On January 13, Age of Revolutions, a digital journal, published Prof. Abby Chandler's article"Loyalists and the Birth of Libraries in New England: The Marriage of Martin and Abigail Howard." It is part of the 2020 Selected Papers of the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era.
Prof.Jane Sancinito was interviewed on January 28 regarding her research on Roman socioeconomic history and her involvement in the FLAME (Framing the Late Antique and early Medieval Economy) Project, which dates back to FLAME's inception in 2012. The next phase of FLAME's digital platform will be going live this spring, and so those involved have been considering their progress and discussing future goals. The Fireside Chat with Jane Sancinito is accessible online.
On February 10, the Agricultural History Society published online an interview considering the politics of white supremacy in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Prof. Elizabeth Herbin-Triant, who has thought about the issue of white supremacy at length in her own research, was one of the three historians to contribute to the interview.
The Library of New England Immigration, the fruit of the research and efforts of University Prof. Bob Forrant and his students, was featured on Digital Commonwealth's website on February 25. This invaluable resource provides short student-friendly clips telling the stories of nearly a dozen ethnic groups that immigrated to Lowell over the last four centuries.
For this year's Boston Labor Conference (held virtually), Prof. Chad Montrie spoke at a forum called "Labor, Climate Change, and Political Power." It met on Friday, March 5, from 3-5 p.m.
From 10-11 a.m. on March 19, Prof. Andrew Drenas gave a Zoom lecture to the students of Prof. Matthew Spencer's Christian Greek and Latin school, based in Brechin, Scotland. In this talk, called "'Sancta Sudariola!' ['Holy Handkerchiefs!']: A Study of St Lawrence of Brindisi’s Eucharistic Spirituality and Mass Handkerchiefs; And What Can We Learn about Them through His Latin Writings?", Prof. Drenas explained the extravagant Eucharistic spirituality of this early modern Capuchin figure, and how his Masses became a source of a cult of relics in seventeenth-century Italy. Since he was speaking to students of Latin, Prof. Drenas emphasized the Latin primary source documents he used for his research.
Prof. Chad Montrie was among those speaking at this year's American Society for Environmental History Conference. He participated in the "Teaching the Energy Transition" panel that started at 5:30 P.M. EST on Thursday, April 29. It considered how teachers (and prospective teachers) can use historical sources to teach about this subject that has such urgent contemporary ramifications. The panel also introduced "Energy History Online," a new and free educational website serving teachers and students of United States and global energy history.
During the week of May 3, NBC 10 in Boston visited Lowell. University Prof. Bob Forrant was featured in the first installment on May 3, and spoke from inside the Boott Cotton Mill about the Lowell mill girls' contributions to shaping the city's legacy. One can watch this first installment on NBC 10's website.
On Tuesday, May 4, Adjunct Prof. Shawn Driscoll appeared in an episode of WCVB's news program, called Chronicle. The episode featured stories about Worcester, Massachusetts, and examined the creation and publication of a book co-created by Prof. Driscoll and historian Linda Hixon. The book, The Grip: The 1918 Pandemic and a City Under Siege, explores how the 1918-19 influenza pandemic brought both tragedy and strength to the City of Worcester and its citizens. The book features exploration into several aspects of the pandemic, including journalism, nursing, decedent affairs, the social and cultural impact, and effects on immigrant communities. Prof. Driscoll worked with nearly twenty high-school students in Worcester (Worcester Academy and Worcester public schools) on special chapters dedicated to providing biographical entries on those citizens that perished from the pandemic. One can watch this episode of Chronicle on the WCVB website and on WCVB's YouTube channel.
On Thursday, May 13, Prof. Chad Montriewas interviewed for "Eastern Standard," a weekly radio magazine from 88.9 WEKU. He spoke with Stephanie Lang, editor of the register of the Kentucky Historical Society, about research into coalfields activism. The interview is available on WEKU's website.
On Tuesday, June 15, Prof. Christoph Strobeland his book Native Americans of New England were featured in an article inThe Christian Science Monitor that considers Abenaki historical sites in New Hampshire.
University Prof. Bob Forrant was interviewed for an article that appeared in the June 25 Lowell Sun E-Edition about the history of abolition in Lowell. In June, the Lowell City Council passed a motion calling for the Lowell National Historical Park, UMass Lowell, and nonprofit organizations to begin exploring the placement of permanent signs around the city to mark its historical sites connected to the abolitionist movement. Given his knowledge of this subject, Prof. Forrant was able to speak to this endeavor in the article. He noted that the Center for Lowell History had already conducted much of the research needed for the signs. He also shared an excerpt from an 1859 article from the former Lowell Daily Citizen and News newspaper about a family of former slaves who were "kindly cared for" by Lowellians before making the last leg of their journey to freedom in Canada. Prof. Forrant observed: "This is a history of people in Lowell standing firm in defense of people's freedom, and we should be willing and happy to publicly tell the story in as many possible ways as we can".
On Monday, September 27, Prof. Abby Chandler was officially sworn in to be on the Special Commission Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. She will serve as one of the commission's two scholars with expertise in colonial history, revolutionary history, or American civics. The commission will consist of forty members led by State Representative Carole Fiola (D-Fall River) and State Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Lowell). Besides identifying opportunities for individuals and municipalities across the state to participate in the anniversary celebrations and recognize the particular history of their geographical areas, the commission will also investigate and promote under-represented voices in the American Revolution, including women, native peoples, and persons of color. The commission will file a report providing an overview of Massachusetts’ role in the American Revolution, and will highlight the notable battles, events and figures of the era.
The newsmagazine Perspectives on History published an article by Evan Jewell on September 28 called "The Classicists in the History Department: Do We Face a Post-Classics Future?" Prof. Jane Sancinito was featured in this online article considering the future of Classics departments at universities.
On Wednesday, September 29, The Patriot Ledger published an article online regarding theCommonwealth of Massachusetts's reconsideration of the state flag's seal and the questionable legacy of Myles Standish of Plymouth and his encounter with the Native Americans of Squantum 400 years ago. Prof. Christoph Strobel contributed to the article in the Patriot Ledger: 400 years after Standish landed in Squantum, Massachusetts rethinks its flag, his legacy.
Prof. Christoph Strobel gave a public lecture, "Native Americans of New England: History,Colonial Legacies, and Survival,” twice this semester. He spoke first at Ashland Public Library (Ashland, Mass.) on Tuesday, October 26, starting at 7 p.m., and then spoke at Northfield Public Library (Northfield, Mass.) on Thursday, November 18, starting at 6 p.m.
Prof. Christoph Strobel gave another lecture, “Legacies of 1620: Native Americans of New England,” twice this semester. He spoke first at Athol Public Library (Athol, Mass.) on Wednesday, October 20, starting at 6:30 p.m.; this was a public talk. Then, on Thursday November 4, starting at 7 p.m., he delivered this same lecture virtually for the Chelmsford Public Library (Chelmsford, Mass.)
On Thursday, November 4, Prof. Elizabeth Williams gave a paper, "The 'Science' of Dry-Farming: The Emergence of a Concept in Global Perspective," for the Massachusetts Historical Society. The event was hosted virtually via Zoom from 5:15-6:30 p.m. One must register through the Massachusetts Historical Society website to attend.
Prof. Christoph Strobel served as this year's Heyburn Lecturer of Native American History at Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. He spoke on this subject on Tuesday, November 16. Past recipients of this award have included Nell Irvin Painter (Princeton), Daniel Immerwahr (Northwestern), and Jill Lepore (Harvard/New Yorker), and Ray Suarez (formerly PBS Newshour).