Simpson College History Department

09/12/2020

Can you tackle a Victorian exam paper?

Can you tackle a Victorian exam paper?

Test your knowledge against this test from 1859.

09/09/2020

As we continue to confront both the history and the present reality of systemic racism in the United States and the world, the Simpson College History Department will be posting regularly to highlight the stories and contributions of underrepresented voices in the history profession. We will start with Black historians to show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement. While the history profession is growing in diversity (approximately 20% of history doctorates are earned by BIPOC), we still need to confront and challenge racism in our profession, in the history that is taught in our schools and presented in our public spaces, and in our larger community.

Our first profile is John Hope Franklin, who recent graduates may recall from their Histo classes. John Hope Franklin (1915-2009) was born in Oklahoma. He earned his B.A. from Fisk University (HBCU), then a M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Harvard University. He taught at a number of institutions, including Fisk, Brooklyn College (where he was the first person of color to chair a major History department at a predominantly white institution), and the University of Chicago.

Franklin’s research focused on the experience of African Americans in the 19th-20th centuries. His challenge, Franklin said, “was to weave into the fabric of American history enough of the presence of blacks so that the story of the United States could be told adequately and fairly.” His many books include From Slavery to Freedom (1947), which the American Historical Association (AHA) notes “remains among the most notable and widely read works in the field” decades after its publication. Franklin was a leader in the profession, serving as the president of the AHA, the Organization of American Historians, and the Southern Historical Association. In addition to his work as an historian, Franklin also worked with Thurgood Marshall on the NAACP Legal Defense Team that successfully argued the 1954 school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education. Among his many honors, Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995, the United States’ highest civilian honor.

We celebrate the achievements of John Hope Franklin, historian and activist for racial justice. We stand with our BIPOC students and Simpson community members in the quest for a more just and inclusive Simpson College and world. Black Lives Matter.

09/08/2020

Telling Labor History through Stories: An Interview with Historian Premilla Nadasen | Perspectives on History | AHA

Telling Labor History through Stories: An Interview with Historian Premilla Nadasen | Perspectives on History | AHA

AHA Today Telling Labor History through Stories: An Interview with Historian Premilla Nadasen Sadie Bergen | Sep 7, 2015 By Sadie Bergen To celebrate Labor Day, AHA Today interviewed historian and Barnard College professor of history Premilla Nadasen about her recently published book, Domestic Worke...

09/04/2020

American Historical Association

American Historical Association

Join the Journal of the Civil War Era on Sept. 9 at 4 PM ET for a conversation with Dr. Scott Hancock on Civil War History: A Call to Action and to learn how to demonstrate good US Civil War history in public. Learn more and register at the link:

09/02/2020

Peter Taggart Obituary, Des Moines, Iowa

We were saddened to hear of Pete's recent passing. He was a long-time adjunct instructor for our department; the department and his former students will miss him.

Read Peter Taggart's obituary/death notice, funeral and memorial service information. View images and share memories/condolences for Peter Taggart from Des Moines, Iowa.

08/28/2020

Are Your Tweets Historic? Meet the Librarians Who Decide. | Washingtonian (DC)

Are Your Tweets Historic? Meet the Librarians Who Decide. | Washingtonian (DC)

Looking for a 100-year-old photo or an obscure book from the 1800s? The Library of Congress has you covered. But with today’s media growing ever more

08/26/2020

How to respond when someone questions your history degree. #historyrulez #phdlife #fyp

How to respond when someone questions your history degree. #historyrulez #phdlife #fyp

Ashley (@historyinhighheels) has created a short video on TikTok with music オリジナル楽曲 - 🐷きょっちゃん🐽. | How to respond when someone questions your history degree. #historyrulez #phdlife #fyp | History degree? What are you going to do with that? | Historian/ Professor | Libr...

08/07/2020

Hiroshima: Military Voices of Dissent | Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective

On the anniversary of the Hiroshima bomb. http://origins.osu.edu/history-news/hiroshima-military-voices-dissent

by Uday Hohan and Leo Maley III on Jul 26, 2001 Almost six decades after the fact, the 1945 unleashing of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima continues to be the subject of impassioned debate. Every year the bombing anniversary — which falls on August 6 — occasions heated exchanges between those who que...

06/29/2020

French Revolution: remains discovered in walls of Paris monument

How cool!

Experts believe up to 500 people guillotined in period may be buried in Chapelle Expiatoire

06/26/2020

American Historical Association

Fall 2020 Histo students - this will be a good preview of one of the semester’s topics.

The AHA is excited to host David W. Blight and Annette Gordon-Reed for "Erasing History or Making History? Race, Racism, and the American Memorial Landscape.” Moderated by AHA Executive Director Jim Grossman, this virtual event will be held on Thursday, July 2, at 12:30 PM ET. Thanks also to HISTORY® for its generous sponsorship of this event.

