November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States, a time to remember and celebrate the history of the original inhabitants of the American continents. What are some of your favorite books, documentaries or fictional portrayals of Native Americans? … Continue reading The Indigenous History Thread

In the late 19th Century there was a strange trend among affluent Americans to gain weight. The reasoning went that only a well-off person could afford to eat to excess, and that an extended waistline was a sign of a … Continue reading The History Thread is Living Large

Welp, it’s sure been a week, huh. I was going to write a quick header on Trump’s oh-so-loyal German generals, but there’s also the unpleasantness in Madison Square Garden to contemplate. So I feel compelled to direct readers to pieces … Continue reading The History Thread Celebrates The Loyalty of German Generals

Two weeks until Election Day and we (well, us Americans for sure) are stressed as hell, knowing it’s too close to ignore but too far away to actually know anything. Discuss history, whether fun, informative, infuriating or some combination thereof … Continue reading The History Thread Is Election-Stressed

This week’s History Thread prompt: what historical misconceptions annoy you? This isn’t dissimilar from some past prompts, but let’s broaden the definition to include anything from “minor inaccuracies in popular history that annoy only you” to “major errors in understanding, … Continue reading The Misconceived History Thread

Today is the 100th birthday of former President James Earl Carter. Jimmy, as he liked to be called, took office in 1977 when the memory of Watergate was still fresh and took office amidst an immense climate of optimism. Unfortunately, … Continue reading The History Thread Celebrates History’s Greatest Monster

This week’s History Thread marks the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. A document full of flaws and contradictions as it’s a human document written by men very much of their time, and today it is invoked … Continue reading The Constitutional History Thread

History Thread prompt this week: we often talk about mysteries, be they paranormal stuff, unsolved crimes or just things that will probably never be known, because it’s an easy and fun topic to discuss. Which ones do you find the … Continue reading The History Thread Wants to Solve Your Mystery

Today’s History Thread remembers one of the strangest disasters in modern history, the saga of the Morro Castle. On September 8th, 1934 this ocean liner caught fire off the shore of New Jersey, killing 137 people and leaving a massive … Continue reading The History Thread Burns

This week’s prompt: Share your historical hot takes! What unpopular or unorthodox opinions do you hold on historical subjects, particularly in your area of expertise? Please be civil in any disagreements, and don’t be like Mr. Brooks in the header … Continue reading The HOT TAKE History Thread

Discussion prompt: Which historical figures do you think are misunderstood? Could be someone who is remembered as a villain but really isn’t, or a person known as good who’s really not. Continue reading The Misunderstood History Thread

As someone who spends a lot of time studying, and occasionally writing about the ’60s and ’70s, I confess I’ve always been immune to the charm of the Kennedys. Maybe if I was older and lived through the era, I’d … Continue reading The History Thread Reflects on Camelot

This has been one of the craziest weeks in presidential politics ever. Seriously, it’s been awhile since it’s been so obvious we’re living through a historical moment that you can’t really ignore it. Or maybe I can’t, because I’m unable … Continue reading The History Thread Shall Not Seek, and Will Not Accept

Welcome back to the History Thread! I picked up a big haul of books over the weekend, including John Ferling’s Almost a Miracle, Dennis Mack Smith’s biography of Mussolini, Eric D. Weitz’s Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy and Mark Whittaker’s … Continue reading The History Thread Reads and Learns

Sorry for a late History Thread, and for missing last week. My recent work schedule’s made it hard to put anything together more than a quick prompt or blurb, I might have to consider posting this on another day. Anyway, … Continue reading The Afternoon History Thread Phones It In