Zachary Schrag
@zacharyschrag.bsky.social
Professor of History, George Mason University. Currently researching history of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. Views my own.
zacharyschrag.com.
historyprofessor.org
https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-1420-551X
zacharyschrag.com.
historyprofessor.org
https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0003-1420-551X
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
Re-upping my piece from a few weeks ago. Yes, ICE's murder of Alex Jeffrey Pretti is a 2nd Amendment issue. But looking at it from the perspective of why we have the #2A in the 1st place, his gun has nothing to with that.
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/depl...
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/depl...
Deploying Federal Troops to U.S. Cities Is a Second Amendment Issue
But not because the founders wanted to see more guns in the hands of Americans.
www.historynewsnetwork.org
January 25, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Re-upping my piece from a few weeks ago. Yes, ICE's murder of Alex Jeffrey Pretti is a 2nd Amendment issue. But looking at it from the perspective of why we have the #2A in the 1st place, his gun has nothing to with that.
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/depl...
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/depl...
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
January 24, 2026 at 2:45 AM
If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project architects spent years making sure that drivers to Dulles would still get their "peekaboo" glimpses at the terminal.
January 23, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project architects spent years making sure that drivers to Dulles would still get their "peekaboo" glimpses at the terminal.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
“Another big interest: cycling. Describing himself as ‘a shorts and T-shirt kind of guy,’ Spanberger said he hopes to bring more attention to the state’s cycling trails and bike tourism, as well as promote bike and pedestrian safety.”
Is Virginia’s new First Gentleman on Strava? #cycling
Is Virginia’s new First Gentleman on Strava? #cycling
In historic first for Virginia, Adam Spanberger becomes first gentleman
The computer engineer and avid bicyclist said he’s happy working behind the scenes to support his wife and Virginia’s new governor, Abigail Spanberger.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:21 PM
“Another big interest: cycling. Describing himself as ‘a shorts and T-shirt kind of guy,’ Spanberger said he hopes to bring more attention to the state’s cycling trails and bike tourism, as well as promote bike and pedestrian safety.”
Is Virginia’s new First Gentleman on Strava? #cycling
Is Virginia’s new First Gentleman on Strava? #cycling
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 3:37 PM
you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review
At the Library of Congress's "Two Georges" exhibit, an invitation to read primary sources closely.
January 14, 2026 at 8:16 PM
At the Library of Congress's "Two Georges" exhibit, an invitation to read primary sources closely.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
Read an interview with the author: www.upress.virginia.edu/author-corne...
January 13, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Read an interview with the author: www.upress.virginia.edu/author-corne...
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
Thinking a lot about how the traditional publishing timeline makes it incredibly hard for the humanities to grapple with what Gen AI means for their discipline. I was just reading Julie Mujic's "Generative AI and Civil War Primary Sources" from most recent issue of Civil War History. +
January 13, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Thinking a lot about how the traditional publishing timeline makes it incredibly hard for the humanities to grapple with what Gen AI means for their discipline. I was just reading Julie Mujic's "Generative AI and Civil War Primary Sources" from most recent issue of Civil War History. +
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
The Battle of ChickenMAGA.
I thought this was a joke but it’s an actual post from the White House: “we are ending the war on protein”
How about ending the war on the health of this country?
How about ending the war on the health of this country?
January 12, 2026 at 3:51 PM
The Battle of ChickenMAGA.
I missed this a few months back: a map of relative travel times to 12th and G Streets from various points in the DC area. Red=faster by car, green = faster by transit
adjusted to reflect the shorter point spacing, though with the mid day drive time we discussed
January 9, 2026 at 8:18 PM
I missed this a few months back: a map of relative travel times to 12th and G Streets from various points in the DC area. Red=faster by car, green = faster by transit
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
wapo.st/3N8KCml
Youngkin will be remembered for politicizing boards across Virginia, a taint that will take time to undo. But I look forward to the clean up and the fight back to restore good governance and a democratic university for the public good.
Youngkin will be remembered for politicizing boards across Virginia, a taint that will take time to undo. But I look forward to the clean up and the fight back to restore good governance and a democratic university for the public good.
‘This is war’: In texts, U-Va. board members plot with Youngkin, decry DEI
Private messages between University of Virginia board members and other officials show how they deliberated on key issues and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s involvement in university operations.
wapo.st
January 9, 2026 at 5:28 PM
wapo.st/3N8KCml
Youngkin will be remembered for politicizing boards across Virginia, a taint that will take time to undo. But I look forward to the clean up and the fight back to restore good governance and a democratic university for the public good.
Youngkin will be remembered for politicizing boards across Virginia, a taint that will take time to undo. But I look forward to the clean up and the fight back to restore good governance and a democratic university for the public good.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
The addressee of Dr. Peterson's email, Dr. Sweet, who was the conduit of these complaints. You cannot make this stuff up. The cowardice of so many academics just blows my mind. 😭
Dr Peterson, otoh, absolutely rules.
