Historians find it difficult to conduct research. Museum exhibits are closed, presidential records are destroyed and public monuments cannot “contain descriptions, images, or other content that disparages Americans of the past or the living.”
“What we’re seeing in the current administration is pushing a narrative that is very much about the choice of the American people,” said Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, in a recent episode of The Key, Within Higher EdA news and analysis podcast. “It is an old history that historians have put aside through deep research, using history. But it is being brought back.”
In addition to taking down signs in national parks and changing museum exhibits, the federal government is also restricting what types of historical research and educational projects can receive federal funding, he noted.
“Historians’ intelligence is being undermined in the public sphere, so much so that what was our calling card, our deep knowledge and evidence-based approach, is being treated as suspect,” he said.
But without political agendas to dictate a clean version of American history, evidence-based historical research can only follow the facts, Weicksel said.
“We don’t distort the evidence, we don’t ignore the evidence, and because we do that, we will never work as the administration is trying to do … we will never work with the stated goal of achieving conformity to one vision of what the United States is or what history should be,” he said. “We are guided by professional ethics. And as we have seen throughout history, the past can be divided, evidence is ignored and used to divide divisions and control efforts.”
In addition to doubling down on research integrity, the AHA also expanded its advocacy work under Weicksel’s leadership to support historical research and include differences between divisive discussions. The organization joined other plaintiffs in federal lawsuits over the forfeiture of National Endowment for the Humanities grants; filed suit over President Trump’s claim that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional; testified on history education bills in Ohio, Texas and Alabama; and filed amicus briefs in support of Harvard and the city of Philadelphia.
Conference summaries are also provided on topics such as vaccines, evictions, science funding and anything else that “could benefit from having a historical background,” Weicksel said.
“Our goal is that people who attend will have a better understanding of how policies have changed over time, how Americans have faced these challenges over time … and apply that knowledge,” she said. “We’re not recommending policy—it’s neutral—but we know that everything benefits from a historical perspective.”
Listen to the full episode here.
