Stephen West
@stephenwest.bsky.social
Historian of Civil War & Reconstruction. Bicyclist, baker, 3d favorite human of Banjo the dog. Views=mine, repost ≠endorsement
Pinned
Stephen West
@stephenwest.bsky.social
· Nov 8
What History Says About The Jan. 6 Committee Investigation
The importance of an unambiguous report that cannot be weaponized by Trump supporters.
www.bunkhistory.org
Welcome, new followers!
I’m a historian of Civil War & Reconstruction and their aftermath in American life. On here, you’ll find me trying to connect that history to our current day—as I did in longer form, in the piece below.
Oh, and I occasionally post pictures of my dog, and things I baked.
I’m a historian of Civil War & Reconstruction and their aftermath in American life. On here, you’ll find me trying to connect that history to our current day—as I did in longer form, in the piece below.
Oh, and I occasionally post pictures of my dog, and things I baked.
Reposted by Stephen West
This is Blueskyism
Ken Burns Revolution documentary drinking game where you take a shot every time you recognize the author of a primary source before the narrator tells you.
November 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
This is Blueskyism
Reposted by Stephen West
Ken Burns Revolution documentary drinking game where you take a shot every time you recognize the author of a primary source before the narrator tells you.
November 24, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Ken Burns Revolution documentary drinking game where you take a shot every time you recognize the author of a primary source before the narrator tells you.
Reposted by Stephen West
Now see here, what exactly is *too many* books?
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 24, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Now see here, what exactly is *too many* books?
Reposted by Stephen West
When immigrants read "'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,' and feel that that moral sentiment is the father of all moral principle in them, they have a right to claim it as though they were blood of the blood of the men who wrote that Declaration."
—Lincoln
—Lincoln
November 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM
When immigrants read "'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,' and feel that that moral sentiment is the father of all moral principle in them, they have a right to claim it as though they were blood of the blood of the men who wrote that Declaration."
—Lincoln
—Lincoln
Reposted by Stephen West
“To be an American is not to be someone, but to believe in something.”
"There has been some talk recently that we aren’t and shouldn’t be a creedal nation.... I reject this position as passionately as I can."
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Opinion | Why America Is a ‘Creedal Nation’
The distinguished historian says the U.S. isn’t like other nations and never has been. There is no American ethnicity to back up the state.
www.wsj.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
“To be an American is not to be someone, but to believe in something.”
Reposted by Stephen West
Surprise! We took last week's Historians At The Movies Watch Party on Ken Burns' The American Revolution and turned it into a podcast. So join me, @lizcovart.bsky.social, @michaelhattem.bsky.social @craigbrucesmith.bsky.social & the #HATM community right here.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Episode 167: Ken Burns' The American Revolution (Historians' Commentary)
Podcast Episode · Reckoning with Jason Herbert · 11/23/2025 · 2h 13m
podcasts.apple.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Surprise! We took last week's Historians At The Movies Watch Party on Ken Burns' The American Revolution and turned it into a podcast. So join me, @lizcovart.bsky.social, @michaelhattem.bsky.social @craigbrucesmith.bsky.social & the #HATM community right here.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Reposted by Stephen West
It’s amazing to me how many people fundamentally misunderstand cause and effect. People drive into cities b/c they want to go to cities; if you reduce the ability to use cars in certain ways, they’ll still go because that’s where they want to be! The goal is to be in the city, not to be in the car!
Some real “the bar industry cannot survive without allowing people to smoke indoors” vibes with these folks.
November 23, 2025 at 2:14 PM
It’s amazing to me how many people fundamentally misunderstand cause and effect. People drive into cities b/c they want to go to cities; if you reduce the ability to use cars in certain ways, they’ll still go because that’s where they want to be! The goal is to be in the city, not to be in the car!
"sedition at the highest level"
November 23, 2025 at 2:16 PM
"sedition at the highest level"
"There has been some talk recently that we aren’t and shouldn’t be a creedal nation.... I reject this position as passionately as I can."
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Opinion | Why America Is a ‘Creedal Nation’
The distinguished historian says the U.S. isn’t like other nations and never has been. There is no American ethnicity to back up the state.
www.wsj.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"There has been some talk recently that we aren’t and shouldn’t be a creedal nation.... I reject this position as passionately as I can."
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Gordon Wood responds to JD Vance without mentioning him by name
gift link
Reposted by Stephen West
As a historian, I have been torturing myself by watching some of the series that the White House in cooperation with Hillsdale College produced about American Independence (tellingly, they avoid the word "revolution").
