History in Focus

What story can be told of the American welfare state when you broaden the view beyond established government programs and official actors? We kick off season 3 with a conversation with historians Salonee Bhaman, Bobby Cervantes, and Salem Elzway on their AHR article “A New Welfare History.”

Producers Daniel, Matt, and Conor reflect on season 2 and talk history podcasting generally. Plus a preview from Daniel on what’s coming in season 3.

Elizabeth Chatterjee examines the dynamics of the climate/food/energy crisis that shook India in the 1970s. And Andrew Highsmith discusses his feature review of three recent books on environmental crisis and recovery in the cities of Flint and Detroit.

Arlene Díaz and Kalani Craig discuss their piece exploring the Spanish American War, the use of digital methods, and the place of collaboration in historical research. Then, with Hettie Williams, we revisit the life and work of historian Marion Thompson Wright.

Producer Matt Hermane speaks with Agnieszka Aya Marczyk, Abby Reisman, and Brenda Santos about their #AHRSyllabus piece “Teaching Historiography: Testimony and the Study of the Holocaust.” Then Conor Howard hears from Woody Holton on his article “Chilling Affects: Newly Troubled about Triggering, the Far Right Takes Aim at Black History.”

Producer Matt Hermane speaks with historian Brenda Child about the March 2024 History Lab feature on Contemporary Indigenous Art and History, part of AHR’s ongoing series on “Art and Historical Method.” Then we revisit now past AHA president Edward Muir’s presidential address—titled “Conversations with the Dead”—at this year’s AHA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Sarah Abrevaya Stein presents her History Unclassified piece "Eating on the Ground: Picnicking at the End of Empire" on the picnicking practices of Sephardic Jewish communities in the late Ottoman Empire. Then History in Focus producers take you around the bustling corridors of this year's American Historical Association annual meeting in San Francisco.

Debra Blumenthal examines slave markets in 15th century Spain and their influence on conceptions of women’s health. And Beeta Baghoolizadeh discusses the legacy of racialized forms of enslavement in 19th and 20th century Iran.

Historian Tore Olsson discusses designing a history course around the popular video game Red Dead Redemption 2. And Kalani Craig introduces the AHR’s new guidelines for Digital Media Submissions.

Durba Ghosh introduces the AHR forum “Mismonumentalizing and Decolonizing: Public History as History for the Public.” We also hear from one of the forum’s contributors—Thomas Adams and Sue Mobley—on their work on recent efforts to rename streets in New Orleans.