06/24/2020

The celebrity physician and the plague

The celebrity physician and the plague

The iconic “plague prevention costume” invented by a 17th-century French doctor secured his fame in royal circles. But other aspects of Charles de Lorme’s career made him a controversial figure.

06/17/2020

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Teaching the History of Racist Violence in the High School Classroom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Join the AHA and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) on Friday, June 19th, at 11am EST for a panel discussion on the AHA’s recent Statement on the History of Racist Violence and how it can be used productively in high school history classrooms. Our panelists will be Reginald K. Ellis (Councilmember, AHA) and Tina L. Heafner (President, NCSS), as well as moderator Jacqueline Jones (President-Elect, AHA). Please preregister for this free event at the link! The event will also be streamed live on AHA’s page.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Teaching the History of Racist Violence in the High School Classroom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

05/14/2020

Heartiest of congratulations to Tim Wilson '15 on his graduation with a Masters in History from the University of New Orleans!

05/11/2020

Congratulations to
Mallory Hanson '17
on her graduating with a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies
from CUNY Cooperstown!

05/04/2020

Imperial War Museum London

As we approach the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, here's a little bit of learning for you!

You're going to be seeing a lot of it over the next week. But where does 'V for Victory' come from? Watch the episode in full here: https://youtu.be/3BmyaP9Vj1U #Victory75

04/30/2020

Congratulations, Simpson History Majors & Minors!

04/29/2020

Current History majors and minors, join us on Thursday at 5:15pm for a Senior Send Off on Zoom as we wish our graduating seniors congratulations and best wishes.

Check your email for the Zoom invitation and password.

04/29/2020

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Levi Lefebure
#SimpsonHistorySeniorsRock

I am thankful for all the experiences and memories the history department at Simpson College has provided me with and if I were to do it all over again, I would not change a single thing.

Best Reacting Moment/Character - I would have to say my best Reacting Moment was from my sophomore year in the Historical Board Gaming Course. The game was based at the 1968 Democratic Convention and my role was unhappy with the Vietnam War. As a result, I participated in riots. It just so happened that I had to make my way to a bus for a cross-country meet that day, so I brought in a bunch of my teammates who were not members of the class and we marched around the room chanting against the Vietnam War.

Best Memory of Experience with Department - Honestly, the best experiences were getting together once a semester and playing historical board games while enjoying pizza and snacks. It definitely is a neat way to become closer to other history majors and faculty members. I will never forget how my first time meeting Professor Livingstone consisted of beating her at 1775, a board game at one of these nights. I am pretty sure she still holds a grudge to this day about those event cards. 😉

Most Important Thing Learned About Self - The most important thing I learned about myself was my willingness to fight for what I believe in. Coming into college, I would have never expected to be one of the organizers of a protest against the widespread [now reversed] department cuts. Yet, when the cuts were announced, I realized how much the history department had given for me to defend.

Bonus - If you get the chance, you absolutely must study abroad with the history department. The best experience of my life was exploring the former battlefields and memorials of World War 1, as well as spending time in London, Brussels, and Paris.

04/28/2020

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Abby Schulte
#SimpsonHistorySeniorsRock

Best Reacting moment/character:
I loved the conclusion of the Wanli Emperor game in History of China, but if I said why I'd ruin it for future players!

Best memory of your experience in the department: Probably having a brief dance party in Livingstone's office after getting an internship offer that I was really excited about. The support of all of the professors both in and out of the classroom has been a highlight of being a history major.

Most important thing you learned about yourself:
Being a history major has constantly reminded me that I have so much yet to learn, but in the best way possible! I have found a love for the endless knowledge and possibilities that come with history research that I hope to take with me in a future career.

Favorite historian: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
Favorite book I read for a history class: 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII by Suzannah Lipscomb

04/24/2020

The History Department welcomed eight new members into Phi Alpha Theta, the national History honor society. Congratulations to Claire Boots, Jimmy Camp, Molly Fisher, Questen McFarland, Ava Shannon, Noah Trujillo, Simon Van Den Abbeele, and Brennan Waterman for your outstanding achievement in History!

04/23/2020

Some toilet paper history for you.

We received a timely new acquisition into the Collection! This package of toilet paper was issued to PFC Smith in World War I. The Waldorf brand of toilet tissue was made by Scott Products during the war.

Did you know? “Trench butterflies” was a phrase in WWI describing bits of errant TP being blown around the battlefield.

04/23/2020

The Historian and the Virus | Perspectives on History | AHA

“Historians know a great deal about epidemics in the distant and recent past, but do we have a legitimate role to play right now? Perhaps our first job is to guard against too-quick comparisons and analogies, choosing instead to fight panic with evidence and context.”

From the President The Historian and the Virus A Time Capsule from Mid-March Mary Lindemann | Apr 22, 2020 Historians know a lot about epidemics and have written extensively and intelligently on the subject across time and cultures. What can this accumulated knowledge do to help us understand our en...

