Edward T. O'Donnell, Historian-at-Large
@inthepastlane
Historian, author, college prof, public speaker, podcaster. Seen on @History channel + @PBS. Founder of @WeemsyAwards. All my social media is @inthepastlane. More at www.EdwardTODonnell.com
Always nice to be quoted in the New Yorker -
before the first robin or crocus shoot, a key sign that Spring is coming in Central Massachusetts is the appearance of the first roadside wiffle ball, recently liberated from a snow bank #spring #wiffleball #running
for no particular reason, this book in a pile of free books, caught my attention this morning #IranWar
“Can we call this a free country, when I am afraid to go to sleep in my own home in Mississippi?” – civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer born #OTD in 1917 #civilrights #equality
Trump falsely compares his use of the military against the American people to actions by other US presidents #ushistory #americanhistory #nationalguard #memphis #hegseth #trump #constitution
Trump has renamed the Dept of Defense the Dept of War, cuz he and Hegseth want you to know they are manly men. #ushistory #americanhistory #militaryhistory #bonespurs #history #APUSH #historian #petehegseth #departmentofwar
I recently gave a talk about The Gilded Age for @LecturesOnTap at the @DemocracyBrewingBoston. It was a fun night of drinking and thinking! #ushistory #americanhistory #history #GildedAge #GildedAgeHBO #LaborHistory #APUSH #rockefeller #carnegie
“Fitness personality” Jillian Michaels wants to teach you about the history of slavery #ushistory #americanhistory #JillianMichaels #smithsonian #trump #slavery #whitenationalism
The Trump administration goes after the Smithsonian to promote a white nationalist version of American history. #ushistory #americanhistory #Trump #smithsonian #americanexceptionalism #whitenationalism www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8BRFRjU/
Trump says he’s “going to Russia” on Friday (actually, he’s going to Alaska) #ushistory #americanhistory #history #diplomatichistory #trumpputinsummit #trumpcognitivedecline #sewardsfolly
American Eagle threads some eugenics through their new ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney. #ushistory #americanhistory #history #americaneagle #sydneysweeney #eugenics #greatjeans #euphoria #whitelotus
Homeland Security uses imagery of Manifest Destiny to promote white nationalism, amidst ICE carrying out Trump’s mass deportation policy. #ushistory #americanhistory #immigrationhistory #blackhistory #stephenmiller #nativism #massdeportation
Here’s why the children of MLK are upset that the Trump administration released 240,000 documents related to King’s death in 1968. It’s all about the nefarious history of the FBI’s war against MLK. #ushistory #americanhistory #blackhistory #MLK #FBI #civilrights #trump #epsteinfiles
Trump is demanding the restoration of racist Native American names for pro sports teams - specifically, the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians. #ushistory #americanhistory #nativeamerican #washingtoncommanders #washingtonredskins #pocahantas #clevelandguardians #clevelandindians #trump
Liberty Bell made out of Legos at the Philadelphia International Airport. Fun fact: the Liberty Bell was made famous not by the American Revolution (there’s no evidence it rang on July 4, 1776) but by abolitionists in the 1830s who adopted it as a symbol of their cause to abolish slavery
Just in time for Pride Month, Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename a ship named for Harvey Milk. #ushistory #americanhistory #history #APUSH #USNavy #PeteHegseth #confederatemonuments #gayhistory #LGBTQhistory #homophobia #pridemonth www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Mb2Ekw/
Did you hear about #Trump’s unique history lesson about the US economy? It’s been nominated for a 2025 Weemsy Award™. They spotlight the year's most false & ridiculous things public figures say about #USHistory. #history #Trump #TrumpTariffs #GreatDepression #GildedAge www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8jdpk6Y/
Did you hear that Pete Hegseth’s anti-DEI crusade might purge the Enola Gay from Pentagon webpages? It’s been nominated for a 2025 Weemsy Award™ #ushistory #history #blackhistory #WW2 #EnolaGay #gayhistory #LGBTQhistory #PeteHegseth #womenshistorymonth #tuskegeeairmen www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82h8CR1/
Did you hear what Donald #Trump said about #GeorgeWashington? It’s been nominated for a 2025 Weemsy Award™. They spotlight the year's most ridiculous & false statements by public figures re #USHistory. #TrumpHistory #TrumpSpeech #presidents #Lincoln #AndrewJackson www.tiktok.com/t/ZP82L8C7D/
Did Trump humiliating Zelensky in the Oval Office remind you of other moments in presidential history? #ushistory #americanhistory #presidents #zelensky #zelenskyovaloffice #ovaloffice #history #historian #Trump #FDR #JFK #JimmyCarter #RonaldReagan #winstonchurchill www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8YoYKPQ/
Did you hear what Pete Hegseth said about American military history? #ushistory #americanhistory #militaryhistory #petehegseth #APUSH #historian #Custer #VietnamWar #iraqwar www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8YXAXAS/
The National Park Service has purged references to trans people from its history of the #StonewallRiot - even though they played a crucial role in the iconic event #ushistory #Orwell #greenwichvillage #stonewallriot #gayhistory #LGBTQhistory #transhistory #transphobia www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Y9Up8B/
Linda McMahon, Sec of Education, refuses to answer a simple question: will Trump defund public schools that teach African American history? #ushistory #americanhistory #blackhistory #history #lindamcmahon #historian #Trump #DEI #CRT #WWE www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8YHUKxA/
Book Review - Building the Worlds That Kill Us: Disease, Death, and, Inequality in American History by David Rosner and Gerald Markowitz thetimesweekly.com/2024/12/buil...
a selection of our Christmas cookie creations, some via cutters and others free style
#MarjorieTaylorGreene is up for a 2024 Weemsy Award™ for claiming the #Founders were Christian Nationalists. The Weemsies™ are awarded every December to spotlight the stupid, false, & outrageous things that public figures say about #UShistory. Winners announced tomorrow! #darwinawards #goldendukes