This week marks the anniversary of the death (?) of Elvis Presley, a transformative cultural figure of the twentieth or any other century. If you have memories of that afternoon in 1977, […]
Category: american history
“Working for Change: Stories of Labor History in Illinois”
An exhibit titled “Working for Change: Stories of Labor History in Illinois” greets visitors as they enter the North-South Corridor of the main library on the UIUC campus. A series […]
Q&A with Linda Civitello, author of “Baking Powder Wars”
Linda Civitello teaches food history in southern California. She is the author of Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People, winner of the Gourmand Award for Best Food History […]
“Beyond Respectability” on NPR
Brittney C. Cooper’s new book Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women was recently reviewed on NPR! The reviewer described it “a work of crucial cultural study. . . . […]
Q&A with Jon Shelton, author of “Teacher Strike!”
Jon Shelton is an assistant professor of democracy and justice studies at University of Wisconsin Green Bay. He recently answered some questions about his book Teacher Strike!: Public Education and the […]
Backlist Bop: Soviet conspiracy unveiled!
Comrades, The Press has asked me, The Bolshevik, to pause from my advice column to fill in with the popular Backlist Bop feature. And good timing it is, for today […]
Backlist Bop: An earthmoving industry
Born in Vermont, made in America, John Deere helped humans move enough earth to impress even Ruaumoko, the Maori god of earthquakes. Deere’s death on May 17, 1886 marked the […]
200 Years of Illinois: Cal Coolidge, controversy, and Cairo
The 1927 Mississippi River flood disaster had a far-reaching social impact, inspired timeless music, influenced policy that includes what happened during Hurricane Katrina, and received its due in at least one […]
Hirum Cronk Remembered
He fought for his country at a time when Native Americans still played a major role in New York’s military conflicts. He died when film could be taken of his funeral. On […]
Backlist Bop: John Lennon knows politics ain’t easy
As the tumultuous late Sixties and early Seventies retreat into history, the zeitgeist is steadily sanding the many rough edges off John Lennon in order to enjoy his music without […]
200 Years of Illinois: Scott Field and the Balloon Man
On May 4, 1927, balloonist Hawthorne C. Gray, a captain in the Army Air Corps, reached new heights in human endeavor. Literally. Taking off from Scott Field near Belleville, Gray […]
Q&A with Debra Shattuck, Author of “Bloomer Girls”
Debra A. Shattuck is Provost and Associate Professor of History at John Witherspoon College. She recently answered some questions regarding Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers. […]