Not only did the Puritans not celebrate Thanksgiving, they firmly banned Christmas. (Spoiler alert: the Puritans did not celebrate Easter either.) The Puritans rejected Christmas

What is the correct story of United States history? Historian Lendol Calder, in his article, “The Stories We Tell,” highlights the difficulties of choosing a

If it snows in November, is it because folks are decorating for Christmas? So I have been told. But I would have to live in

As I hear the partisan language connected to the midterm elections, I cannot help but reflect on how we got here. It may be difficult

I recently attended the biannual Conference on Faith and History at Calvin College. Robert Orsi, a prominent scholar of American religious history, gave a remarkable

As an alumnus of Michigan State University, I am deeply upset by the appalling abuse of Larry Nassar. When people say something to me about

Originating around 1830 and maintaining popularity for decades, the minstrel show used blackface comedy to entertain white Americans. Minstrel shows were enormously popular, particularly among

When it comes to figures in United States history, who typically comes to mind? Out of curiosity, how many women can you name? Turns out

In my last post here I reflected on Jennifer Senior’s book on parenting, All Joy and No Fun: the Paradox of Modern Parenting. I touched