced demographic collapse during and after the blight pandemic.” And the consequences of the famine were more than demographic. It frayed or destroyed communal and familial relationships, and must have led to long-lasting psychological trauma. Padraic X. Scanlan is an associate professor at the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources and the Centre for Diaspora & Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto. The author of two previous books, his latest is Rot: An Imperial History of the Irish Famine, and it is the subject of our conversation today.

In this engaging discussion, Paula Marantz Cohen, Dean Emerita at Drexel University and author of Talking Cure, explores the transformative power of conversation. She dives into the dynamics of familial chats versus casual banter, emphasizing genuine curiosity. Cohen examines gossip's detrimental impact on dialogue and highlights the joy of meaningful exchanges, especially during communal dining. Through anecdotes from sports commentary to Shakespeare discussion groups, she underscores the importance of listening and how conversations can civilize our interactions.

Anton Howes, official historian at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, discusses the complexities of historical narratives and innovation. He delves into the contributions of Henry Court to the Industrial Revolution, challenging misconceptions about metallurgical processes. The conversation also tackles the myths around food canning and the economic roots of colonial resources, emphasizing the importance of rigorous historical scrutiny. Additionally, Howes highlights flaws in the peer review system and advocates for transparency in historical research.

During the age of the European Renaissance, a new people was discovered. Not the Aztecs, or the Maya, or the Inca, but a mysterious people with an intriguing language who had once dominated Europe itself. These were the Celts. And their discoverers were not conquistadores or maritime adventurers, but dusty scholars, learning their eighth or fourteenth language, rummaging through dusty manuscripts. Yet somehow, as my guest Ian Stewart describes in his new book The Celts: A Modern History, these dusty scholars birthed a craze for Celticness which has lasted into our own day. It also became linked to some of the most powerful forces in the modern world, nationalism and racialism. How this happened is the argument of Ian Stewart’s book and the topic of our conversation today. Ian Stewart is a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. The Celts is his first book.

In April 1769 a small British vessel sailing along the southern coast of Hispaniola discovered a shipwreck near the current border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. An investigation found no survivors aboard. But they also found a log which identified that ship as the Black Prince. And there the mystery might have ended. But over the next eight years, “ship’s crew members surfaced in unexpected places and recounted its demise.” That demise is part of the story in James H. Sweet’s Mutiny on the Black Prince: Slavery, Piracy, and the Limits of Liberty in the Revolutionary Atlantic World. But so too is how the Black Prince came to be wrecked on the Hispaniolan reef; how its crew escaped; and how the owners of the ship, and the interest they represented, took their own revenge. Above all it is a story of how Atlantic slavery was linked not only to commerce, but nearly every other corner of the 18th century world. James H. Sweet is the Vilas-Jartz Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a past president of the American Historical Association. He has previously been the prize-winning author of Recreating Africa: Culture, Kinship, and Religion in the African-Portuguese World, 1441-1770 and Domingos Álvares, African Healing, and the Intellectual History of the Atlantic World.

Colin Elliot, a Professor of History at Indiana University and host of the Pax Romana podcast, delves into the life and influence of the often-overlooked Roman historian Cassius Dio. They explore Dio's unique role as a participant-observer in the Roman Senate, his bilingual background, and how his perspective contrasts with other historians like Tacitus. The conversation highlights the challenges of interpreting Dio's work and his lasting impact on Byzantine scholarship, revealing key insights into the complexities of ancient narratives.

Lyndal Roper, Regius Professor of History at Oxford and author of "Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasant’s War," delves into the dramatic German Peasants' War of 1525. She highlights the uprising's massive scale, involving over 100,000 peasants and catalyzing social upheaval. The discussion covers Luther's impact on peasant freedom, the significance of communal identity expressed through attire, and the bold demands articulated in the 12 Articles. Roper also contrasts the revolutionary visions of Thomas Munzer and Martin Luther, illuminating the era's theological tensions.