History Graduate Students Say Their Research Tracks 250 Years of America’s Complicated History
10 GW graduate students reflect on how their studies have related to the themes and struggles of America's diverse history.
News & Events
Upcoming Events
Lectures
The Kayser Memorial Lecture and the Diana Silvia Rodríguez Lecture bring historians to campus to speak about their latest research and projects.
Department Newsletter
Sent exclusively to alumni, the Department of History newsletter features alumni and department updates, as well as event information. If you are one of our alumni, update your contact information with the GW Office of Alumni Relations to start receiving this and other exclusive alumni benefits.
Latest Issues:
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017
History Department News
GW Experts Reflect on American Democracy at 250
At a GW community event, Professor Denver Brunsman examine the current state of polarization as part of the United States’ larger story.
Haiti as Emblematic of the Black Struggle for Freedom
GW’s Africana Studies Program hosts a Black History Month Symposium on fugitivity and freedom.
Native Voices Rewrite America's Racial Story
History Professor David J. Silverman’s research reframes U.S. racial struggles to spotlight the role of Indigenous identities—past and present.
Video: Examining the State of Modern Democracy
In a video conversation with CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck, Assistant Professor of History Timothy Shenk discusses the impact of modern American politics on our democracy.
Are There Better Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving?
The traditional Thanksgiving story distorts the legacy of Native Americans. Professor David J. Silverman explains how to celebrate the holiday respectfully.
Alumni Authors Write History’s Second Draft
Alumni authors Alex Nyerges, BA ’79, MA ’82, and Lindsay Chervinsky, BA ’10, bring history to life.
From Emancipation to Juneteenth: The Long Road to Freedom after the Civil War
GW History Department Chair Denver Brunsman discusses the evolution of Juneteenth.
Graduating GW Senior Soars to the Friendly Skies
History and organizational sciences student Demetrius Apostolis will head to the prestigious United Airlines pilot training program after Commencement.
GW Professor Honored by German Government for Lifetime of Work
Hope Harrison has shaped our understanding of the Cold War and shared her work with international audiences.
Supporting Black Farmers Supports America
Co-hosted by the History Department, a panel discussion on the past, present and future of Black farming in the U.S. elevated the voices of farmers and experts in the field.
How I Got the Job: A Love for History in the City That Brings It to Life
GW senior and History major Katelyn Karner landed a job that blends her passion for history with a career in genealogy.
A Delicate Balance: Humanities and AI Share Tenuous Link
In a CCAS co-hosted seminar, experts discussed whether humanities can shape artificial intelligence before technology redraws the education landscape.
AI’s Evolving Role in the Humanities
In a conversation with CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck, History Professor Katrin Schultheiss discussed the challenges and opportunities of AI use in the humanities.
Preserving the Presidency: A Conversation with Lindsay Chervinsky
The renowned presidential historian and GW alumna is the George Washington Presidential Library executive director.
As MLK Jr. Day celebrates its 30th anniversary as a national day of service, History Professor Eric Arnesen explained how the holiday has shaped the civil rights leader’s legacy.
Professors cry ‘huzzah,’ savor scientific sweets at department holiday parties
From historical homages to scientific sweets, the history department is one of many departments across GW that celebrates the end of the fall semester and the start of the holiday season with...
History's Timothy Shenk weighs in on how the Democratic Party can win the presidency this November.
New Endowment Memorializes Beloved Professor’s Impact
History and Classics’ Professor Diane Harris Cline was remembered as a devoted educator. A gift honoring her legacy will aid students.
Professor Kim Selected as Harvard Radcliffe Fellow
History Professor Jisoo M. Kim will be part of the 25th anniversary class of fellows.
Revolutionary Tales: Demetrius Apostolis’ Pride is Full Speed Ahead
Demetrius Apostolis, a History major and president of GW's Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society chapter, is a member and ally of GW's LGBTQIA+ community.
History Detectives: Following the Lives of Potato Famine Immigrants
For a decade, History’s Tyler Anbinder and his student researchers dug through 100 years of long-lost bank records from Irish immigrants. What they found rewrote a historical tale.
For Bouchet Society Nominees, Research Ties to Advocacy
Five Ph.D. students will be inducted into the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, which recognizes diversity and excellence in doctoral education.
Quito J. Swan Brings Global Links to Africana Studies
As the new director of the CCAS Africana Studies Program, Swan strives to make connections—across disciplines, movements and oceans.
History Restored: The Untold Story of Black Civil War Soldiers
History Ph.D. candidate and Marine veteran A.J. Cade was inspired by a forgotten Civil War regiment of all-Black soldiers and officers. Now, he’s bringing their legacy to life.
Backlash: Inside Florida’s African American Studies Ban
To history professor Erin D. Chapman, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ restrictions on the AP curriculum is a dangerous precedent—for educators and a divided country.
George Washington's Life and Legacy
Professor Denver Brunsman discusses the need to balance multiple perspectives in teaching and writing about George Washington.
Africa's Impact on the African American Experience
How does Africa figure in “real and imagined ways” to the African American experience?
