Author Archive
February 12, 2013
Dr. Moses Ochonu, courtesy of Vanderbilt University History Department, 2013
Revisiting major debates on the impact of colonialism on Africa’s economy is a big task. So big, that History Compass allowed African historian Dr. Moses Ochonu of Vanderbilt University the space of two articles to re-open the conversation.
As we’re all aware, issues of poverty and economic marginality on the African continent have assumed more urgency in the world. Now, more than ever, people are asking: how did it come to this?
Historians are in the unique position of returning to historical questions in order to answer the economic questions of the present. The future of Africa’s economy will be determined by the forces of globalization, the international market, as well as domestic innovation, investments in infrastructure, and trade. In light of this future, which is becoming increasingly clear and urgent, Ochonu wanted to revisit the debates over the history of African economies.
In his History Compass articles (available here and here), (more…)
Tags:Africa, African history, Black History, Colonialism, Development, domestic trade, economic development, economic history, gender, globalization, international trade, post-colonialism, Poverty, trade, women
Posted in General | 1 Comment »
October 31, 2012
We at History Compass Exchanges wish everyone a Happy Halloween! To celebrate, I drew a comic about how sometimes, it’s incredibly apparent which child is going to grow up to become a historian. I’m sure my parents knew I would before I did based on the uncanny historical accuracy of some of my childhood costumes.
Spot the Future Historian, by Angela Sutton, 2012
If you have a funny/poignant/thought-provoking/etc. idea for a history cartoon, please send it to Angela.C.Sutton[at]Vanderbilt[dot]edu. If I use your idea I will give you credit here.
Tags:costumes, Halloween, historians, holidays, humor
Posted in General, HCE Comics | Leave a Comment »
October 8, 2012
This Columbus Day, I challenge historians everywhere to complicate the issues surrounding Columbus.
The “Discovery” of the New World, by Angela Sutton
Christopher Columbus, and the holiday (or holidays, as the US isn’t the only country who celebrates him) named after him are fantastic opportunities for teachable moments in virtually any history classroom.
In the past, I’ve asked students to read passages of Christopher Columbus’s journal or his letters to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Together, we’ve reflected on what they have learned in the past about Columbus, and discussed all the things you do when teaching with primary sources: we talked about the reasons sources are generated, and their historical context, and how and why the source came to be preserved in the present.
Then I’ve show them blogs and opinion articles by historians who discuss the less palatable facts about Columbus, by historians like Howard Zinn who highlight how dangerous he was for the Americas, and by Native American activists who denounce Columbus for what he has done to their Amerindian ancestors.
I’ve asked students to find more information on the controversy surrounding Columbus Day, and they came back in full force with news of protests, and more opinion articles.
I then asked students why I’ve asked them to find these things.
“Because Columbus was bad?” asked one.
Before I could answer, another student chimed in. “No, because he’s still important now. What he did is still affecting populations in our country.”
Bingo.
Then I asked what our honoring this man each year says about how America values its native populations. Then the class moved into a discussion of how the US perceived of itself and why we use this day to celebrate Columbus instead of the contributions of Native Americans.
By this time the class was fired up. I didn’t have to ask any more questions, and instead focused on moderating the discussion between students. The class touched on many important points related to imperialism, racism, colonialism, colonial legacies, hegemony, and power – all the things a good history class should uncover.
In this way, Columbus Day has become a valuable teachable moment to show students that history is living, and that something that happened in the 1400s can still affect the way we perceive of ourselves as a nation today.
