Send a text

Eric and Rob sit down with Dr. Denver Brunsman to discuss teaching the American Revolution. Denver is the History Department Chair at George Washington University and he has published and edited numerous books on the time period including the award winning, The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the 18th-Century Atlantic World. Denver begins by urging teachers to challenge the notion that the American Revolution was inevitable. He notes that at the beginning of the imperial crisis, American colonists primarily identified themselves as British subjects. While earlier events in colonial history provide a backdrop to this conflict, he suggests that teachers begin the story of the American Revolution with the end of the Seven Years War and study the conflict through three distinct crises caused by the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act. He also explains that while taxation was important, the concept of sovereignty and the colonists' notion that they were preserving the British tradition of liberty against tyranny and power was central to the crisis. He argues that the decision to separate from England was contingent on many different factors and that the armed conflict that began in 1775 was a breaking point, convincing many Americans that the king no longer protected their liberty. The conflict also shaped the development of an American identity that became distinct from their previous identification as British subjects.

Lesson Plans and resources:

Was the American Revolution Inevitable lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4kBaJyO

The Knowles Press Gang Riot lesson and the Revolutionary Debate lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4aU0EJW

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Dr. Michael Childers joins Eric and Rob to discuss how teachers can better incorporate environmental history in their courses. Mike is an Associate Professor of history at Colorado State University and he is the co-editor of the University of Nebraska series Environment and Region in the American West and he is also the Associate Editor of the Western Historical Quarterly. He explains that environmental history is a broad topic that can be applied to almost any historical context. A binding concept for all environmental historians is the idea that nature has a dynamic history that is intertwined with human history, and nature plays an active role in shaping events. A second core concept is that ideas about nature have shaped history and, by consequence, nature itself. He provides several suggestions of topics that teachers can use to demonstrate the importance of the environment in history. He ends by stressing that environmental history should be viewed as equally important as race, class, and gender as a category of historical analysis.

Lesson Plans and resources:https://bit.ly/4rvPscd

The Environment in Colonial New England lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4rvPscd

Three Lessons on the Environment in World History can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/49ReOv5

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Eric and Rob visit with Dr. Steven Hirsch to discuss how to teach about Latin American revolutions in the 20th century. Steve is a Professor of Practice and Global Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Steve begins by explaining that revolutionary movements reveal that Latin American nations consistently sought to overcome the negative legacy of colonialism on their societies. He also connects Latin American revolutions to a larger, anti-colonial movement across the globe and argues that these revolutions were important in the cross-fertilization of ideas that emerged throughout the 20th century. This global context helps students challenge the stereotype that Latin American countries are uniquely violent. He urges teachers to also examine the regional influence of these revolutions, for instance showing how the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century inspired subsequent movements throughout Central and South America. While many of the revolutions in the 20th century seized state power in an effort to transform the society, economy, and culture of the nation, others such as the Zapata revolution in Mexico were informed by anarchism and sought to establish autonomy within local communities. He concludes by explaining that revolutions first institutionalize their revolutionary program and then consolidate it by persuading the population to support their ideals. However, revolutions often promote counter-revolutions which continue to shape politics throughout the region.

Lesson Plans and resources:

The Nicaraguan Revolution lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4a7dswf

The Exporting Revolution? Cuba, Latin America, and the World lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4q2Tdos

A list of resources for further reading compiled by Dr. Hirsch can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4bGAlrC

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Eric and Rob sit down with Dr. Laura Westhoff to discuss teaching the Progressive Era in the United States. Laura is a Professor of History and former Department Chair at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Laura begins by framing the period as the “long progressive era” noting that the ideas that shaped both the movement and public policy stretched from the late 19th century all the way through the Great Depression. She explains that the central concern of this era was the so-called “social question,” which was how do people live together in an increasingly complex society shaped by new technologies, new forms of labor, immigration, and rapidly expanding cities. She suggests that teachers focus on three core concepts including democracy, technology/innovation, and education. She emphasizes that for progressive era reformers democracy meant something more than just voting. Following the Depression of 1893, reformers viewed democracy as a way to imagine and create a society that was more humane, seeing people as truly equal and worthy of the rights and privileges of citizenship. Laura also suggests that teachers use the rise of compulsory education during the Progressive Era as a topic that can explore the complexity of the time. The rise of almost universal schooling for young people shapes the new concept of adolescence and also serves the goals of both labor unions and social reformers who were concerned about children in the workforce. The schools that are created at this time become centers of both leisure time activities and assimilation to United States culture.