Failing Grade: Are Americans Flunking History?
History professor Christopher Brick has a lesson plan to raise our humanities IQ.
Commemorating History’s Dark Chapter
History PhD student Ashley Valanzola is researching the stories of six extraordinary Jewish women—Holocaust survivors who worked to honor the memory of lives lo
Student-Led Exhibition, "George Washington and His World," Opens at the GW Museum
Seventeen students in Prof. Denver Brunsman's course, "George Washington and His World," curated an exhibition of the same name.
Carving Up the Thanksgiving Story
In his new book, David J. Silverman takes a close look at the traditional Thanksgiving story and the distortion of facts surrounding its legacy.
African Americans and Africa: A New History
Nemata Blyden discussed her latest book, "African Americans and Africa: A New History," at GW on October 22.
GW Welcomes the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute
By Tatyana Hopkins
Every year since 2011, the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute has sent 15 high school students from across the country and their teachers to Normandy, France,...
Eric Arnesen Discusses American Democracy on C-SPAN
Professor Eric Arnesen appeared on C-SPAN3 for the segment “...
History News Network Comes to GW
We are excited to announce that the popular website History News Network (HNN) has moved to the History Department. HNN's...
The History Department community mourns the death of Leo Ribuffo, professor of 20th century U.S. history. Leo was the author of The Old Christian Right: The Protestant Far Right from the Great...
Every fall, undergraduate students travel to the Mount Vernon estate to better understand George Washington and his role in history.
Professor Denver Brunsman Delivers Trachtenberg Teaching Award Distinguished Lecture
On October 10, Professor Denver Brunsman delivered the Trachtenberg Teaching Award Distinguished Lecture, titled "Teaching History With the Musical Hamilton...
Bringing Eleanor Roosevelt's Legacy to Life
The words, wisdom and remarkable legacy of “The First Lady of the World” are being brought to life in an accessible digital archive.
University Honors Outstanding Faculty
History faculty won in three of the university’s four award categories in 2018, recognizing educators for their outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research and service to the university.
Professor Erin Chapman Wins ACLS Fellowship
Prof. Erin Chapman has been awarded a 2018-19 ACLS Fellowship for her book project, The Truth Demands Its Own Equals: The Art and...
Professor Dina Khoury Wins ACLS Award
Prof. Dina Khoury has been awarded a 2018-19 ACLS Fellowship for her book project, Who is a migrant laborer? Migration and Documentation in...
Three GW Historians Awarded ACLS Fellowships
In a rare feat for one academic department, three History Department professors were awarded 2018-19 American Council of Learned Societies Fellowships.
Plato and Policing: Alumnus’ Unique Class for Cops
Whether he’s policing Baltimore’s streets or teaching cops in the classroom, Detective Edward Gillespie, BA ’92, emphasizes the lessons he’s learned from literature, history and philosophy....
Benjamin R. Young, a Korean history PhD candidate and recent Fulbright scholar in Seoul, discusses the escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea and how to avert a nuclear...
Joel Blecher Wins NEH and ACLS Fellowships
Congratulations to Prof. Blecher! He has been awarded year-long fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and American Learned Societies to...
Miss Black America: Pageant as Protest
Brittany Lewis's dissertation on black history in Atlantic City examines how the Miss Black America pageant evolved in the late 1960s as a reaction to the then all-white Miss America competition,...
Diana Alvarez Carrillo, BA ’15, is moving to Spain to study culinary tourism at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian after two years working in the digital advertising...
Ancient Muslim Manuscripts Unearthed
Two previously unknown versions of “Fath al-Bari,” a classic work that shaped the way Sunni Muslims understand Muhammad’s sayings and practices, were discovered
Alumni Felix Harcourt Pulishes New Book
PhD alumnus Felix Harcourt's book Ku Klux Kulture: America and the...
Immigrant Saga Spans Centuries of Dreams
In City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York, Professor Tyler Anbinder reveals how generations of immigrants share a universal story. The...
Farah al-Nakib, BA ’01, published Kuwait Transformed: Oil and Urban Life with Stanford...
Alumnus Creates New Annual Scholarship for GW History Department
The History Department is pleased to announce the creation of the Dr. Charles Herber Annual Scholarship. This scholarship, supported by alumnus Ron Denham...
The Fight and Fury of the Z-Man
Iconic photographer Michael Zagaris, BA '67, has shot rock gods and all-stars for 50 years. During his career, he’s photographed (and, in many cases, befriended) some of the biggest celebrities of...
Alumna Christina Firpo (BA, '01) Publishes Book
Alumna Christina Firpo (B.A. '01) published a book entitled The Uprooted: Race, Children, and Imperialism...
Undergraduate
David Amram, BA ’52, is a classical and jazz musician. He continues to compose and conduct at age 84. A pioneer of the jazz French horn, he composed the...
On the Beaches of Normandy, Understanding the Price of Freedom
The Price of Freedom course immerses students in the life-history of a soldier from their hometown who died in the invasion of Normandy during World War II.