Vigilante Justice: From the Old West to Washington DC (Video Recording)

Video panel discussion: Videos of rioters storming the Capitol building on January 6, 2021 to prevent Congress from certifying Joseph Biden as the 46th president stunned people across the United States and around the world. But vigilante violence in the name of justice or law and order has a long history in the United States. This panel discussion will explore how the mythology and culture of the American West, from the deep past to recent history, play into the “current weirdness” in American politics.

Audio: John Fry on the Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder

We had so much interest and enthusiasm for our February colloquium talk, that we are pleased to be able to share it here (with kind permission by the speaker): 'This is What Men Call God': The Faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder A lecture by John Fry at Calvin College (February 22, 2017) This year marks …

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What to binge watch over break

Whether you are a student relaxing after exams, a professor done with grading, or just someone with time off for the holidays, the end of the year can be a great time for binge watching television. Here's some recommendations from the History Department for great shows to add to your streaming video queue: Will Katerberg: …

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ISIS, Terrorism and Refugees: A Teach In

In the days after the terrible news of attacks in Paris and Beirut, members of the history department looked at each other and asked "What can we do?" As we are inundated with stories of terror, violence, and hatred around the world, we struggle as individuals and as communities with how to respond. As historians, …

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Historical Horizons: 2015 in Blog Posts

Happy new year from the Calvin College History Department! We started this blog two years ago, in January 2014. In our second year of Historical Horizons, we've focused more frequently on current events, both on campus, in our nation, and around the world. Many of our most popular posts were those offering a historical perspective on …

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Professor Dives Deep Into History of Rare Manuscript

by Rachel Watson (Excerpt from an article on October 12, 2015 on Calvin's News & Stories.) Tucked safely away in a climate-controlled space in Calvin College’s Meeter Center is a medieval devotional manuscript the college has owned since 1912. It recently became an object of deeper interest to Frans van Liere, professor of history and …

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