Stephen West
@stephenwest.bsky.social
Historian of Civil War & Reconstruction. Bicyclist, baker, 3d favorite human of Banjo the dog. Views=mine, repost ≠endorsement
Pinned
Stephen West
@stephenwest.bsky.social
· Nov 8
What History Says About The Jan. 6 Committee Investigation
The importance of an unambiguous report that cannot be weaponized by Trump supporters.
www.bunkhistory.org
Welcome, new followers!
I’m a historian of Civil War & Reconstruction and their aftermath in American life. On here, you’ll find me trying to connect that history to our current day—as I did in longer form, in the piece below.
Oh, and I occasionally post pictures of my dog, and things I baked.
I’m a historian of Civil War & Reconstruction and their aftermath in American life. On here, you’ll find me trying to connect that history to our current day—as I did in longer form, in the piece below.
Oh, and I occasionally post pictures of my dog, and things I baked.
Reposted by Stephen West
“It *is* signed. It's a signed document. I guess if you have a signed document in your possession, you can't go wrong. This year I'm really going to kick that football.” — Charlie Brown, 1966
Whoa -- Sen. Durbin went to up Leader Thune during the vote last night to tell him that on the shutdown vote and ACA promise that "8 of us are sticking our neck out that you're going to keep your word. I hope you will. He said 'I assure you I will,'" Durbin says just now
November 10, 2025 at 11:05 PM
“It *is* signed. It's a signed document. I guess if you have a signed document in your possession, you can't go wrong. This year I'm really going to kick that football.” — Charlie Brown, 1966
When did reading become so performative?
November 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
When did reading become so performative?
Abe could be hanging his head in shame, or maybe averting his gaze from the reflection of all those gold-colored doodads
November 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Abe could be hanging his head in shame, or maybe averting his gaze from the reflection of all those gold-colored doodads
Reposted by Stephen West
I feel silly publicizing a book in these times BUT my book describes how constitutional structures allowed the accumulation of generational wealth + rights for settlers and white people. These are the same advantages MAGA is trying to preserve today. Pre-order page:
November 10, 2025 at 2:07 PM
I feel silly publicizing a book in these times BUT my book describes how constitutional structures allowed the accumulation of generational wealth + rights for settlers and white people. These are the same advantages MAGA is trying to preserve today. Pre-order page:
Reposted by Stephen West
A scorpion sitting atop a frog sitting atop Lucy's football
Whoa -- Sen. Durbin went to up Leader Thune during the vote last night to tell him that on the shutdown vote and ACA promise that "8 of us are sticking our neck out that you're going to keep your word. I hope you will. He said 'I assure you I will,'" Durbin says just now
November 10, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A scorpion sitting atop a frog sitting atop Lucy's football
Reposted by Stephen West
Happy news: My new book -- Humanitarianism: A Very Short Introduction -- now has a cover and is available for preorder! The book is a concise history of humanitarianism in an international and global perspective, from the 18th century to the present. More info here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
November 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Happy news: My new book -- Humanitarianism: A Very Short Introduction -- now has a cover and is available for preorder! The book is a concise history of humanitarianism in an international and global perspective, from the 18th century to the present. More info here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Reposted by Stephen West
Parties are shells that are continuously remade. Compare Ds/Rs in 1868, 1904, 1932, 1972, & today on class, race, gender, immigration, & religion.
Most of us want more parties, but that isn’t* viable w/o proportional representation.
Since 1972, all nominees are directly chosen by voters. Do that.
Most of us want more parties, but that isn’t* viable w/o proportional representation.
Since 1972, all nominees are directly chosen by voters. Do that.
"The best way to solve these problems is to leave the Democrats behind!"
"No, you can solve these problems more effectively by taking over the Democrats"
"LOOK AT WHO LOVES THE DEMOCRATS!"
"No, you can solve these problems more effectively by taking over the Democrats"
"LOOK AT WHO LOVES THE DEMOCRATS!"
November 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Parties are shells that are continuously remade. Compare Ds/Rs in 1868, 1904, 1932, 1972, & today on class, race, gender, immigration, & religion.
Most of us want more parties, but that isn’t* viable w/o proportional representation.
Since 1972, all nominees are directly chosen by voters. Do that.
Most of us want more parties, but that isn’t* viable w/o proportional representation.
Since 1972, all nominees are directly chosen by voters. Do that.
Reposted by Stephen West
What the actual fuck is going on here
November 10, 2025 at 7:40 PM
What the actual fuck is going on here
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Reposted by Stephen West
"Commas should be used only and always to indicate where a breath occurs" is the assertion of people who are dreadful at punctuation.
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
"Commas should be used only and always to indicate where a breath occurs" is the assertion of people who are dreadful at punctuation.
AI: destroyer of jobs, creator of jobs
November 10, 2025 at 1:28 PM
AI: destroyer of jobs, creator of jobs
Reposted by Stephen West
I appreciate author Zachary Clary mentioning my book “The Last Lincoln Republican: The Presidential Election of 1880” in this fine @smithsonianmag.bsky.social article giving some of the history behind the new @netflix series “Death by Lightning.”
If you enjoy the series, get yourself a copy!
If you enjoy the series, get yourself a copy!
The Real Story Behind Netflix's 'Death by Lightning' and the Shocking Assassination of President James A. Garfield
The new limited series dramatizes the brief tenure of the 20th commander in chief, who was fatally shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a lawyer who believed he'd secured Garfield's election
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:33 AM
I appreciate author Zachary Clary mentioning my book “The Last Lincoln Republican: The Presidential Election of 1880” in this fine @smithsonianmag.bsky.social article giving some of the history behind the new @netflix series “Death by Lightning.”
