History
Potential Ethnic Studies Faculty Hire Erika Lee Visits Harvard
Erika Lee, a candidate for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’s ethnic studies faculty search, gave a lecture and met with undergraduates on campus Wednesday.
Harvard Professors Sign Letter Supporting President Trump’s Impeachment
Twenty-five Harvard faculty joined more than 1,500 historians to sign an open letter Monday denouncing President Donald J. Trump’s “numerous and flagrant abuses of power” and calling for his impeachment.
Chen Jian Discusses Zhou Enlai at JFK Jr. Forum
Chen Jian, a history professor at Cornell University, discussed his upcoming biography of Zhou Enlai — the first Premier of the People's Republic of China — examining Zhou's role in Chinese political history, during a talk at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Monday evening.
Robinson Hall
Robinson Hall houses the History department, which launched a campaign promoting introductory-level classes to freshmen and non-concentrators this semester.
Responding to a ‘Crisis in the Humanities,’ Harvard History Dept. Rebrands
Most notably, this fall the department rolled out a new series of “foundations” courses geared toward freshmen and students outside the concentration, including those attempting to fulfill the General Education program’s new Social Sciences distributional requirement.
Harvard Has 'The Law on Our Side' in Lawsuit Over Photos of Slaves, Bacow Says
University President Lawrence S. Bacow said in an interview Friday that he is confident Harvard is on the right side of the law in a suit alleging that Harvard unlawfully possesses and profits off two photographs of American slaves that are believed to be the oldest of their kind in existence.
Harvard Finishes Eight-Month Renovation of Robinson Hall
The University has finished an eight-month renovation of Robinson Hall, one of the last buildings in Harvard Yard that was not wheelchair accessible. The construction project added an elevator, modernized offices and classrooms in the building, and relocated the bathrooms.
A Freshly Printed Declaration
Gary Gregory holds up his completed colonial print of the Declaration of Independence.
Colonial Print Master
Gary Gregory uses colonial ink balls to ink his type at the Printing Office of Edes & Gill in Boston. Gregory, a salesman turned modern-day colonial print master, founded this colonial printing museum and exhibit in 2010.
Revolutionary War Soldiers, Freed Slaves Buried By Yard May Finally Receive Headstones
Ever since a small plaque caught his eye, Hill, a digital filmmaking major, has been doing research in the hopes of finding the exact spot where the two men are buried.
Old Burial Ground
The Old Burying Ground, located on Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street, opened around 1636.
Robinson Hall to Undergo Accessibility-Focused Renovation
The changes will include the installation of an elevator that accesses each floor of the building as well as the addition of new restrooms and renovation of existing ones.
Law School Bicentennial Hosts Senators and Other Notable Alums
Five U.S. senators, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch ’81, and federal judge Merrick B. Garland ’74 joined six Supreme Court Justices at Harvard Law School this weekend.
Our Own Little War
Harvard doesn’t have a Robert E. Lee, or a John C. Calhoun. Even so, questions of Civil War remembrance and Southern heritage crop up in Cambridge every so often.
Semitic Museum Hopes to Break Mold with Sphinx Casting
Scholars and students have labored over resin and molds with to bring a piece of the Great Sphinx—or at least a facsimile of it—to Cambridge.
History Department Courses Incorporate Digital Tools into Curriculum
“Soon people won’t even identify digital history as something different, because it will be so ingrained as part of the way people study history,” Gabriel Pizzorno said.
Law School Students, Faculty Celebrate Contributions to the Arts
Despite rainy weather, crowds of Harvard Law School students, staff, faculty, alumni, and their families gathered in Jarvis Field Friday night for an event recognizing the school’s contributions to the arts as part of its bicentennial celebrations.
Harvard Researchers Discover Second Declaration of Independence Manuscript
Two Harvard researchers have uncovered a second parchment manuscript of the Declaration of Independence—the only additional manuscript of its type ever to be found.
Hist & Lit to Offer Ethnic Studies
Undergraduates concentrating in History and Literature will now be able to specialize in an ethnic studies field.
‘Bring Back with Them Bottled Goods’: A History of Prohibition at Harvard
Prohibition failed to prevent alcohol consumption on Harvard’s campus. In fact, the private possession and consumption of these beverages remained legal under the 18th Amendment, so alcohol continued to flow freely behind closed doors at Harvard.
Conference Encourages Reparations for Harvard's Ties to Slavery
A Friday conference brought Harvard’s extensive historical connections to slavery into sharp relief, with some participants encouraging the University to consider monetary reparations.
Professors on Committee Examining Slavery Plan Conference
“We need to engage this, not just to be better historians,” Beckert said of Harvard's ties to slavery. “We need to acknowledge this history as a way to be able to move forward.”
Women in War
Professor of Sociology Jocelyn Viterna talks about the roles women have played in war, with a focus on active involvement and guerrilla warfare Tuesday afternoon. The talk is part of the annual Women’s Week, which is hosted by several women’s student groups on campus.
Serhii Plokhy at the Harvard Bookstore
Ukrainian History professor Serhii Plokhy speaks about his new book, The Man With the Poison Gun, on Bohdan Stashynsky, who was coerced into becoming a KGB assassin and ultimately defected to West Germany.