History
Scholars Trace Violent History of Immigration Policy at 'Border Inhumanities' Panel
Scholars discussed the origins and evolution of migration and border politics at a panel discussion Monday evening, pointing out violence throughout the history of American immigration policy.
The History of Harvard's Commencement, Explained
2020 isn’t the first year Harvard’s traditional Commencement Exercises were cancelled or postponed.
Former HUD Secretary, History Professor Discuss Urban Renewal at GSD
A former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former Dean of the Radcliffe Institute discussed past and present issues of urban renewal at the Graduate School of Design.
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.
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.
Robinson Hall
Robinson Hall houses the History department, which launched a campaign promoting introductory-level classes to freshmen and non-concentrators this semester.
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.
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.
A Freshly Printed Declaration
Gary Gregory holds up his completed colonial print of the Declaration of Independence.
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.
Hist & Lit to Offer Ethnic Studies
Undergraduates concentrating in History and Literature will now be able to specialize in an ethnic studies field.
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.
‘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.