If you enjoy the series, get yourself a copy!
If you enjoy the series, get yourself a copy!
Reposted by Stephen West
another for the list?
November 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
another for the list?
Reposted by Stephen West
After emancipation, Black schoolteacher & future Alabama state legislator William V. Turner reported to the Freedmen's Bureau that local officials were illegally withholding food assistance from Black mothers, telling them it "is not for negroes, but for the poor white women."
Alabama Black Teacher to the Alabama Freedmen's Bureau Superintendent of Education, February 5, 1867; and Headquarters of the Alabama Freedmen's Bureau Assistant Commissioner to the Government Relief ...
www.freedmen.umd.edu
November 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
After emancipation, Black schoolteacher & future Alabama state legislator William V. Turner reported to the Freedmen's Bureau that local officials were illegally withholding food assistance from Black mothers, telling them it "is not for negroes, but for the poor white women."
another for the list?
November 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
another for the list?
George, Abe, and "In God We Trust" - coming soon to Florida schools and classrooms?
Bill filed would require Florida classrooms to display portraits of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln
The Department of Education would choose the portraits and make them available to each school district
www.wctv.tv
November 10, 2025 at 1:14 AM
George, Abe, and "In God We Trust" - coming soon to Florida schools and classrooms?
Reposted by Stephen West
The final “question” from the New York Times’ David Marchese in his interview with Greg Gutfeld. Maybe let the readers judge whether it went well. Hard to imagine Chotiner closing an interview this way.
![You probably expected this to go badly, and then it went well.
Exactly right. If I expected, coming into this interview, that this was going to somehow change my leife and I was going to won the libs, then I would be a cranky, cantankerous [expleitive]. But in this case, I’m like; We’ll see what happens. He’ll probably have some penetrating questions. He’ll probably try to psychoanalyze me. He might even bring up Dominion. But know that ahead of time, I’m pleasantly surprised.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:h6xbkw7bucg6ws3vqwnxqewp/bafkreihubo6w2cnrh65wbk4n4er3ojvav5mzkqypzwt4qnpmcirt6gflkq@jpeg)
November 9, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The final “question” from the New York Times’ David Marchese in his interview with Greg Gutfeld. Maybe let the readers judge whether it went well. Hard to imagine Chotiner closing an interview this way.
Reposted by Stephen West
Gutfeld is a professional bullshitter who knows how to avoid getting called on his bullshit.
Asked if he's being disingenuous, he cackles (the transcript omits "[laughs]" here), and answers a series of questions with questions.
Asked if he's being disingenuous, he cackles (the transcript omits "[laughs]" here), and answers a series of questions with questions.
November 9, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Gutfeld is a professional bullshitter who knows how to avoid getting called on his bullshit.
Asked if he's being disingenuous, he cackles (the transcript omits "[laughs]" here), and answers a series of questions with questions.
Asked if he's being disingenuous, he cackles (the transcript omits "[laughs]" here), and answers a series of questions with questions.
dog contemplates chicken, suburban sidewalk edition
November 9, 2025 at 2:25 PM
dog contemplates chicken, suburban sidewalk edition
Something about that hyphen between 1776 and 2026 makes it read like birth and death dates.
Unintentional but perhaps appropriate!
Unintentional but perhaps appropriate!
A Two-Headed Coin That Always Comes Up ‘Trump’
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Something about that hyphen between 1776 and 2026 makes it read like birth and death dates.
Unintentional but perhaps appropriate!
Unintentional but perhaps appropriate!
Reposted by Stephen West
Joseph J. Ellis Doesn’t Think You Would Have Abolished Slavery, Either www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/b... Hmmmmmm.
Joseph J. Ellis Doesn’t Think You Would Have Abolished Slavery, Either
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Joseph J. Ellis Doesn’t Think You Would Have Abolished Slavery, Either www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/b... Hmmmmmm.
Reposted by Stephen West
The framers certainly designed the Senate to be counter-majoritarian.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that they did *not* require super majorities in the Senate to pass most legislation.
That's a parliamentary add-on that is making an already undemocratic institution thoroughly sclerotic.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that they did *not* require super majorities in the Senate to pass most legislation.
That's a parliamentary add-on that is making an already undemocratic institution thoroughly sclerotic.
October 10, 2025 at 5:56 PM
The framers certainly designed the Senate to be counter-majoritarian.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that they did *not* require super majorities in the Senate to pass most legislation.
That's a parliamentary add-on that is making an already undemocratic institution thoroughly sclerotic.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that they did *not* require super majorities in the Senate to pass most legislation.
That's a parliamentary add-on that is making an already undemocratic institution thoroughly sclerotic.
Today is the birthday of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind - which I'll use as excuse to reshare my favorite quote about the historical (mis)understanding of Reconstruction behind it
Since we're discoursing about Gone with the Wind, here's my favorite commentary on the novel that inspired it:
Walter White of the NAACP called it a sign of the "completely confederatized" writing of the history of Reconstruction.
Walter White of the NAACP called it a sign of the "completely confederatized" writing of the history of Reconstruction.
November 8, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Today is the birthday of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind - which I'll use as excuse to reshare my favorite quote about the historical (mis)understanding of Reconstruction behind it
Reposted by Stephen West
“woke” is when you acknowledge that black people have contributed to the united states
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
November 8, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“woke” is when you acknowledge that black people have contributed to the united states
Having run through all the actual "like a dog" expressions, he is now making them up
November 8, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Having run through all the actual "like a dog" expressions, he is now making them up