Lesson Plans and resources:

The Visions of Democracy in the Progressive Era lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4qjUCHZ

The Educational Reforms in the Progressive Era lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/3LA7D0X

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Dr. Philip Deloria joins Eric and Rob to discuss how to teach Native American history in a U.S. History course. He is the Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History at Harvard University. He identifies three important concepts that teachers should consider to fully include Native American history in their courses. First, he reminds us that American Indian people are still here and that teachers should work to challenge the erasure of the Indian American experiences in both history and contemporary society. Second, he explains that Native American history is distinct from other social groups in the United States because their experiences are mediated by treaty relationships, and their history is shaped by nation to nation encounters with the U.S. government. Finally, teachers should recognize that Indian people are everywhere in American history and it is not that hard to find stories to integrate Native American history into their curricula. He highlights several areas teachers can explore including changing interpretations of the Bering Straits theory, the impact of slaving systems on Indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere, and the role of land and wealth in the late 19th century when land is violently seized from Indian people in the era of the Civil War and how that land was transferred to universities, corporations, and individuals. Phil also discusses several different websites (listed below) that teachers can use to bring more American Indian history in their courses.

Lesson Plans and resources:

American Indians in the Progressive Era lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/3KXaPn6

The Horse Creek Treaty lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/48Pfy3j

The Land- Grab Universities website can be found at https://www.landgrabu.org/

The Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource website can be found at https://carlisleindian.dickinson.edu/

The Native Knowledge 360° website (with many lesson plans) from the National Museum of the American Indian can be found at https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360

The Stolen Relations website can be found at https://stolenrelations.org/

The Native Bound Unbound website can be found at https://nativeboundunbound.org/

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Dr. Clarence Lang sits down with Eric and Rob to discuss how teachers can present a more complex and nuanced story of the Black freedom movement in modern U.S. history. Clarence is the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and a professor of African American Studies at Penn State. His book, Grassroots at the Gateway: Class Politics & Black Freedom Struggle in St. Louis, 1936-75, uses the local context of St. Louis to focus on the important role played by the Black working class, a group often not centered in civil rights narratives. He identifies three important concepts that teachers should consider when they design their lessons on the topic. First, he urges teachers to explore who participated in the movement, giving particular attention to working class people whose activism is often obscured by a focus on clergy leaders and other middle-class individuals. To find stories of regular people involved in the movement, he encourages teachers to have their students examine the local context either by interviewing relatives or exploring archives and old newspapers. Second, students should learn that the movement was successful and had accomplishments beyond the important gains in civil and voting rights. Finally, teachers should encourage their students to discuss what work remains to be done to build on those accomplishments, and that they have the capacity to make those changes.

Lesson Plans and resources:

The Putting the Movement Back in the Movement lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4rz9L9n

The Albany Movement lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/44LlHej

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Eric and Rob talk with Dr. Dan Barish who discusses how teachers can present the early Qing Dynasty in China to their students. Dan is an Associate Professor of History and the Undergraduate Program Director at Baylor University. He shares that teachers should begin with the big idea that the Qing is an inner Asian empire that has much in common with other early modern empires. It is more than just the last Chinese dynasty, and in many ways it is distinct from earlier dynasties. Teachers should discuss both the rise of the Qing state and the decline of the Ming dynasty as simultaneous events. Dan notes that while the Qing have distinct political and cultural systems, they do incorporate many elements of Ming society to help them govern an empire where they, as Manchus, are outnumbered by ethnic Han Chinese at a ratio of 350 to 1. Finally, he explains that the Qing did not “become Chinese” but rather they appealed to the different populations within the empire by representing the emperor through the culture of and languages of those groups. In that way, the Qing emperor was a global, universal ruler.

Lesson Plans and resources:

The Qianlon Image Analysis lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/43SWezn

Advising the Qing Emperor lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4acbvPw

The Association for Asian Studies website can be found at https://www.asianstudies.org/

Columbia University’s Asia for Educators website (with links to primary documents and lessons) can be found at https://afe.easia.columbia.edu/

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty

Send us a text

Rob and Eric are joined by Dr. Jeremi Suri who shares his ideas on how teachers can best teach about the Cold War in their classrooms. Jeremi is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He identifies three core concepts that teachers should consider when teaching about the Cold War. First, he notes that much of the Cold War emerged from concerns that lingered from both the Great Depression and World War II. Second, the centrality of anti-communism as an organizing principle shaped much of both foreign and domestic events. Third, the end of empires, decolonization, and the emergence of new nations is important in understanding this era, particularly as the United States and the Soviet Union sought to gain influence in those new societies. Jeremi also discusses the importance of exploring the complexity and impact of Cold War fears. He notes that there were genuine concerns that the American people and government needed to address, and also that fear can sometimes be manipulated and exaggerated. He ends by discussing that good leaders need to understand that complexity and must respond to threats in ways that are measured.

Lesson Plans and resources:

The Cold War and the Culture of Fear Jigsaw lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/3JI0L0L

The Cold War Spy lesson can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/4a2D91p

Jeremi and Zachary Suri’s podcast, This Is Democracy, can be found at https://podcasts.la.utexas.edu/this-is-democracy/series/this-is-democracy/

Jeremi and Zachary Suri’s substack, Democracy of Hope, can be found at https://democracyofhope.substack.com/

Credits

Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org

Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.

Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.

Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.

Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty

Instagram:historyintwenty