Tags:activism, American History, Amerindians, Columbus, Native Americans, New World, slave trade, slavery, teaching, teaching methods
Posted in Europe, HCE Comics, Latin America and Caribbean, North America | 1 Comment »
December 5, 2011
On November 13, 2011, a group of Afro-Caribbean Dutch protestors were arrested in the city of Dordrecht, Netherlands for protesting figures associated with the Dutch holiday tradition of Sinterklaas. (You can see a play-by-play of the protests and arrests here) These figures, deemed Santa’s helpers, are called Zwarte Pieten (or Black Petes), and they arrive on a steamboat alongside Sinterklaas (or St. Nicholas, the Dutch Santa) dressed in Shakespearean clothing and wearing wooly black afro, braided, or dreadlock wigs, bright red lipstick, golden earrings, and blackface. The Zwarte Pieten are the comedians of Sinterklaas who cheerfully play brass instruments, throw sweets, play tricks, and often end up as the butt of practical jokes throughout the holiday season.
Two Zwarte Pieten, courtesy of Wiki Commons
People from outside of the Netherlands are often shocked when confronted with the Zwarte Pieten. They associate these figures with the American tradition of blackface minstrel-shows which contributed to the proliferation of racist stereotypes, attitudes, and perceptions within a racially divided society. The Dutch are aware of this issue, and how it looks to outsiders. This year, Vancouver’s cancellation of the Sinterklaas celebration due to Zwarte Piet made it into the Dutch news. The organizer of the festival said “We will have to teach the Canadians and the entire North-American population what Zwarte Piet really is.” This attracted much commentary and criticism from the Netherlands. But foriegn outrage and rejection to the Zwarte Piet isn’t new to the Dutch: In 2008, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, made the decision to remove Zwarte Piet from its holiday lineup in response to tourist and layover flyers’ protest. Yet despite criticism from the outside world, Zwarte Piet remains a popular figure whom the vast majority of Dutch people want to keep at the center of Sinterklaas festivities. (more…)
Tags:afro-caribbean, anthropology, anti-immigration, blackface, Canada, Dordrecht, Dutch tradition, Holland, Netherlands, Paramaribo, post-colonialism, protest, PVV, race, racism, right-wing politics, Sinterklaas, slave trade, slavery, Suriname, UNESCO, Vancouver, Zwarte Piet
Posted in Europe, General, Latin America and Caribbean, North America | 6 Comments »
April 12, 2011
We’ve all applied for them, and we all love them: Summer Research Grants. There are few things better than getting paid to visit a new part of the country or the world in search of the Holy Grail of documents for your latest project.
Yet sometimes, it can feel as if the cycle of applying for these grants and fellowships is endless. That’s where this comic comes in:
For those of you waiting to hear back from your summer grant application process, good luck!
If you have a funny/poignant/thought-provoking/etc. idea for a history cartoon, please send it to Angela.C.Sutton[at]Vanderbilt[dot]edu. If I use your idea I will give you credit here.
Tags:academic travel, archives, fellowships, funding, grants, Research funding, scholarships
Posted in Academic Prizes, General, HCE Comics | Leave a Comment »
February 28, 2011
March is Women’s History Month. Along with uncovering and rethinking images of the woman and her contribution throughout history comes the responsibility to challenge the accepted stereotypes and persistent misinformation already out there.
For example: to this date, no historian has been able to uncover any evidence of bra-burning feminists of the 1960s.
This month, I pledge to use my historian super-powers for good instead of evil. Although women did not create the documents I use to write my dissertation, I will read against the grain to find their voices between the lines. To write a history without women is to write only half the story.
If you’re curious about what it takes to incorporate women in your historical research, I recommend historian Tanya Roth’s blog. Roth is completing a dissertation on the integration of women into the US military (1945-1978) and has written many thought-provoking posts on how she makes sense of the documentation and oral interviews.
If you have a funny/poignant/thought-provoking/etc. idea for a history cartoon, please send it to Angela.C.Sutton[at]Vanderbilt[dot]edu. If I use your idea I will give you credit here.
Tags:bra-burning, feminism, protest, women's history, women's history month
Posted in General, HCE Comics, North America | 2 Comments »
February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Of course, not all historians have this strange a way of showing love, but should you be on the receiving end of a getaway like this, let me assure you that it was meant to be both romantic and beautiful.
Besides, who turns down free photocopying at an archive?
