G. Patrick O'Brien

The stage is set for the first exoneration of an executed person in Canadian history - Halifax Examiner Exonerating Daniel Sampson will honour the truths that the Black Nova Scotia community have been telling for centuries.

The stage is set for the first exoneration of an executed person in Canadian history

Morning File by me

Opinion | Trump’s Louis XIV Moment

When I’m president, I’m turning his ballroom into a public library.

Trump’s Louis XIV Moment www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/o...

Liz Covart hosts one of the first and most popular academic history podcasts (Ben Franklin's World) and presented at the first History Camp. You can bet I'll tune in for this talk on early attempts to unify the American colonies, long before 1776.

www.eventbrite.com/e/the-first-...

Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies (Black Studies) - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Indeed.com Western Washington University

The Department of Ethnic Studies at Western Washington University is inviting applications for an Assistant Professor in Black Studies, beginning Fall 2026.

www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk...

Today, I got to take part in the “Pie a Professor” fundraiser. We had lots of students join in the fun, but the littlest participant was my favorite!

A young child in a diaper and orange tank top sits on a bathroom floor, surrounded by scattered toilet paper, towels, and toiletries. The child is reaching up toward an open toilet with one hand and holding a piece of paper with the other. The bathroom has blue walls with a floral pattern, a yellow towel with duck designs on a rack, and a sink in the background. The book title "LOVE YOU FOREVER" by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw, is displayed at the top.

On Oct. 1, 1986, Canadian author Robert Munsch released his book Love You Forever.
It became one of the most successful children's books ever written, selling 38 million copies.
This is the story of how Munsch turned personal tragedy into a book beloved by generations.

🧵 1/10

Thanks to everyone who was part of making our Religions of Revolution Symposium such a wonderful day of scholarship and conversation last Saturday. We hope to see you all at 14 Beacon again soon!

Happy to share my New Books Network interview with historian Mary E. Hicks about her new book!

newbooksnetwork.com/captive-cosm...

Heading into Boston today for the Religions of Revolution symposium, sponsored by @congrelib.bsky.social and the New England Quarterly. Looking forward to a great day of discussion thanks to @sarageorgini.bsky.social and Lauren Hibbert! #America250 www.congregationallibrary.org/religions-re...

Alexander Thompson and Declaring Peace in the Borderlands of Western New York, 1783 - Journal of the American Revolution On April 17, 1783, a dispatch arrived at Fort Rensselaer along the western bank of the Mohawk River, around two miles northwest of modern Canajoharie, New York. The messenger carried directions from G...

Sometimes when researching, you find documents that don't exactly fit your current project, but are worthy of study nonetheless. Thanks to everyone at the Journal of the American Revolution for giving this piece a home.

WFAN’s jingle lives rent free in my head: “Sports Radio 66 the FAN, WFAN, Newwwwww Yorkkkkkk!”

A photo of the statue of Paul Revere in the North End with the Old North Church and a beautiful pink sunset in the background.

Incredible photo of yesterday's sunset!

📸 Mike Surette

On this day in 1759, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was fought outside Quebec City.
A victory for the British, it left nearly 200 dead including General James Wolfe and General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm.
It was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War.

Kind, generous, and seemingly an endless repository of knowledge. Peter made time to talk with me about a project of mine this summer, providing invaluable recommendations. I hope he has the very best retirement. He’ll be greatly missed.

Registration for our "Religions of Revolution" symposium closes in two weeks, and limited seats remain, so register soon if you'd like to join us at 14 Beacon on September 27th.

Learn more and get your ticket at congregationallibrary.org/religions-re...

Graphic says "Graduate Student Reception, September 17, 2025, 2:00-4:00 PM ET, Hybrid." Underneath is a photo of a room full of wooden tables with wooden walls. Men sit at two of the tables doing research.

Graduate students & faculty: Join us on September 17 for our Graduate Student Reception! Enjoy free refreshments and learn about the resources we offer to support your scholarship, from research fellowships to our seminars. Virtual attendees also welcome.

Register: www.masshist.org/events/gradu...

Article cover for Sadie Sunderland's new article in Transactions: 'Irish Catholic Recruitment into the British Army during the American Revolution: A Case Study of the 46th Regiment of Foot'. Abstract: This article looks at military history through a social lens, focusing on the identity and experiences of the Irish Catholics recruited for service in the British army during the American Revolution, a conflict which occurred before Catholics were legally permitted to serve, but during which significant numbers were recruited nonetheless. Using Irish Catholic recruitment and subsequent service in the 46th Regiment of Foot as a case study, this article will discuss the integration of this group into a regular regiment on the British establishment, arguing that despite contemporary anxieties to the contrary, the incorporation of Irish Catholics into the British army happened smoothly and without negative impact on regimental cohesion and discipline. They became well-integrated, and while their loyalty to the British state can never be definitively proven, they certainly became effective participants in its army and empire. This provides a compelling viewpoint from which to discuss the integration of ‘others’ into Britishness and the imperial apparatus during this period.

New in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'

'Irish Catholic Recruitment into the British Army
during the American Revolution: A Case Study
of the 46th Regiment of Foot', by Sadie Sunderland bit.ly/4m80z84

What can Irish recruitment tell us about the complexity of the C18th military? 1/2

What if we designed communities in Halifax around fun and play? - Halifax Examiner Let's ask the same question Jane Jacobs asked about placemaking: “Will it make the city fun?”

What if we designed communities in Halifax around fun and play?

Morning File by @suzannerent.bsky.social

Opinion | ‘Acute, Sustained, Profound and Abiding Rage’: Canada Finds Its Voice

I wrote about the state of Canadian rage for @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/o...
The piece is a kind of capstone to all the work of Gloves Off. shows.acast.com/gloves-off

About this Florida vaccine story:

When they were little - 1 yr and 3 1/2 - my two older boys, who’d had all their shots, got whooping cough.

We asked their pediatrician what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been vaccinated.

“Oh, they’d have died.”

The Revolutionary generation (Founders and ordinary folks alike) broadly understood that communicable disease is the tyrant. Disease is the enslaver we can't otherwise escape. Inoculations and vaccines are gifts of liberty.

"I confess I am afraid, that the Discouraging of this Practice, may cause many a Life to be lost, which for my own part, I should be loth to have any hand in, because of the Sixth Commandment."

--Prominent atheist Increase Mather on inoculation in 1721

Are you an educator thinking about how to teach the Revolution to the next generation during Rev250? Or would you like to revisit a literary classic to celebrate 250? Consider virtually joining me and other enthusiasts at Old North Church to discuss Forbes’ classic “Johnny Tremain” later this month!

I don’t know anything about the science behind this, but considering that a bottle of mouthwash left in the backseat of my car exploded today, I’m guessing a sand batter in Florida would store enough power to heat the entire world.

*Colonel* Robert E. Lee. He was only a general in an illegal army

A manuscript document from 1818, describing the enslavers of Patience Boylston, and he various homes and marriages, which include Lunenberg, Brookline, and Ipswich, MA.

I've been doing a deep dive into the Boston Overseers of the Poor records, which are a major and unexploited resource for the history of African Americans in early C19 Massachusetts. This account of Patience Boylston from 1818 gives a sense of how rich the records are 🗃️

Happy birthday! (Love the Garnett and Black robes. I never got mine and regret it every convocation and commencement. Let me ask, did you just get them through the school store or do you have a cool workaround site?!)

“Bluenose II cancels visit to U.S., cites 'uncertainties' with crossing the border”

Hell yeah, Bluenose.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...