Dr Peterson, otoh, absolutely rules.
January 8, 2026 at 9:13 PM
The addressee of Dr. Peterson's email, Dr. Sweet, who was the conduit of these complaints. You cannot make this stuff up. The cowardice of so many academics just blows my mind. 😭
Dr Peterson, otoh, absolutely rules.
Dr Peterson, otoh, absolutely rules.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
An associate dean told English faculty “literature with major plot lines that concern gay, lesbian or transgender identities should not be taught in core-curriculum classes…faculty may assign textbooks with chapters that cover transgender identity, so long as they do not talk about the material.”🙃
Plato Censored as Texas A&M Carries Out Course Review
A&M officials have also instructed English faculty not to teach books in core classes that have major plotlines concerning gay, lesbian or transgender identities.
www.insidehighered.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:57 PM
An associate dean told English faculty “literature with major plot lines that concern gay, lesbian or transgender identities should not be taught in core-curriculum classes…faculty may assign textbooks with chapters that cover transgender identity, so long as they do not talk about the material.”🙃
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
Thanks to @brianleiter.bsky.social, we can read an excerpt from Texas A&M philosophy professor Martin Peterson's initial letter to his department head, Kristi Sweet, as well as his syllabus. leiterreports.com/2026/01/06/t...
January 7, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Thanks to @brianleiter.bsky.social, we can read an excerpt from Texas A&M philosophy professor Martin Peterson's initial letter to his department head, Kristi Sweet, as well as his syllabus. leiterreports.com/2026/01/06/t...
tfw the engineers have used the passive voice one time too many.
January 6, 2026 at 2:26 PM
tfw the engineers have used the passive voice one time too many.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
I wrote about trying out LLM models for document transcription, inspired by @benwbrum (and Sara!)
https://cdrhdev.unl.edu/log/2025/comparing-ai-models-for-document-transcription/
https://cdrhdev.unl.edu/log/2025/comparing-ai-models-for-document-transcription/
Comparing AI Models for Document Transcription – CDRH Development
cdrhdev.unl.edu
December 18, 2025 at 9:31 PM
I wrote about trying out LLM models for document transcription, inspired by @benwbrum (and Sara!)
https://cdrhdev.unl.edu/log/2025/comparing-ai-models-for-document-transcription/
https://cdrhdev.unl.edu/log/2025/comparing-ai-models-for-document-transcription/
More time has elapsed since the release of Mel Brooks's Silent Movie (1976) than elapsed from the release of The Jazz Singer (1927) to Silent Movie.
January 4, 2026 at 4:15 PM
More time has elapsed since the release of Mel Brooks's Silent Movie (1976) than elapsed from the release of The Jazz Singer (1927) to Silent Movie.
In 2025, I listened to 54 audiobooks that covered history, broadly defined. Standouts this year include The Occasional Human Sacrifice, Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse, 1967, Buckley, and Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical.
historyprofessor.org/reading/hist...
historyprofessor.org/reading/hist...
History audiobooks, 2025 edition
In 2025, I listened to 54 audiobooks that covered history, broadly defined. Some of these I had skimmed earlier, but this was my first time reading them straight through. This list mainly serves to…
historyprofessor.org
January 1, 2026 at 2:21 PM
In 2025, I listened to 54 audiobooks that covered history, broadly defined. Standouts this year include The Occasional Human Sacrifice, Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse, 1967, Buckley, and Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical.
historyprofessor.org/reading/hist...
historyprofessor.org/reading/hist...
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
There's no end to the list of reasons why this is very dumb, but I've not read any yet that mention that it will destroy one of the best vistas in DC, as you come up the Memorial Bridge toward VA and see the Military Women's Memorial as the conclusion of the axis.
December 31, 2025 at 8:49 PM
There's no end to the list of reasons why this is very dumb, but I've not read any yet that mention that it will destroy one of the best vistas in DC, as you come up the Memorial Bridge toward VA and see the Military Women's Memorial as the conclusion of the axis.
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
Matthew Brady, "The Dead at Santietam," 1862.
December 30, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Matthew Brady, "The Dead at Santietam," 1862.
Happy to start the day with a glimpse of the great Ken Cobb. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/n...
Will Mamdani Be the 111th or the 112th Mayor of New York? It Depends.
www.nytimes.com
December 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Happy to start the day with a glimpse of the great Ken Cobb. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/n...
Reposted by Zachary Schrag
A few days ago, I wrote up some thoughts on generative AI and the work of historians: “At best, we’re talking about software that’s very good at making sentences seem sentence-shaped.”
Generative AI and History
Generative AI lacks the ability to understand context, …
writing.jasonheppler.org
December 26, 2025 at 1:17 PM
A few days ago, I wrote up some thoughts on generative AI and the work of historians: “At best, we’re talking about software that’s very good at making sentences seem sentence-shaped.”