Page of Reason, Vol. IV, September 2021
Dispatches from your most humble servant, the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, Iona College.
Welcome to Volume IV of Page of Reason, a newsletter of the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies (ITPS), Iona College, New Rochelle, NY!
Each edition of Page of Reason features six sections of content produced by the ITPS, highlighting the work of our friends and colleagues in the fields of American, Atlantic, and Global history, and featuring the Iona College community: Common Acts, Common Facts, Common Sounds, Common Views, Common Campus, and Common Words. Find more information about the ITPS and our activities at our Research Portal, theitps.org and follow us on Twitter @TheITPS!
Common Acts
We are thrilled to host an all-star panel of historians for our Constitution Day event, “Legacies of the Constitution,” a virtual roundtable discussion on September 16, 2021, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM. The roundtable features ITPS Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, Dr. Sally E. Hadden (Western Michigan University), Dr. Martha Jones (The Johns Hopkins University), Dr. Kate Masur (Northwestern University), and Dr. Jeanne Sheehan Zaino (Iona College), moderated by ITPS Director and Gardiner Assistant Professor of History Dr. Nora Slonimsky.
The panelists in “Legacies of the Constitution” will explore timely questions relating to the American founding and the legal, social, and political impacts of the Constitution into the twenty-first century. From elections to pandemics (and beyond), the last several years have revealed how much of our government institutions are based on norms and customs. What does that tell us about the Constitution and its legacy? Presented by the ITPS and Thomas Paine Cottage Museum/Huguenot & New Rochelle Historical Society.
Free registration here, or scan the QR code on the event flyer!
Common Sounds
In the May episode of Public History in a Virtual Age, hosted by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, we explored public history in the classroom. Though sometimes overlooked in the broader field, schools are centers of public history engagement. From classes geared towards understanding the field to projects focused on exploring an institution’s past, the academic world offers diverse opportunities for public historians to learn more and create. As they discussed their experiences as history professors, the episode’s guests explored the variety of ways that public history intersects with the academic sphere- and reflect on the impact of public history on the way they teach.
First, we spoke with Dr. Whitney Stewart, an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Texas at Dallas. Stewart reflected on her experience teaching public history at the graduate level, discussing her goals for her students, how public history informs her other classes, and the value of out of classroom visits. She also emphasized the importance of approaching public history in an ethical and honest manner.
We then spoke with Dr. Adam Rothman, a Professor of History at Georgetown University. As the principal curator of the Georgetown Slavery Archive, he detailed the ways that an academic institution’s history can be brought to the public eye and noted the impact of student involvement. He also highlighted the power of social media (especially Twitter) in the creation of public history and sharing of history resources.
Common Views
It’s hard to believe that our 2020 biannual conference, “Foundations of Independence: Protest and Communication in Revolutionary America, 1770-2020,” happened almost one year ago! As we make preparations for our fall 2022 conference— more details soon!— we thought we’d re-up the opening event of “Foundations of Independence,” featuring Dr. Ben Park’s talk, “Thomas Paine’s Worst Nightmare: Mormon Nauvoo and the Boundaries of Religious Liberty in Early America.” In this conversation with ITPS Public Historian Dr. Michael Crowder, Park discusses themes from his wonderful book Kindgom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier (W. W. Norton, 2020).
Common Words
Discussion of American Revolution commemoration, and the upcoming America 250 sestercentennial, is abundant and growing! We’ll take this opportunity to shout-out the essays in the ITPS-co-edited special August 2020 issue of New York History, “The Meaning of the American Revolution,” including timely contributions by Dr. Michael Hattem, “Citizenship and the Memory of the American Revolution in Nineteenth-Century Political Culture,” and Dr. Christopher Minty, “Loyalism and the Liberty Boys: Popular Politics and Allegiance in British New York.” Full Table of Contents here, and more information from publisher Cornell University Press here.
Common Campus
Like so many others across the Northeast, the Iona College campus and community suffered from the effects of Hurricane Ida on Wednesday, September 1. This included the loss of beloved Iona College Computer Science Professors Frances and Ken Bailie. The Iona Gael Nation mourns their loss, and remembers and commemorates the indelible mark they made upon the Iona and Westchester County communities.
Common Facts
Thanks to a recent, generous donation, our Lapidus Collection of Revolutionary Era historiogrpahy is growing rapidly! We’ve begun a series of “Classic Covers” on ITPS social media, and this edition of Common Facts is inspired by this campaign. Name the editor and title of this primary source collection:
Email your answer to itps@iona.edu!