G. Patrick O'Brien
@gpatrickobrien.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of History at the University of Tampa. Sharing my own thoughts on loyalism, loyalist refugees in Nova Scotia, teaching, and college basketball.
ut.academia.edu/GPatrickOBrien
ut.academia.edu/GPatrickOBrien
I'm constantly torn between "Did bullying make these guys like this?" and "We need to bring bullying back."
Decades of the white nationalist movement evolving to adapt to current political trends has brought them to this moment.
December 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I'm constantly torn between "Did bullying make these guys like this?" and "We need to bring bullying back."
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
On this day 302 years ago, the Old North Church celebrated its first worship service.
Remarkably, construction of the church had begun only nine months earlier in April. In his inaugural sermon, Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler preached that Old North “shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”
Remarkably, construction of the church had begun only nine months earlier in April. In his inaugural sermon, Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler preached that Old North “shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”
December 29, 2025 at 9:51 PM
On this day 302 years ago, the Old North Church celebrated its first worship service.
Remarkably, construction of the church had begun only nine months earlier in April. In his inaugural sermon, Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler preached that Old North “shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”
Remarkably, construction of the church had begun only nine months earlier in April. In his inaugural sermon, Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler preached that Old North “shall be called a house of prayer for all people.”
Amid an outbreak among the loyalist refugees of Halifax, Nova Scotia, nineteen-year-old Mary Robie watched an enslaved girl die of measles. "The Child had lain for more than a week in most inconceivable agony as is evident from strong convulsion fits she had the latter part of the time."
December 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Amid an outbreak among the loyalist refugees of Halifax, Nova Scotia, nineteen-year-old Mary Robie watched an enslaved girl die of measles. "The Child had lain for more than a week in most inconceivable agony as is evident from strong convulsion fits she had the latter part of the time."
There is a fairly simple cause: course instructors, both those on the tenure track and those who are not, are increasingly evaluated by students’ course evaluations, which are heavily influenced by, among other things, the students’ grades in the course.
On the surface, grade inflation might seem simple to address, Ian Bogost writes. But it’s a strange and wicked problem on campus, with no single cause or obvious solution: theatln.tc/yjoGnzFM
December 28, 2025 at 10:28 PM
There is a fairly simple cause: course instructors, both those on the tenure track and those who are not, are increasingly evaluated by students’ course evaluations, which are heavily influenced by, among other things, the students’ grades in the course.
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
(I always enjoyed a blue book exam.)
December 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
(I always enjoyed a blue book exam.)
More accessible than Locke. More provocative than Dickinson.
“In America, the Law is king.” Probably my favorite piece of political writing, and one I regularly had students read. Rezek’s article ignores, btw, the significant way Paine wielded the Bible to attack monarchy — Paine knew his audience. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/b...
The Pamphlet That Has Roused Americans to Action for 250 Years
www.nytimes.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
More accessible than Locke. More provocative than Dickinson.
It’s pronounced “treacher-eh.”
December 24, 2025 at 1:33 AM
It’s pronounced “treacher-eh.”
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
At Harvard’s Houghton Library, I found a letter with salt crusted onto it. When I read the letter, I realized it was the guy’s dried tears because the letter was about the death of his young daughter
I think we need a mega thread of everyone's craziest archive stories.
December 22, 2025 at 7:42 PM
At Harvard’s Houghton Library, I found a letter with salt crusted onto it. When I read the letter, I realized it was the guy’s dried tears because the letter was about the death of his young daughter
Historians on here, please help me out: I am getting entirely overwhelmed at what it meant to be elected to (or appointed to?) town office in mid-18th-century Massachusetts. What do I need to read to understand how town government worked in the colonial era??? THANKS!
December 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Historians on here, please help me out: I am getting entirely overwhelmed at what it meant to be elected to (or appointed to?) town office in mid-18th-century Massachusetts. What do I need to read to understand how town government worked in the colonial era??? THANKS!
If you’ve ever read anything like Young’s masterful, “The Shoemaker and the Tea Party,” then you realize that giving the military $1776 (taxable) “bonus” checks of their own money is the *perfect* way to commemorate the government’s treatment of soldiers during and after the Revolution.
It's a shell game. Trump is taking money from soldiers' housing subsidies to "give" them $1,776 "warrior dividend" checks.
Trump rebrands Congressionally-approved troop housing subsidy as ‘warrior dividend’ bonus
More than $2.9 billion in reconciliation funds was allocated to beef up troop housing allowances. Now it’s being used for $1,776 checks.
www.defenseone.com
December 21, 2025 at 12:51 PM
If you’ve ever read anything like Young’s masterful, “The Shoemaker and the Tea Party,” then you realize that giving the military $1776 (taxable) “bonus” checks of their own money is the *perfect* way to commemorate the government’s treatment of soldiers during and after the Revolution.
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
The glorious history of The Butter Tart, one of Canada's greatest creations.
youtube.com/shorts/rttD2...
youtube.com/shorts/rttD2...
The History Of Butter Tarts!
YouTube video by Canadian History Ehx
youtube.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:57 PM
The glorious history of The Butter Tart, one of Canada's greatest creations.
youtube.com/shorts/rttD2...
youtube.com/shorts/rttD2...
