Winner of the 2024 Nebraska Book Award, THE FIRST MIGRANTS, by Richard Edwards and @friefeld.bsky.social weaves together the narrative histories of the six most important Black homesteader communities. Save 40% during our Bison Books Sale: bit.ly/BisonBooksSa...

Brooke Morgan, Curator of Anthropology at the Illinois State Museum, joins me to discuss a Clovis point from Illinois, a Midwestern artifact that is approximately 13,000 years old. open.spotify.com/episode/6aMe...

Sarah E. Lirley shares the story of Estelle Johnson's suicide from her new book _Sudden Deaths in St. Louis: Coroner Bias in the Gilded Age_. Check it out at MiddleWest.us

The untold story of the first Black families who claimed a piece of the American West against all odds. @friefeld.bsky.social , University of Illinois Springfield , UIS Center for Lincoln Studies , discusses: faculti.net/the-first-mi... #history

Always nice to receive a good review!

Hey! Episode 2 of #BackToTheFrontier dropped today—how do ya think our families are doing?

The first episode of Back to the Frontier dropped—a show available on HBO Max and the Magnolia Network that challenges 3 families to live like 1880s homesteaders. It was an absolute joy to be part of this production!

Strauss by night

It was a pleasure presenting at the Midwest History Conference on Black Freedom in Illinois with Brian Mitchell and John Lupton. We lamented not getting a photo of our panel, so I had fun with ai. May I present the bizarro-world Brian, Jake, and John presenting to a large but oddly small audience.

I had a great time presenting on Black Homesteaders in photographs at the South Dakota State Historical Society Conference in Deadwood last week! I’m terrible at getting photos while I present, so here is a picture of me with Wild Bill Hickok and Jack McCall.

Last week historian Christian McWhirter and musician Randy Erwin put on a great show, playing Civil War Era music and providing historical context for the songs. The Springfield community is so lucky to have a knowledgeable Lincoln scholar like McWhirter to guide us through the Civil War Era.

"US companies legally collecting digital advertising data are also providing the world a cheap and reliable way to track the movements of American military and intelligence personnel overseas, from their homes and their children’s schools to hardened aircraft shelters"

Every year I look forward to the Lincoln Forum. The engaging presentations by first-class scholars are a big part of that, but getting to spend time talking about Lincoln, his era, and his legacy with friends and colleagues makes it truly special.

Campus in autumn

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Nebraska Celebration of Books and accepting the Nebraska Book Award for Nonfiction History. I had a great time answering audience questions and talking with talented authors! Always a joy to be back on UNL’s campus.

Great to be recognized for this exhibit. Was a joy working with Christian and the exhibits team.

Join me tomorrow for a virtual book talk with the National Willa Cather Center!

Last week I had a wonderful time with good friends and colleagues at the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg. Thoroughly enjoyed my panel on Black life after emancipation. Here I’m pictured with dear friends at the spot Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address 160 years ago.