Author: thefootnotegeorgetown

State of the Field

W(h)ither Nauru: The Case for More Historical Scholarship on Postcolonial Island Nations

Philip LaRue Buried in Dr. J.R. McNeill’s 1994 “Of Rats and Men: A Synoptic Environmental History of the Island Pacific” is a tantalizing datapoint. The people of Nauru, one of the islands of McNeill’s study, were apparently then “fortunate: none of them need[ed] work.” After renegotiating extractive colonial-era phosphate mining leases in 1968, Nauruans reached higher per capita incomes than Saudis or Swiss by the … Continue reading W(h)ither Nauru: The Case for More Historical Scholarship on Postcolonial Island Nations

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Historical Topics

Taking Haiti: Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940

Jenna Marcus In her book Taking Haiti: Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940, Mary Renda explores the interplay between culture and foreign policy through the lens of the U.S. occupation of Haiti. This impressive work of scholarship offers insight into how national consciousness was shaped during the interwar period and the ways in which identity has historically been used as a tool … Continue reading Taking Haiti: Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940

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Historical Topics

The Decoration of Doll Houses: Gilded Age Values on Display in a Toy

Mallory Page “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls,” Dame Hellen Mirren announces as the Narrator in Barbie.[1] While this quote may be hyperbolic, dolls are a pivotal part of many women’s childhoods. The success of Barbie this past summer points to the importance of dolls to modern culture. Long before the advent of the eponymous … Continue reading The Decoration of Doll Houses: Gilded Age Values on Display in a Toy

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Historical Topics

Part II: What’s on my Cherry Blossom playlist? A personal exploration of the music history behind my favorite songs for spring

Sareena Dubey With Cherry Blossom Season just around the corner, I’m excited to unveil this year’s carefully curated selection of cherry blossom viewing music. This collection features a delightful mix of groovy tunes with compelling backstories. Join me as I explore some of my favorite tracks for this magical time of year and uncover the fascinating tales behind them. “Oh Honey” stands as an iconic … Continue reading Part II: What’s on my Cherry Blossom playlist? A personal exploration of the music history behind my favorite songs for spring

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Op-ed

Reflections on Prisons and Dark Tourism in Cartagena, Colombia

Rosie Click “See that building there? That used to be a women’s prison,” said my friend as we walked down a narrow street in the old walled portion of Cartagena, Colombia. The large, white building had peeling layers of white-ish paint and appeared abandoned. What was this doing in the middle of the most tourist-dense area of one of the most sought-after destinations in Colombia? … Continue reading Reflections on Prisons and Dark Tourism in Cartagena, Colombia

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Historical Topics

Mapping History: Using ArcGIS to Make History More Accessible

Rae Neville “A map does not just chart, it unlocks and formulates meaning; it forms bridges between here and there, between disparate ideas that we did not know were previously connected.”  – Reif Larsen, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet Mapping and other forms of digital visualization offer unique opportunities to academics wishing to make their work more accessible to the public. As a historian … Continue reading Mapping History: Using ArcGIS to Make History More Accessible

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Historical Topics

Blue and Gray: Georgetown and a Discussion of the Causes of the Civil War

Bryan Checo No longer can statues dedicated to Confederates or Confederate flags be allowed to be displayed in public, nor should any other form of memorial or commemoration. Their removal is not erasing history but erasing false history—a course correction that should have occurred during Reconstruction. Included in these commemorations are the colors of Georgetown University–blue and gray–which were chosen to represent the newfound unity … Continue reading Blue and Gray: Georgetown and a Discussion of the Causes of the Civil War

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Historical Topics

From the Footnote Archives: Staff Favorites

Some of the Footnote staff members have gone back through the archives to find some of our favorite articles from the past few years! Hopefully we will inspire you to take a journey back through the Footnote catalog and recall some of your favorites, too. Rae Neville, Outreach Coordinator: “Romance and Nostalgia in the Coffeehouse” by Kathleen Walsh Coffee is a huge part of my … Continue reading From the Footnote Archives: Staff Favorites

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Historical Topics

Panda Politics and Oxen Ordeals: The Politics of U.S.-China Animal Diplomacy

Shawn Liu In early February last year, Chinese internet users on the popular social media platform Weibo began voicing concern over pictures of Yaya, a Chinese panda at the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. The picture circulated online shows Yaya sitting against a bamboo pole, seemingly malnourished and emaciated. These users accused the Memphis Zoo of subjecting Yaya the panda, a sacred Chinese animal, to … Continue reading Panda Politics and Oxen Ordeals: The Politics of U.S.-China Animal Diplomacy

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Historical Topics, Op-ed

On Culture, Repression, and Diplomacy: Thoughts and Tantrums from a PhD Student, Vol II

Victoria Saeki-Serna On October 2nd, 1968, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Mexico City turned into a mass grave. At 6:10 pm on the cue of a red flare, soldiers and undercover agents sent by president Gustavo Diaz Ordaz rained gunfire on an assembly of university students and their allies gathered to protest the absence of political rights in the country. They blocked exits, arrested those they … Continue reading On Culture, Repression, and Diplomacy: Thoughts and Tantrums from a PhD Student, Vol II

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