The History and Use of the Defense Production Act: Part 2 Part 1 of this blog explores the historical context of the passage of the Defense Production Act. Read it here. President Harry S. Truman signed the Defense Production Act …
Looking Back at 1918: The Human Experience of a Pandemic
By Jen Giambrone, Historian The COVID-19 pandemic has me thinking—like a lot of people—about 1918. The influenza pandemic that swept the globe that year struck at a particularly vulnerable moment. Soldiers from all corners of the globe crammed into filthy …
Quarantine in Context: A Brief History of Staying at Home
By Justin Broubalow, Research Historian Orders to “quarantine,” “stay at home,” or “shelter in place” issued on a state-by-state basis in the past few weeks feel unprecedented. It is difficult to recall a time of such restriction on personal movement. …
Recipes for Rationing: American Kitchens During Shortages Past
By Emily Sullivan, Historian Is your grocery store missing your usual staples? Do you have kids at home who love cooking or history? This could be an opportunity to learn about how people of the past fed their families during …
The President’s Best Friend: Celebrating White House Pets in Honor of National Pet Day
By Emily Sullivan, Historian Happy National Pet Day! Has your furry, feathered, or scaly friend enjoyed having its humans at home more than ever? While this may be a new arrangement at your home, throughout history, pets have roamed the …
Pantry Perishables: A Brief History of Shelf-Stable Staples
By Colleen Kim, Historian In the few short weeks since the coronavirus outbreak began, social distancing and lockdown measures have changed the way many Americans shop for food. This pandemic is revealing the extent to which American shopping and eating …
The COVID-19 Pandemic in Historical Perspective
By Mimi Eisen, Historian In a matter of a few short weeks, individuals worldwide have come to face the gravity of a pandemic of a respiratory disease caused by the person-to-person spread of a novel (new) coronavirus. The disease, COVID-19, …
Adapting to Remote Working: Seven Tips for Success
By Janet Holsinger, Senior Historian After I moved away from the Washington, D.C., area where HAI is based five years ago, I began working remotely. An advantage? I am much more efficient than I ever was while working in the …
Reflections on the Field: History and Technology in 2020
By Scott Vierick, Historian Alexis C. Madrigal’s article for The Atlantic, “The Way We Write History Has Changed,” is a timely reminder that historical methods have evolved considerably since HAI’s inception in 1981. The rise of digital technology has provided historians …
Shedding Light on Tourism History: Tiki Bars
Historians researching restaurant reviews from the 1950s? You’d be surprised where history takes us! Especially for topics like the fascinating tourism history of tiki bars. The history of tourism is often overlooked, and can be difficult to study because collections …
A Historic Presidents Race
Major league baseball is a sport steeped in history, tradition, and statistics. With the start of the 2018 baseball season officially underway we thought it would be fun to examine one of the traditions of our local MLB team, the …