At least Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens was honest about the purpose of his new government: "Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man."

Just finished and really enjoyed reading John Bacon's *The Gales of November.* 🗃️ #booksky www.bookpage.com/reviews/the-...

I've completely lost track of what is happening in the final season of Stranger Things and I have zero interest in trying to figure it out. I am just going to watch it to the end and hope that something clicks.

In the spirit of the season, I want to offer my fellow historians and other scholars the gift of an amazing, largely untapped archive. Ladies and gentlemen, the John Doar Papers at Princeton. 🗃️

12/26/1862: Largest mass execution in US history when 38 Dakota (Santee) Sioux hanged in Minn. for violence against settlers during 1862 Dakota War. Sioux fought for more gov’t rations to avoid starvation. 303 Dakota sentenced to death; Lincoln commuted 265 sentences. Image: Library of Congress.

A few days ago, I wrote up some thoughts on generative AI and the work of historians: “At best, we’re talking about software that’s very good at making sentences seem sentence-shaped.”

It must be mind boggling to tech bros that there are people in the world who want to do something creative and beautiful with their own minds and hands even if it takes work because that is the point of human existence 🤷🏻‍♀️

A copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln is available for public viewing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. www.sj-r.com/story/news/l... #FreedomDays #NotJustJuneteenth #WatchNight

Robert G. Shaw volunteered to fight for a cause that he struggled to understand. On Christmas Day, however, there was no struggle. What he, along with every other soldier wanted more than anything else, was to be at home warm by a fire with their loved ones. kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/it-is-chri...

I am very happy with my trio of Winslow Homer books this Christmas.

Robert G. Shaw volunteered to fight for a cause that he struggled to understand. On Christmas Day, however, there was no struggle. What he, along with every other soldier wanted more than anything else, was to be at home warm by a fire with their loved ones. kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/it-is-chri...

"It Is Christmas Morning, and I Hope It Will Be a Happy and Merry One For You All" 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

"It Is Christmas Morning, and I Hope It Will Be a Happy and Merry One For You All" 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

Trump Orders All Children Born Under Biden To Be Renamed After Confederate Generals — theonion.com/trump-orders...

If I were still teaching US History, I would gather images of the oval office over time and ask students to analyze what the decorations, including the choice of portraits, busts, etc, tells us about how a particular president understands the history of the US. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

When you see something titled "Real History," rest assured that it has nothing to do with history.

If I were still teaching US History, I would gather images of the oval office over time and ask students to analyze what the decorations, including the choice of portraits, busts, etc, tells us about how a particular president understands the history of the US. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

When defenders of Stonewall Jackson HS claim they are standing up for history, we should take them at their word. They are standing up for the history of the Confederacy and "Massive Resistance" against civil rights. That is the history this school name represents. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...

If you are a Beatles fan, this is a real treat. Dominic Miller is best known as the guitarist for Sting, but in this interview he discusses his new book of Beatles transcriptions for classical guitar. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ5z...

When defenders of Stonewall Jackson HS claim they are standing up for history, we should take them at their word. They are standing up for the history of the Confederacy and "Massive Resistance" against civil rights. That is the history this school name represents. 🗃️ www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...

Looking for a short read to finish before the end of the year or to kickstart your 2026 reading? We have you covered 👇 https://uncpressblog.com/2025/12/23/quick-reads-lasting-impressions/

Abraham Lincoln, 1849: patents device for lifting boats over shoals Donald Trump, 2025: names class of battleships after himself, calls it the "golden fleet"

Here are some of my favorite non-Civil War era history books of 2025. #Booksky 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

Since it’s official. Thanks 🙏 @newyorker.com. This feels pretty surreal.

A friend was processing the George Wallace collection at the Alabama state archives. She sent me a copy of a letter to Wallace parents asking him to not “stand in the schoolhouse door” in June 1963. It was from my parents.

Sculptor Steven Weitzman placed books under the floorboards of the Barbara Johns statue's self-base (dedicated last week in The Capitol Building) with titles from prominent African American scholars and authors to signify materials the students were missing in their classrooms. 🗃️

AI-generated Navy.

While it’s certainly dark times, I found lots of joy from brilliant scholars last year. So to celebrate & promote them, I’m counting down my “Ten Favorite Books in US History from 2025.” Caveats: I’m not claiming these as “best,” as I’m just one biased voice. Plus, I haven’t read everything. /1

The next time you are told that NPS staff needs to be censored by the federal government. The next time you hear that the stories of African Americans are being erased from exhibits or that NPS staff are being discouraged from telling their stories, I want you to think of Betty Reid Soskin.

"After 162 years and multiple legislative attempts, the Michigan Legislature has approved the dedication of a stretch of M-22 to honor the Native American soldiers of Company K who volunteered to fight in the Civil War." wwmt.com/news/state/m...

Refusing to take sides in a 'fight over bigotry' is tantamount to taking sides.

The next time you are told that NPS staff needs to be censored by the federal government. The next time you hear that the stories of African Americans are being erased from exhibits or that NPS staff are being discouraged from telling their stories, I want you to think of Betty Reid Soskin.

Betty Reid Soskin, a National Treasure, Dies at 104 🗃️ #NationalParks open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

Trump isn’t the story. The story is ordinary Americans like you and me, who have chosen to work together to transform our public landscapes in ways that bring us all together. kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/donald-tru...

The next time Trump attacks the men and women of the National Park Service, I want you to think of Betty Reid Soskin. We've lost a great public servant--a national treasure. #NationalParks www.berkeleyside.org/2025/12/21/b...

All of this talk about how AI will impact the study of history is a reminder that we have to do a better job of explaining what the process of historical research and interpretation actually entails.

The next time Trump attacks the men and women of the National Park Service, I want you to think of Betty Reid Soskin. We've lost a great public servant--a national treasure. #NationalParks www.berkeleyside.org/2025/12/21/b...

Trump isn’t the story. The story is ordinary Americans like you and me, who have chosen to work together to transform our public landscapes in ways that bring us all together. kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/donald-tru...

Do yourself a favor and watch it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=W68-...

Thanks, Kevin! As you know Civil War Memory was one of my foundational public scholarly inspirations & I love being able to share it in this new venue all these years later.

Thanks to @americanstudier.bsky.social for all the hard work that goes into these weekly roundups and for including my own writing throughout the year.

Donald Trump Is Not the Story: The Transformation of Our Monument Landscape 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

Nothing that Lonnie Bunch does, in response to the Trump administration's demands, will matter because this has nothing at all to do with a legitimate review of museum programs and exhibits. This is about politics pure and simple. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

I read every issue cover to cover. I can't recommend it enough.

Donald Trump Is Not the Story: The Transformation of Our Monument Landscape 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...

#OTD in 1860, the state of South Carolina seceded from the Union to protect states rights, specifically the right to enslave fellow human beings.

It's certainly a useful exercise, but this piece ignores the dramatic ways in which our monument landscape has expanded and become more diverse. I would prefer to leave the Emancipation Memorial as is and place it in conversation with other monuments/statues. 🗃️ www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

A Few of My Favorite Non-Civil War Era History Books of 2025 #BookSky 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...