The Troubling Questions at the Heart of the Study of Slavery
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If you missed it, the Trump administration took aim at the Smithsonian. As stated in an executive order, their goal is to end the “revisionist moment” carried out by historians.
It goes without saying, but to be clear, I don’t support that executive order. On the contrary, I’m proud that this newsletter is part of the “revisionist moment.” The study of slavery, the subject of my interview today, demonstrates why revisionist history is so integral in moving us toward justice.
In Making Sense of Slavery: America’s Long Reckoning, from the Founding Era to Today, historian Scott Spillman traces historians’ evolving interpretations of slavery since the 1700s. In tracking these debates, he helps frame “the troubling new realm” we’ve entered and the challenging questions at the heart of American history.
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