Person

James H. Sweet

Related Excerpts

James Sweet's Article, the American Historical Association publication, and the Twitter logo.

What AHA President James Sweet Got Wrong—And Right

Attacking presentism as a mindset of younger scholars doesn’t solve any of the historical profession's problems.
White pillars broken in pieces, forming an X.

The Right Side of History

How should historians respond to the urgency of this current political moment?

The New History Wars

Inside the strife set off by an essay from the president of the American Historical Association.
AHA logo

Responses to “Is History History?”

Responding to a controversial recent critique of "presentism," two historians make the case that history and politics have always been deeply interwoven.
Woman standing next to cannons at Ghana's Cape Coast Castle.

Why The Right Hates History Right Now

The real problem the most powerful people on the right and center have with the “new” history — and the humanities in general — is not that it practices identity politics, but that it rejects theirs.
“The Course of Empire: The Consummation of Empire,” by Thomas Cole (1835-36), depicting Greek classical style buildings and opulence.

History Is Always About Politics

What the recent debates over presentism get wrong.

Two Cheers for Presentism

An essay by the president of the American Historical Association generated a firestorm of criticism — but got some things right.
Andrea Casali: The Personification of History Writing on the Back of Time, early 1760s

Ego-Histories

The more that historians make their own experiences an explicit part of their work, the harder it will become to let the sources speak clearly.
Manifest Destiny painting by Emanuel Leutze

No, Liberal Historians Can’t Tame Nationalism

Historians should reject nationalism and help readers to avoid its dangers.