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The (not) Fighting Illini: History alumnus helps lead group devoted to bridging contentious political divides

 There’s a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address in 1861 that the East Central Illinois Alliance of Braver Angels likes to remember as it works to bridge partisan divides: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies...

From history major to assistant editor: Q&A with alumnus Austin Justice

Meet Austin Justice (BA,'20, history), an assistant editor for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln (PAL) at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. The PAL project is dedicated to publishing every document written by or addressed to Abraham Lincoln. In addition to his role at PAL, Justice...

History in the digital age: How digital humanities collective SourceLab is innovating new ways of publishing the past

 How do we preserve and interpret the historical record in a digital age? Traditionally, archivists collect and preserve historical sources, historians interpret them through books or documentary editions, and publishers distribute them. Today, historical sources that once would have been only...

Paris research trip reconnects Native American tribes with historic painted robes

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Robert Morrissey traveled to a Paris museum in November to see four ...

New book by professor Laura Frances Goffman uncovers history of trachoma medical experiments in Saudi Arabia

In the 1950s, the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) partnered with the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) to conduct medical research on the eye disease trachoma. Aramco spent over $2 million on the project with the goal of developing a vaccine. In her new book,...

Illinois historian, Erik S. McDuffie, says Midwest played a crucial role in Black freedom movements worldwide

The Midwest played a central role in the growth of Black freedom movements in the 20th century. It was a key site for incubating and expanding the ideas of political activist Marcus Garvey, not only in the U.S., but globally, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of ...

Recently retired: Professor Kai-wing Chow

After 36 years of teaching at the University of Illinois, our colleague Kai-wing Chow retired in May 2024. Chow is a highly esteemed historian of China with an international reputation. His areas of expertise include Chinese...

History professor’s book looks at Brazil’s longest-lasting maroon society, its influence today: Interview with professor Marc Hertzman

The largest and longest-lasting society formed by people who escaped slavery and their descendants endured for a century in northeastern Brazil, and it continues to be a potent political symbol of Black pride today. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ...

Inside HIST 203: Reacting to the Past

Imagine it’s 1913 and you’re in a tiny basement restaurant called Polly’s in Greenwich Village, New York. Change is in the air and intellectuals, artists, and activists gather to debate the issues of the day: women’s suffrage, labor unions, socialism, birth control, and anarchism. The nightly crowd...

Professor Anna Jungeun Lee joins the Department of History at the University of Illinois

This fall, the Department of History is excited to welcome Anna Jungeun Lee to our faculty as an assistant professor. Her primary appointment is in the Department of East Asian Languages and...