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
November 22, 2025 at 11:33 PM
As a historian, I have been torturing myself by watching some of the series that the White House in cooperation with Hillsdale College produced about American Independence (tellingly, they avoid the word "revolution").
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
Have we considered the possibility that she also doesn't really understand geography?
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Have we considered the possibility that she also doesn't really understand geography?
in which Walt Disney's understudy is Abe Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Has Taken Walt Disney’s Place Again, and Fans Are Wondering How Long It Will Last
Abraham Lincoln was back at Disneyland this week, but how long does he plan on staying?
insidethemagic.net
November 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
in which Walt Disney's understudy is Abe Lincoln
Reposted by Stephen West
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Reposted by Stephen West
116 years ago a bunch of working class women changed the world because they got together and fought for their rights. Their fight is still our fight.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/03/comm...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/03/comm...
November 22, 2025 at 2:53 PM
116 years ago a bunch of working class women changed the world because they got together and fought for their rights. Their fight is still our fight.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/03/comm...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/03/comm...
a morass of a train wreck
November 22, 2025 at 1:23 PM
a morass of a train wreck
Reposted by Stephen West
“American socialists…move so-called “radical” ideas — proposals to make society more humane, more livable, and more fair, and to give everyday people a stronger voice in their democracy and workplaces — from the margins to the mainstream.”
🗃️
🗃️
Are Zohran Mamdani and Katie Wilson Democratic Socialists or FDR Democrats? They Are Both
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
“American socialists…move so-called “radical” ideas — proposals to make society more humane, more livable, and more fair, and to give everyday people a stronger voice in their democracy and workplaces — from the margins to the mainstream.”
🗃️
🗃️
Reposted by Stephen West
How did this day just get better?
November 22, 2025 at 2:01 AM
How did this day just get better?
Reposted by Stephen West
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Queens men meet — Queens Daily Eagle
The first man from Queens to be elected president and the first Queens resident to be elected mayor of New York City met for the first time in the Oval Office on Friday.
queenseagle.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The Queens Daily Eagle remains undefeated.
Reposted by Stephen West
can you come out and play?
November 21, 2025 at 5:47 PM
can you come out and play?
impeccable sense of timing
November 21, 2025 at 8:10 PM
impeccable sense of timing
Reposted by Stephen West
"…the Confederacy was not a legitimate government, that it was a criminal conspiracy writ large. And that’s relevant to how we think about what’s going on now and the inevitable aftermath of it that is coming."
w/ @aaronrosspowell.com @shikhadalmia.bsky.social re: Reconstruction @theunpopulist.net
w/ @aaronrosspowell.com @shikhadalmia.bsky.social re: Reconstruction @theunpopulist.net
America Will Need a Reconstruction Project After Trump: A Conversation with Shikha Dalmia and Andy Craig
Liberals will have to rebuild the institutions of governance and accountability that Trump is destroying and The UnPopulist plans to lead the way
www.theunpopulist.net
November 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
"…the Confederacy was not a legitimate government, that it was a criminal conspiracy writ large. And that’s relevant to how we think about what’s going on now and the inevitable aftermath of it that is coming."
w/ @aaronrosspowell.com @shikhadalmia.bsky.social re: Reconstruction @theunpopulist.net
w/ @aaronrosspowell.com @shikhadalmia.bsky.social re: Reconstruction @theunpopulist.net
Reposted by Stephen West
Context: Trump is meeting today at the WH with Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist. This vote is timed to performatively signal political opposition to a movement that DOES NOT EXIST in modern USA. It's meant to confuse and scare people who couldn't define socialism if it landed on their face.
BREAKING: The House of Representatives voted 285–98 in favor of a resolution condemning socialism.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
November 21, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Context: Trump is meeting today at the WH with Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist. This vote is timed to performatively signal political opposition to a movement that DOES NOT EXIST in modern USA. It's meant to confuse and scare people who couldn't define socialism if it landed on their face.
can you come out and play?
November 21, 2025 at 5:47 PM
can you come out and play?
Reposted by Stephen West
A judge ruled against Trump’s DC troop invasion on Thursday.
What happened, why, and what now?
I have you covered at Law Dork:
What happened, why, and what now?
I have you covered at Law Dork:
Federal judge rules Trump's D.C. troop invasion is likely illegal, must end by Dec. 11
National Guard troops have been in D.C. since August. A federal judge ruled Thursday that both deployments — D.C. National Guard and out-of-state troops — likely violate the law.
www.lawdork.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
A judge ruled against Trump’s DC troop invasion on Thursday.
What happened, why, and what now?
I have you covered at Law Dork:
What happened, why, and what now?
I have you covered at Law Dork: