Department of History

President Joe Biden acknowledged the “uncivil war” festering in the United States in his first address Wednesday, but did so in a way that largely avoided the pessimism of his predecessor’s “American carnage.” That was the assessment of political scientists, former speech writers, language and history experts who took in Biden’s speech. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, joins other experts to share her thoughts on the legacy of President Trump.

This week’s move by more than 200 workers at Alphabet to form a union is being seen as an alternative framework for organizing at other Silicon Valley giants. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

The ability of companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to control what people see online is so potent, it is the subject of antitrust hearings. But the decision by Amazon to push Parler off its dominant cloud-computing service illustrates just how powerful its content-moderation capabilities are as well. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

This week at the UW, attend events to honor Martin Luther King, Jr, attend the #BurkeFromHome Trivia Night, and more.

Twitter’s decision Friday to join Facebook in permanently suspending President Trump’s account underscored the fundamental role of social media in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. If it feels strange and unusual, that’s because there’s no historical precedent, neither in media nor the presidency. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed on the GeekWire podcast.

A politically charged mob, egged on by the sitting president, overran the U.S. Capitol and brought democracy to a halt. Members of our state's congressional delegation shares their experiences. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

Calls to invoke a never-before-used section of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment prior to President Donald Trump’s concession Thursday evening would have been a difficult task, local experts said. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. This week, join a drop-in meditation session, listen to a lecture on critical issues in contemporary art, and more.

College of Arts & Sciences Dean Stacey explains that there is an important civic, political, social, and cultural element to an education and that you can get that in a wide variety of majors.

Glennys Young, professor of history and of international studies and chair of the Department of History, was featured in a Spanish TV documentary about Cold War-era interrogation program, and the new Burke Museum was honored.

Last year, Amazon surpassed Boeing as the state’s largest private employer, usurping a title the airplane manufacturer had likely held since the post-World War II era. The UW’s Margaret O’Mara, professor of history; Jeff Shulman, professor of marketing; and Andrew Hedden, associate director of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, are quoted.

An article by Margaret O’Mara, professor of history, is featured in this collection of New York Times articles.

Margaret O’Mara, professor of history, explains the rise of inequality this year.

Even as shared public spaces emptied out, the gap between the economically privileged and the precarious became impossible to ignore. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.