It's been a crazy year in American politics - one that rivals any in the country's history for chaotic twists and turns. 

In this episode of Public History with Jake and Justin, we talk with Dr. Evan Kutzler of Western Michigan University about the role that historians have taken on in our nation's politics in the last decade.

What role should historians have in the national discourse? When does it cross a line from good history to crass political punditry? How does the work that academic historians differ from public historians during times of national crisis and political turmoil?  

These are questions we explore with Evan. 

 

In this episode we discuss: 

Historian and author William Hogeland's criticism of "resistance historians"

The online writings of historians like Heather Cox Richardson and how it differs from historians offering punditry on Twitter/X 

Richardson's "Letters from an American" Substack

How public historians contend with the challenges of meeting differing viewpoints, political stances, and interpretations of history at our nation's historic sites and museums 

Evan's work as a public historian and the projects he's working on now

 

And in our Postscript this week:

We dedicate this episode to Dr. Pete Carmichael of Gettysburg College who passed away suddenly this week. We share some stories about Pete and his place as a world-class educator, historian, and advocate for public history.