Here’s a quick preview of the newest issue of The American Historian:
The November 2017 issue of The American Historian features two compelling essays and a roundtable on “Law and the Courts.” Melissa Milewski examines how African Americans in the South from 1865 to 1950 were able to use civil cases and the courts to participate—albeit in a limited manner—in government institutions. Susan J. Pearson traces the history of anticruelty organizations during the Gilded Age and shows how the emergence of animal and child protection laws increased the power and reach of the state. Finally, in a roundtable, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Linda Gordon, and Kenneth W. Mack discuss their professional and personal experiences in the courtroom and how the nuanced work of historians often times clashes with the nature of law.
The issue also includes a piece by Christina Rivers on the history of felon disenfranchisement laws and prison gerrymandering, two issues that she argues have profound implications for representation and democracy. Robert Cohen and Laura J. Dull offer advice on how to use the life story of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a way to teach students about the feminist rights revolution. The piece also include a brief interview with Justice Ginsburg. We also have an essay from Organization of American Historians president Ed Ayers on his personal experience with the recent tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. Finally, a piece by OAH Director of Meetings Hajni G. Selby details some exciting program offerings at the upcoming 2018 OAH annual meeting, which will be held in Sacramento, California, April 12–14. The issue also contains news from the OAH, a list of upcoming OAH award deadlines, and interesting historical facts and tidbits in our Ante and Post sections.
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