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Continue reading →: A Year of AnniversariesFor anyone interested in German history, 2023 will be a year of anniversaries, as this year marks the centenary of three significant events in modern German history: the occupation of the Ruhr industrial area by French and Belgian soldiers, intended to force Germany to pay its reparations; the resulting hyperinflation…
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Continue reading →: Exploring a Different Side of Charleston’s HistoryJust after Christmas, I was in Charleston, South Carolina, one of my favorite cities. When it comes to history, Charleston is most commonly associated with the colonial period and the American Revolution (the 1780 surrender of Charleston to the British was one of the worst defeats for the Continental Army…
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Continue reading →: The Sisi Myth vs. RealityVienna is a city that strives to sell a romanticized, idealized version of the past, especially at its major tourist attractions: the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Palace, the former residences of the Habsburg imperial family. The foremost myth being sold by Vienna’s tourism industry today is the Sisi myth. Sisi, or…
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Continue reading →: Uncovering the History of a PhotographWhat can we learn from a photograph? The answer, Wendy Lower argues in The Ravine: A Family, A Photograph, A Holocaust Massacre Revealed, is a great deal. Presented with a photograph taken during a mass killing of Jews in Ukraine during the Holocaust, Lower set out to learn everything she…
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Continue reading →: Five Best . . . Undergraduate ClassesIn a recent post, I mentioned a class on Berlin that I took as an undergraduate student and described it as one of the five best classes I took as an undergraduate. This superlative got me thinking about what other classes from my undergraduate career would round out my “five…
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Continue reading →: My Public History Journey, Part IAs I prepare to begin a PhD program in public history this fall, I’ve found myself thinking about how and when I first became interested in public history. This question is more difficult than it first appears, as I didn’t really know what public history was – and how it…
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Continue reading →: A Day Out at Exchange PlaceI recently discovered a new historic site in Northeast Tennessee: Exchange Place, in Kingsport. Located on the site of a former stagecoach relay station (hence the name, which derives from the exchanging of horses that would take place) and plantation, Exchange Place is a living history farm depicting life in…
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Continue reading →: Escaping Under the Berlin WallI’ve long been fascinated by the history of Berlin. As an undergraduate student, I took an entire class on the city, then studied abroad there. But, until recently, I had never heard the fascinating story of a daring escape beneath the Berlin Wall in September 1962: the case of Tunnel…
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Continue reading →: Revisiting the English Country HouseThe English country house has been the focus of new research in recent years, as historians, public historians, and curators reveal the previously-hidden histories of empire associated with these places. Uncovering these histories has been controversial in some circles, but it is necessary in order to tell the full story…
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Continue reading →: Layers of History at the Chester InnThe oldest incorporated town in Tennessee is Jonesborough (see map below), founded in 1779, seventeen years before Tennessee became a state. At the time that Jonesborough was founded, the area that is now Northeast Tennessee was part of North Carolina. The town of Jonesborough was established to provide the increasing…
Hello,
I’m Kelsey
I’m a historian and teacher who loves sharing my passion for history here on my blog. I also like to write about travel, especially when it’s connected to history, and books. Join me for on my journey to make the past present and accessible for all!
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Making the Past Present 