Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, and its residents are considered United States citizens. However the island’s political status remains a subject of debate and discussion. Some Puerto Ricans advocate for independence, while others support maintaining the current status as a territory, pursuing statehood, or seeking other Read more…
Written and spoken language are separate things. Languages that are connected to a written script change more slowly and last longer than those that don’t. Writing acts as an anchor to humans’ ever-changing speech sounds. But these two aspects of language (speech and writing) did not always go hand in Read more…
The Rights Revolution of the twentieth century were deeply connected to one another, with activists known for their work in one movement having cut their teeth in the others. These movements were also profoundly influenced and connected to struggles of the past, with older movements having either been where activists Read more…
In recent years, America’s two party system has seemed more intractable than ever: Democrats vs. Republicans. Now, we have a clear idea of each party’s location on the political map: Democrats are liberal, Republicans conservative; Democrats are left-leaning, Republicans right-leaning. Right now, those truths seems so deeply entrenched that they Read more…
Roger Casement has been a subject of fascination – and controversy – for over a century. During his lifetime, he was an internationally-recognized champion for human rights, and was instrumental in exposing the horrors surrounding the rubber industry in the Belgian Congo and Peruvian Putumayo. Significantly, he spent his life Read more…
In 2017, White House chief of staff John Kelly, then serving Donald Trump, was interviewed by Fox New’s Laura Ingraham, who asked about Kelly’s thoughts on a church in Virginia that had recently taken down a statue to Robert E. Lee. Kelly responded that Robert E. Lee had been a Read more…
Transcript: “For King, Country, and… Opium?: Thinking About Causality, Empire, and Historiography in the First Opium War, 1839-1842“ Researched and written by Averill Earls, PhD Recorded by Averill Earls and Marissa C. Rhodes, PhD Averill: According to the website of Britain’s National Army Museum, the first Opium War started when, Read more…
The story of race and nationalism in Latin America is much more complicated than meets the eye. Join us as we dig in. Transcript for Race and Nation in Latin America: Whitening, Browning, and the Failures of Mestizaje Written by Marissa Rhodes, PhD Produced by Marissa Rhodes, PhD and Elizabeth Read more…
“Spanish American” Nina Otero-Warren (1881-1965) was a suffragist, Progressive educator, woman’s club member, public health and social welfare board member, and writer. She worked for formal and informal mediation between Hispanos, Anglo Americans, and Indians. She was instrumental in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, was the first Hispanic woman Read more…
Today, we’re talking about the history of poor relief and child welfare in the United States. Transcript for: Little Laborers: Child Indenture in 18th and 19th century America Written by Sarah Handley-Cousins, PhD Recorded by Sarah Handley-Cousins and Marissa Rhodes, PhD Sarah: Recently, I was on a research trip in Read more…