Historical Topics, research

Esperanto, Nationalism, and Bureaucracy in the League of Nations: A Language Caught in the Crossfire

Aidan Pritchard From its humble beginnings as an unnamed language in 1887, to the forefront of the League of Nations’ debate on auxiliary languages, Esperanto – meaning ‘one who hopes’ – has aimed to promote global peace and cooperation. The artificial language’s inventor, Ludwik Zamenhof, had grown up in Bialystok, Poland, a city populated by Poles, Russians, Germans, and Jews. The city’s linguistic barriers exacerbated … Continue reading Esperanto, Nationalism, and Bureaucracy in the League of Nations: A Language Caught in the Crossfire

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Book List

A Reading List for Women’s History Month

In honor of the closing of Women’s History Month, we asked our editors and readers to share their favorite works that highlight women’s contributions throughout history and ongoing struggles. The following is a brief list of books that bring to life untold and overlooked stories of and by women, past and present. History & Nonfiction A Woman’s World, 1850–1960 by Marina Amaral and Dan Jones … Continue reading A Reading List for Women’s History Month

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Historical Topics

Jianbi Qingye: The Environmental Warfare of the Taiping Rebellion: Walls of War, Fields of Fire 

Shawn Liu The Taiping Rebellion is infamous for being one of the bloodiest civil wars in history, but it was also an ecological catastrophe. While historian John Fincher has described the conflict as a “heavily saturated topic” in historical scholarship, its ecological dimensions remain strikingly underexplored. Beyond the well-documented clashes of ideologies and armies, another form of destruction took place, one measured not in human … Continue reading Jianbi Qingye: The Environmental Warfare of the Taiping Rebellion: Walls of War, Fields of Fire 

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Historical Topics, History in Popular Culture, Op-ed

Beneath the SHEIN Sheen: The Horrors of Ultra-Fast Fashion and Modern Garment Work

Kate Dillard Online shopping is a sport. Scouring the internet for hours and frantically “adding to cart” to lock in those limited-time deals requires stamina and leaves you with a dopamine rush. But in this sport, there are no winners. Behind every trendy top and cheap price tag is a dark backstory. The garment industry has a long history of worker abuse and exploitation, from … Continue reading Beneath the SHEIN Sheen: The Horrors of Ultra-Fast Fashion and Modern Garment Work

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Historical Topics

Cottages and Kittens: The Culture of Comfort

Megan Huang During the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw the rise of what became known as “cottagecore.” Given a name in 2018 by Tumblr users (because who else?), this Zillennial lifestyle aesthetic consisting of sunny days, rolling flower meadows, and flouncy dresses represented an idyllic, bucolic fantasy of young womanhood. When the real world was flooded with daily news updates about … Continue reading Cottages and Kittens: The Culture of Comfort

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Historical Topics, History in Popular Culture

Hamilton’s Legacy: A Political Affair

Sophie McCarthy Infidelity has plagued politics, sent shockwaves through sports, and birthed award-winning reality television. Even the fastest-growing Broadway musical features a cheating scandal. Hamilton, debuting in 2015, has quickly climbed to the fourth highest grossing show of all time. The production, which centers on the turbulent political career of Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, spans twenty-eight years, two hours & forty-five minutes, and forty-six songs. … Continue reading Hamilton’s Legacy: A Political Affair

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Historical Topics

The World Has Always Been Ending

Tyler Isgar The world has always been ending. This is to say that throughout history, different societies have often been convinced that theirs was the last generation before the imminent end of the world. Today is no different. Anxieties around climate change, the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, and a fragmented world order all contribute to an air of “doomerism,” a general anticipation … Continue reading The World Has Always Been Ending

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Conferences

Expanding the Historical Dialogue: Opportunities for Students in 2025 Conferences

Shawn Liu For the first time in The Footnote’s history, we are spotlighting opportunities for history students to present their research and engage with scholars through upcoming conferences. These events provide invaluable platforms for students to contribute to critical discussions and deepen their academic pursuits through building new networks. Below are some prominent conferences and calls for papers that may be of interest to Georgetown … Continue reading Expanding the Historical Dialogue: Opportunities for Students in 2025 Conferences

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Historical Topics, History in Popular Culture

Life, Liberty, & Leotards: Women’s Gymnastics at the 1996 Olympic Games

Juliana Lo On July 24, 1996, the New York Times front page image featured the United States’ women’s gymnastics team receiving the gold medal at their home Olympics in Atlanta. The headline in the sports section stated: “For the Magnificent Seven, It Hurts So Good” underscoring the dramatic finish to the team event. These female athletes, nicknamed the Magnificent Seven, signified the rise and excellence … Continue reading Life, Liberty, & Leotards: Women’s Gymnastics at the 1996 Olympic Games

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