If you have a funny/poignant/thought-provoking/etc. idea for a history cartoon, please send it to Angela.C.Sutton[at]Vanderbilt[dot]edu. If I use your idea I will give you credit here
Tags:archival research, historians in love, History Compass Exchanges, history of St. Valentine, love, love and the archive, relics, saints, St. Valentine, travel, Valentine's Day
Posted in Europe, HCE Comics | 2 Comments »
January 26, 2011
Today we launch an irregular series of comics for historians and other aficionados of the past. We hope you enjoy the History Compass Exchanges cartoons as much as I enjoyed drawing them.
If you have a funny/poignant/thought-provoking/etc. idea for a history cartoon, please send it to Angela.C.Sutton[at]Vanderbilt[dot]edu. If I use your idea, I will give you credit here.
Tags:American History, cartoon, Columbus, comics, discovery, Exploration, History Compass Exchanges, Native Americans, New World, Vikings, World History
Posted in HCE Comics, North America | 9 Comments »
September 22, 2010
Trudging down the windward side of Princes Town’s Fort Gross Friedrichsburg in the Western Region of Ghana, I am most concerned with staying out of the sun and choosing my sandaled steps carefully among the terrain teeming with gnarled tree roots and millipedes.
“Well, what have you found?” asks archaeologist Dr. Chris DeCorse, Professor and Chair of Anthropology at Syracuse University.
Dr. DeCorse at the ruins of the Dutch Veerschechans near Elmina.
Found? Dr. DeCorse’s student and I look at each other from underneath a shady cluster of palm trees. We were supposed to be looking on the way down?
“F’s for you all!” Dr. DeCorse laughs good-naturedly while pointing to the trail of sun-bleached shells that runs from the slave-trading Fort’s rubbish chutes down to the rocky beach below. “Look again.”
(more…)
Posted in General | 2 Comments »
July 8, 2010
South African fan in Johannesburg during World Cup 2010 (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
As with the Beijing Olympics, the South African World Cup has shone a spotlight onto its host country, highlighting its diverse history for the world to see. While South Africa has traditionally been known for apartheid, the World Cup has successfully illuminated all parts of the nation’s history. For many in the world, the World Cup served as the first introduction of not only South Africa’s apartheid past, but also of a nation’s ability to take steps necessary to repair itself from a damage many historians have called “irreparable.”
One needs only to plug “South Africa” and “World Cup” into any search engine in order to find out more about South Africa’s struggle with racism and fledgling democracy. Alongside the report of each goal scored by Tshabalala is a history lesson of how such a thing would not have been possible a short generation ago when South Africa’s team barred blacks from playing. One article even claims that it was soccer that defeated apartheid! (more…)
Tags:apartheid, FIFA, football, history and sports, history of sport, Jesse Owens, Olympics, soccer, South Africa, sports, teaching, world cup
Posted in Africa, Europe, General, Latin America and Caribbean, World | 3 Comments »
June 23, 2010
Check to see if photography is allowed in the archive. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
While some of us are lucky to have digitized access to all the sources we need, and can search them online from the convenience of home or an air-conditioned office, many more will be heading out to the archives this summer. Some archives, like the British National Archives/Public Records Office, are pristine and equipped with amenities like climate control, a snack bar, secure lockers for storage, and an internet café. Others consist of little more than a stack of unorganized papers inside of a sweltering one-room shack without electricity or running water.
Fortunately, most fall somewhere in between, and you can have a successful research trip with some beforehand preparation. There are many comprehensive lists of archival tips available online, so below I will list a few that tend to be neglected or underemphasized.
- Every archive has different rules regarding photography, photocopying, and what you may or may not bring into the document room with you. Find out beforehand so you can best formulate a plan of attack. There’s nothing worse than buying a new camera only to find out that photography is not allowed, or depending on typed transcription only to discover that computers are banned from the room.