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
December 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.
Oh the year was 2026, how I wish I was in Miami now! A letter or marque came down from the king to the scummiest vessel I’d ever seen! Goddamn MAGA! I was told we’d cruise the seas for narco drugs, we’d fire no guns, shed no tears! I’m a broken man on a Key West pier, the last of Trump’s privateers.
This is the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen.
Let’s pretend like these dudes on the boats are really cartel members.
There are a handful of OIF/OEF veterans that would be prepared to deal with that amount of firepower.
Everyone else? This will get Americans killed.
Let’s pretend like these dudes on the boats are really cartel members.
There are a handful of OIF/OEF veterans that would be prepared to deal with that amount of firepower.
Everyone else? This will get Americans killed.
December 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Oh the year was 2026, how I wish I was in Miami now! A letter or marque came down from the king to the scummiest vessel I’d ever seen! Goddamn MAGA! I was told we’d cruise the seas for narco drugs, we’d fire no guns, shed no tears! I’m a broken man on a Key West pier, the last of Trump’s privateers.
“Here now with some tips on how to choose a major, is our academic correspondent, Stefon”:
December 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
“Here now with some tips on how to choose a major, is our academic correspondent, Stefon”:
In fairness, there’s probably nothing that better represents the nation right now than two goons beating the piss out of each other on the White House lawn.
The Trump WH just launched *yet another* national 250 organization: Freedom 250. Not to be confused with Task Force 250 or the America250 congressional commission. As far as I can tell, this is a vehicle for executing WH-led events without restriction of govt agencies/commission. freedom250.org/news
News
Official website of Freedom 250
freedom250.org
December 18, 2025 at 11:25 PM
In fairness, there’s probably nothing that better represents the nation right now than two goons beating the piss out of each other on the White House lawn.
Ah yes. History famously demonstrates that talking to each other is the answer.
December 18, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Ah yes. History famously demonstrates that talking to each other is the answer.
If 11 months ago, inflation was the worst its been in 48 years, could it really be the worst its ever been in the history of this great nation?
December 18, 2025 at 2:03 AM
If 11 months ago, inflation was the worst its been in 48 years, could it really be the worst its ever been in the history of this great nation?
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
New @cato.org story argues that it's DHS policy to threaten/arrest illegally protestors--> in other words, the fed gvt is a threat to the rule of law.
The Government Unconstitutionally Labels ICE Observers as Domestic Terrorists
A free country must have an absolute wall of protection for those who record government actions.
www.cato.org
December 17, 2025 at 3:49 PM
New @cato.org story argues that it's DHS policy to threaten/arrest illegally protestors--> in other words, the fed gvt is a threat to the rule of law.
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
A Poem for Semester’s End
Twas the night before course evals,
and all through RMP,
the students were bitching,
“I worked too hard for the C!”
The ChatGPT essay,
submitted without care,
And the always faithful, never failing, “this grade just is NOT fair!”
Twas the night before course evals,
and all through RMP,
the students were bitching,
“I worked too hard for the C!”
The ChatGPT essay,
submitted without care,
And the always faithful, never failing, “this grade just is NOT fair!”
December 16, 2025 at 1:19 AM
A Poem for Semester’s End
Twas the night before course evals,
and all through RMP,
the students were bitching,
“I worked too hard for the C!”
The ChatGPT essay,
submitted without care,
And the always faithful, never failing, “this grade just is NOT fair!”
Twas the night before course evals,
and all through RMP,
the students were bitching,
“I worked too hard for the C!”
The ChatGPT essay,
submitted without care,
And the always faithful, never failing, “this grade just is NOT fair!”
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
On Dec. 13, 1758, the Duke William was transporting Acadians to France from Prince Edward Island.
Everyone on the ship was deported in the Acadian Expulsion.
Damaged in a storm, she took 3 days to sink. Over 360 people died.
This is the story.
🎨 Johan van der Hagen
🧵 1/10
Everyone on the ship was deported in the Acadian Expulsion.
Damaged in a storm, she took 3 days to sink. Over 360 people died.
This is the story.
🎨 Johan van der Hagen
🧵 1/10
December 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
On Dec. 13, 1758, the Duke William was transporting Acadians to France from Prince Edward Island.
Everyone on the ship was deported in the Acadian Expulsion.
Damaged in a storm, she took 3 days to sink. Over 360 people died.
This is the story.
🎨 Johan van der Hagen
🧵 1/10
Everyone on the ship was deported in the Acadian Expulsion.
Damaged in a storm, she took 3 days to sink. Over 360 people died.
This is the story.
🎨 Johan van der Hagen
🧵 1/10
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
Good Luck to Jacob Fowler you were always meant to be a Hab ! No pressure just enjoy the moment you’ve worked hard to get here. ♥️
December 12, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Good Luck to Jacob Fowler you were always meant to be a Hab ! No pressure just enjoy the moment you’ve worked hard to get here. ♥️
Reposted by G. Patrick O'Brien
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Can Your Face Predict Your Salary? Using AI Personality Assessments in Hiring
A new study from Wharton faculty explores how AI can extract personality traits from facial images — and what that means for your career.
knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
December 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."