2020 Newsletter
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Past, Present & Future THETHE 20202020REPORTREPORT FROM FROM THE THE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT OF OF HISTORY HISTORY 1 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Mentor Award. See page 25 for more on these awards. One of the most significant and high- profile endeavors of the department is the biennial Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series. In fall 2019, we began plans for the 2020– 2021 Series on the theme “Planet on a Precipice: Histories and Futures of the Environmental Emergency” and for Correspondence from Samuel Shute, the royal governor of Massa- chusetts, and other colonial officials in response to a 1720 ques- the associated James Baldwin Lec- tionnaire. CO 5/867, f. 306, document 66 (i). The National Archives, ture on which we collaborate with United Kingdom. Photograph courtesy of Asheesh Kapur Siddique. the W.E.B. DuBois Department of Audrey L. Aldstadt Afro-American Studies. See page 21 for more. Every superlative has already been Research Highlight: used to describe the catastrophe that Taking advantage of a new and IN THE ARCHIVES WITH HISTORIAN has been 2020. I will note only that this exciting opportunity -— Daniel ASHEESH KAPUR SIDDIQUE has been an interesting year in the Ellsberg’s contribution to UMass history department. The fall semester of his personal papers — Chris of 2019 began with energy and hope. Appy and alumnus journalist Charles How did early modern imperial states gather, store, We welcomed new faculty colleagues Sennott ‘84 planned a two-semester and use information? Assistant Professor Asheesh Asheesh Kapur Siddique, in early course for 2020–2021 using the Kapur Siddique explores this question with respect to U.S. history, and Hadi Jorati, in me- Ellsberg papers. The class, as Chris the early modern British empire, and he suggests that dieval Islamic history and, as usual, explains on page 9 herein, will this photograph provides a snapshot of the answer: hundreds of new and returning produce podcasts based on archive paperwork. students, both undergraduate and exploration and end with a conference graduate. We began discussions in April 2021 marking the 50th British rulers in London regularly sent questionnaires of curriculum revamping, new Anniversary of Ellsberg’s release of across the Atlantic Ocean to colonial governors and approaches to faculty and grad the Pentagon Papers. other officials, asking their underlings to supply them student mentoring, and career The department was in a strong with information about the current state of administra- development for undergraduates. tion in each colony. In the above, Samuel Shute, the position in the spring semester when royal governor of Massachusetts, and other officials In this newsletter, you will find stories the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In March, described the military, economic, political, and and photos of faculty, descriptions the UMass administration suggested bureaucratic arrangements of the colony, in response of activities and projects of students, we might work from home for several to a 1720 questionnaire. Shute sent the document back graduate and undergraduate awards, weeks. Many of us thought we would to London, where officials used the information to and engagement of alumni with be back on campus in April and develop future policies, and then classified the paper- current students, faculty, and even in students did not entirely move out of work alongside hundreds of other records received instruction. their dorms. from the colonies in a complex archival system. The history department has had During our one-week spring break, In “Governance Through Documents: The Board of impressive achievements as always. the faculty transformed their regular Trade, Its Archive, and the Imperial Constitution of the Among the many highlights are classes into remote offerings online in Eighteenth-Century British Atlantic World,” published Kevin Young’s tenure and promotion real time and pre-recorded segments. in the April 2020 edition of the Journal of British Studies, and an unusual flood of competitive We switched office hours and in- Siddique argues that this system of document circula- teaching and mentoring awards. person discussion sections to chat tion and archivization proved a crucial tool through Sarah Cornell and Garrett rooms and prepared to help grad which imperial rulers enforced norms of bureaucratic Washington were awarded the student Teaching Assistants (TAs) conduct in colonial America. College’s Outstanding Teaching make their transition. Quizzes and Award. Anne Broadbridge received exams were changed to electron- — Asheesh Kapur Siddique the campus-wide Distinguished ic format. Faculty learned to create Teaching Award. Our retiring break-out sessions in Zoom lecture Curious? Email [email protected] colleague John Higginson was classes. Syllabi had to be altered or for a copy of the article, follow Dr. Siddique on Twitter awarded