04/22/2020

Senior Abby Schulte presented her Honors Thesis research on Mary Baird Bryan and the 1896 presidential campaign to History faculty & students today on Zoom.

04/22/2020

It's the Soap Babies of 1896! Possibly the creepiest campaign novelty of all time! If you want to know more, ask Abby Schulte. She can tell you all about them as a result of the research for her fascinating senior honors thesis on Mary Baird Bryan.

04/22/2020

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Wade Gibson
#SCHistorySeniorsRock

Best Reacting moment/character:
Two reacting moments come to mind as my most memorable. First is playing the Black Death game in Livingstone’s Medieval World-class and having to play four or five different characters because I died every time I drew from the death box. Secondly would be playing the reacting game in History of China and how well Geoff got into his role as Emperor, he may have a future in politics!

Best memory of your experience in the department:
My best experience came during Proctor’s Historical Game Design class when we spent several weeks developing, testing, and playing a board game surrounding Jewish partisans during WW2.

Most important thing you learned about yourself:
I learned that I was not too old to return to college after 27 years to finish my degree.

Open question…what do you want to answer?:
I would like to take this open question to thank some people who were instrumental in my journey to a history degree. I want to thank my wife, Manda, for encouraging me to go back and helping me succeed. I want to thank Livingstone, Proctor, Walden, and Sasser for treating me as any other student and pushing me out of my comfort zone. I want to thank all my fellow seniors in the department for accepting me as a peer, even though I have grey hair. A special thanks to Levi, for the encouragement before my oral exam, yes, it was mortifyingly nerve-racking even at 45, and his leadership in all the classes we had together. Dredge for walking in every day of class and yelling what’s up and keeping me apprised of campus gossip. And of course, Mads for being my class compadre in most of my classes even when you made me try your double espresso or pumpkin whatever latte.

04/22/2020

A UK Museum Challenged Bored Curators Worldwide to Share the Creepiest Objects in Their Collections. Things Got Really Weird

A UK Museum Challenged Bored Curators Worldwide to Share the Creepiest Objects in Their Collections. Things Got Really Weird

From a petrified sheep's heart punctuated with nails to a blood-soaked doll, museums offer up objects that will haunt you forever.

04/21/2020

Imperial War Museum London

#SpeedCurating at the Imperial War Museum: curators introduce you to their favorite objects in 60 seconds (more or less)...

If you’re in the mood for some light, slapstick-based relief this evening, check out our next episode of #SpeedCurating with IWM’s Head of Film Matt Lee.

04/20/2020

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Jordan Yawn
#SCHistorySeniorsRock

Best Reacting moment:
Plato in the Athens game. Also being preceptor for the Athens game the next year.

Best memory of your experience in the department
The history department secret initiation.

Most important thing you learned about yourself
I hate asking for help, especially when I need it.

04/20/2020

Why We Turn to Jane Austen in Dark Times - Electric Literature

For all who have played the Pride & Prejudice card game at History Game Night.

Austen may have traded in happy endings, but her work has steel at its heart

04/20/2020

How to Make a Flaming Drink, 1862

Graduating history majors! In lieu of a commencement ceremony, consider preparing yourself a "Blue Blazer." It sounds like a really good time. (Practice with cold water first). https://askthepast.net/how-to-make-flaming-drink-1862/?fbclid=IwAR38MvskbYVfW49TPWCHRpWro2zDeQU859Ce10xGClO4IMYurmqcGRhZ9jw

04/17/2020

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Mads Schulenberg
#SCHistorySeniorsRock

Best Reacting to the Past moment:
My best reacting moment was watching Geoff absolutely lose his mind playing the Emperor in Walden’s History of China course.

Best Memory in the Department:
My best memory in a history course was in Histo, which was the probably hardest course I have ever taken. Proctor and I went back and forth a couple times about the private lives of historical figures and I didn’t stutter. He told me after class that I did well. It is obviously a very small moment and I doubt anyone else remembers it, but I do. The department is really good about acknowledging your successes. They make you really work for it though, which is both stressful and rewarding.

What did you learn about yourself:
I learned a lot about myself over these last four years. Mainly that there are so many more people who know so much more than I do, and that I should spend much more time listening than I do talking. Still working on that one.

What will I miss most about Simpson:
The people. Obviously my best friends. I’ll miss Kappa. But also my classmates. I’ll miss making Wade try my coffee when he asks what kind I got. I’ll miss Kelli and Abby knowledge bombing all of us in class, and Levi somehow always making everything seem coherent. I’ll miss Sasser laughing during lectures, Proctor’s funny drawings on the boards, and Walden’s totally legible handwriting all over my papers. And I’ll definitely miss talking about Mary Tudor with Livingstone. Oh, and I solemnly swear I will never read The Other Boleyn Girl, I know too much now. But mostly, I’ll just miss walking around and seeing friendly faces everywhere. There truly is no place like Simpson, and I think I’ll always miss it.