Political History Curator, Smithsonian Institution
I study the deep history of American democracy, especially the wild partisan campaigns of the 1800s. At the same time, I collect objects from contemporary protests, conventions, elections, and riots for the Smithsonian, to try to preserve our own heated moment for generations to come. Together, it involves a bit of time-traveling, explaining the past to the present, and the present to the future.
My first book, The Virgin Vote: How Young Americans Made Democracy Social, Politics Personal, and Voting Popular in the Nineteenth Century uncovered the forgotten history of the youth vote, to show that young men and women were once the most engaged, and sought after, demographic in American politics.
My new book, The Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought to Fix Their Democracy, 1865-1915, chronicles the way that the "normal" democracy we inherited from the 20th century was invented, around 1900, to restrain the vibrant but violent partisan political campaigns of 19th century America. To tell this story, The Age of Acrimony follows the father-daughter political dynasty of radical congressman William “Pig Iron” Kelley and his labor activist daughter Florence Kelley.
How a newspaper revolution sparked protesters and influencers, disinformation and the Civil War
Oct 08, 2024 07:25 am UTC| Insights & Views Business Politics
Theres one question I get every time I give a talk. Im a curator of political history at the Smithsonian Institution, and when I discuss the deep history of political division in our country, someone in the audience always...
Aug 16, 2024 03:52 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Three political history curators from the Smithsonians National Museum of American History are heading to Chicago and the 2024 Democratic National Convention soon to collect stuff or as the professionals call it,...