- Be aware of hidden costs. Many archives are free to use, but this varies and some charge a small fee to join, an additional fee to use a camera, and most charge above-average rates for photocopies. In addition, some may charge for parking, for storing your belongings not allowed in the documents room, or for the rental of tools like dust masks, gloves, pencils, magnifying glasses, etc.
- Find out beforehand the names of archivists working there and make it a point to introduce yourself. They know much more than you ever will about what is in their archive and a polite word can save you a lot of time or help you find something you overlooked. The importance of this varies by country, and in some places, can literally be the difference between being allowed to see what you came to see, and being denied access.
- If you come across images, find out before you leave how to obtain copyrights for them for inclusion in your next book. It may not be possible to do this once you leave, and you’ll regret it forever. (Just ask my committee…)
- If one of the document/s you need is/are currently in use, try to be excited instead of annoyed. If you can find the person working in the same collection of documents as you, make it a point to speak with them (just not in the documents room). Get to know their project so you can keep them in mind for future panels or joint projects. Ask them what they have seen regarding your topic while working in the collection. It’s amazing what someone else’s fresh perspective on a topic close to yours will do for the way you think about your documents. If they are affable, you may want to work out the most efficient system for sharing the documents so no one has to be inconvenienced.
Feel free to add anything else you can think of, or to share anecdotes of you archival experience below.
Tags:archives, document collections, photography
Posted in Britain and Ireland, Europe, Online Resources | 5 Comments »
June 9, 2010
Like many people, I love summer. Don’t get me wrong, I hate the messy white streaks of sunscreen, I’m not overly fond of bees or ants, and I could do without breaking a sweat every time I want to walk faster than a toddler. But I do love the academic’s summer.
Fun in the Sun (Wiki Commons)
Summer is the time you do less work for others, and more for yourself. Teaching and administration loads tend to be lighter, and the name of the game is self-edification. Summer seems to be the time when you get to reap the rewards of a year of hard work and do travel for conferences and for research. I personally can’t travel enough, and so am forever writing grants and on the lookout for ways to combine work and pleasure.
If you’re like me (or especially if you aren’t), you may appreciate a few tips for the academic traveler:
- Always initiate every process early. Sure, the embassy claims a five day turnaround on foreign visas, but don’t take their word for it. Give yourself plenty of time to get that passport back, and to book transport and accommodation.
- If traveling outside North America or Western Europe, book a travel consult at your clinic. They take less than half an hour and save time and hassle. Many countries give their airport officials leeway to refuse entry for visitors that did not pay close attention to health requirements. Some countries require proof of tuberculosis or HIV status, certain vaccinations, a clean bill of health, or special prescriptions for mundane things like birth control and anti-malarials.
- Know your country’s obscenity & indecency laws. The possession of things that seem ordinary to you, like religious material, political publications, or anything that could potentially be construed as erotica/pornography can carry stiff penalties in some places of the world. These laws (and their enforcement) vary wildly, but it is worth knowing if your research topic could potentially intersect with them. For example, many primary sources and secondary publications concerning WWII could potentially be interpreted as illegal race-hate propaganda in Germany.
- Always ensure you have quick access to emergency funds. I try to do everything on a shoestring budget (including couchsurfing with fellow academics to save on hotel expenses, for example), but am prepared to pay up if I have to.
- Photocopy your passport and the contents of your wallet. Have one set on you separate from the originals, and leave another with a trusted family member, friend, or colleague. They will save you so much hassle if anything happens to the originals.
- Inform your university and a handful of friends of the exact dates you will be gone and where you will stay and which archives you will be working in. Register with the closest embassy so they are better able to help you in case of emergency.
- Take as much proof as possible of who you are and what you do with you. Take your University ID, and if you are a student, consider investing in an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), and bringing along letters of introduction from your faculty advisor. Think about whether or not you would have use for business cards to hand out to colleagues, acquaintances, archivists and librarians.
This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive, but a starting point. Please add your own academic travel tips in the comments below.
Posted in General | 2 Comments »