two mentoring awards—the even rewritten. Courses were some- at @AsheeshKSi, and stay tuned for his upcoming books. new ADVANCE Faculty Mentoring times redesigned. But we were ready Award and a Distinguished Graduate to get back to classes on the Monday CONTENTS morning that spring break ended. See ment affiliate and head of the library’s 2 Confronting Inequality and page 26-27 to hear from Emily Hamilton Special Collections Robert S. Cox. See Racism at UMass on teaching during a pandemic. page 47 to read more. 3 Undergraduate Program News 5 “Mongol and Turkish Empires” Equally remarkable was our outstanding Graduating seniors or graduate students department staff. Under the guidance of and their families were doubly disap- 7 Teaching LGBTQ+ History Office Manager Amy Fleig, the staff for pointed by the remote end to the semester 9 Truth, Dissent and the Life of programs and finance—Mary Lashway, and the need for virtual graduation and Daniel Ellsberg (cover) Enjoli Pescheta, and Stefanie Austin degree-granting ceremonies. All the 10 Graduate Program News moved all their work from their Herter department chairs made plans for 13 Writer-in-Residence Hall offices to their homes—enclosed graduation celebrations and in history, 14 Distinguished Annual Lecture porches, the corner of a room or half of it was our staff and the department 15 Richard Gassan Memorial a kitchen table. Director of Outreach and officers—Associate ChairMarla Miller, Research Endowment Community Engagement Jess Johnson Graduate Program Director Jason 16 Public History Program News moved her extensive community liaison Moralee, and Undergraduate Pro- operation out of Herter, emailing all the gram Director Heidi V. Scott—that 17 Historical Perspectives on a Green New Deal while. crafted short videos for the web- site (shout out to Jason Higgins, 19 Public History’s Long Game Faculty, staff, and students with children Ragini Jha and Jess Johnson for tech and 19 Old Sturbridge Village abruptly found themselves “home web magic) as well as messages from 22 Community Engagement News schooling,” creating a second full-time faculty to graduating students. Everyone 25 Teaching and Mentoring Awards job. Others quarantined with family worked to bring the congratulatory cheer members that needed care or at least to students and families. 26 Reflections on Teaching During caution from us. We kept in touch with A Pandemic each other and offered moral support as There’s no denying that it was not the 28 Faculty News well as technical advice. same as marching to live music in a 30 John Higginson: A Retrospective traditional ceremony. History department 36 Emeriti News Taken together, the department’s move students lost the opportunity to present 36 The 1960 Anpo Protests to remote work was a Herculean effort to peers and faculty their senior theses, reminiscent of the World War II reloca- portfolios, descriptions of internships 38 Student News tion of Soviet industry from the western or travel plans for the summer. The 40 Alumni News part of the USSR to “the east” beyond the pageantry and the sheer fun of all the 43 Alumni Dinner Ural Mountains. At least, it was close to graduation celebrations was put off to a 47 In Memoriam: Robert S. Cox it. Many people said something like “we future date. have a job in front of us, let’s do it.” And 48 New Books we did. I can’t think of a time when I was In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, 49 Our Donors so proud to be part of this history depart- we were shocked by images of violence ment. in our country, particularly police violence against Black citizens. After Our students also had to cope with this discussion among faculty and graduate disruption and the natural fears about students, the department is establishing what it meant for their courses, their a task force to address forms of explicit grades, and their progress to complet- and implicit racism in our immediate ing their degrees. Some students used environment, and to take prompt and to come to class in pajamas. With Zoom concrete steps to remedy them. See page classes, they didn’t leave their bedrooms. 2 to learn more. Or their beds, in some cases. Yet, there they were on screens or in discussion The shared chalenge of managing the chats, peer review threads, virtual office many demands of COVID Spring of 2020 hours. Email volume spiked. has been a bonding experience for all who coped with it. We have our achievements Campus was deserted. Everything nonetheless. We look ahead to our was closed. We felt isolated at home. regular classrooms, to future debates on Who would remain healthy? When we the historical significance of COVID-19, would be back on campus? Many in our the experiment with remote work, and community experienced personal loss, what “normal” means for us all. On the cover: Materials from the private archive of Daniel Ellsberg, recently acquired by the UMass whether from COVID or not. The campus Amherst Special Collections and University Archives community mourned a long-time depart- — Audrey L.