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Jim Ambuske

@jimambuske.bsky.social
4.7K followers 1.1K following 1.2K posts

Historian of the American Revolution | Director of Digital History at More Perfect | Narrator of Worlds Turned Upside Down | Scotland Enthusiast | Views my own. www.jimambuske.com

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Reposted by Jim Ambuske
KEW @kidadaewilliams.com · 22h
Retiring Smithsonian head Lonnie G. Bunch III: "You can run from history, but you can't hide" www.cbsnews.com/news/retirin...
cbsnews.com
Retiring Smithsonian head Lonnie G. Bunch III: "You can run from history, but you can't hide"
In 2019, Bunch became both the first historian and the first African American to serve as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. As he prepares to retire, he talks about the museums' mission to pro...
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Lucas Haasis @lhaasis.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Join us 8–9 October for "The Prize Papers of the American War of Independence" at The National Archives, UK, and online. Explore newly catalogued documents from captured ships that reveal wartime lives and a global conflict. Register: www.eventbrite.de/e/the-prize-... #Rev250 #earlymodern #history
eventbrite.de
The Prize Papers of the American War of Independence (Online)
An International Workshop on the UK Prize Papers and the American War of Independence: Wartime Lives, Capture, and Transnational Exchange
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 02/10/2026
Breaking news: Major League Baseball has abandoned a proposal to build a ballpark in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
washingtonpost.com
MLB drops proposal to host a baseball game at Grand Teton National Park
After The Washington Post reported on the proposal, local leaders sent letters to the Trump administration and the MLB commissioner expressing strong opposition.
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John Carter Brown Library @jcblibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We've extended our DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS! Interested in presenting a paper or building a panel for our Conference on Families in Early American and Atlantic Worlds? You have until end of day tomorrow, October 2! Details at: jcblibrary.org/events/confe...
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Marissa Nicosia @nicosiamarissa.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
New recipe up on Cooking in the Archives: "To Make Pistacho Cream" from Lady Craven's 18th century receipt book. rarecooking.com/2026/09/30/t... This manuscript is now held at Penn State Libraries Eberly Family Special Collections & I'm studying it with Penn State Abington students this semester.
rarecooking.com
To Make Pistacho Cream
It was a hot August day when my students read a recipe “To Make Pistacho Cream” from Lady Elizabeth Craven’s receipt book out loud, letter by letter, on their first day of class. …
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OIEAHC (Omohundro Institute) @oieahc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
What did freedom mean at the end of the American Revolution? In “Two Roads to Freedom,” Melchior Baltazar follows William Lee and Harry Washington—two men enslaved by George Washington — whose lives reveal liberty as contested, constrained, and claimed: bit.ly/4xDnPQU #EarlyAmerica
CP Article: Two Roads to Freedom: William Lee, Harry Washington, and Living the Paradox of the American Revolution
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Ronda Grizzle @rondagrizzle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Apply to come work with us in the DH Center with our colleagues in IATH! Happy to get answers to any questions you might have about this position.
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Dan Howlett @dhowlett1692.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today Peter Eisenstadt joins us on @askhistorians.bsky.social to discuss his new boon Integration at Second Base: Jackie Robinson and the Quest for Black Citizenship, new from @uvapress.bsky.social. Come check it out! www.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
reddit.com
From the AskHistorians community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the AskHistorians community
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Steve Sarson @stevesarson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
BBC Wales Today reported earlier this evening that support there for independence is now 42 percent, while opposition to independence is at 68 percent. That's something I've long admired about the Welsh--always ready to give 110 percent.
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Get ready!
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
What if we have Mary Lincoln all wrong? Check out the latest episode of In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan featuring New York Times Best Selling author Lois Romano on the "inconvenient widow" who passed through her own fiery trial in Civil War America. inpursuit.substack.com/p/mary-linco...
inpursuit.substack.com
Mary Lincoln's Fiery Trial
Listen now (32 mins) | Featuring Lois Romano
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In Pursuit USA @inpursuitusa.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Geoffrey C. Ward and @kenlburns.bsky.social write about Franklin D. Roosevelt and the political force of durable optimism. FDR entered office in 1933 with one in four Americans out of work, 9,000 banks failed, and public confidence collapsing.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 12/09/2026
mackenzie scott really seems like the only billionaire to figure out that you can be a literal hero to millions with a relative pittance
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John Terry @johntrterry.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
here's my 9/11 artifact. was called down to the office in my HS from homeroom, where we were glued to the TV, 100% sure it was bad news. when this message was written by an admin assistant, it was not true (but I didn't know this until later). profoundly grateful it held up due to luck and instinct.
Note that reads "John Terry, your brother is OK - don't worry."
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Retro Report @retroreport.org · 10/09/2026
1/ The chairman of the LBJ Foundation, Mark Updegrove, reflects on the time George W. Bush met Bono of U2 in this short take from Retro Report.
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Ben Brumfield @benwbrum.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Recording of my webinar on how I use (or avoid) AI to edit historic account books. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZZ...
youtube.com
Editing Historic Account Books: When and Whether to Use AI
YouTube video by fromthepage
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 08/09/2026
Happy Star Trek Day! 🖖🏽 If you haven’t already, check out my recent essay about Star Trek IV, Moby-Dick and Cetacean Ops in @orionmagazine.bsky.social! orionmagazine.org/article/plan...
orionmagazine.org
Planetary Kin - Orion Magazine
Learning from Star Trek’s space whales
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Congratulations to you, Daniel, for all the terrific work you've done these past few years. I'm excited to see what comes next and equally excited for our final Sinclair Podcast Workshop in New Orleans in just a few months!
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Happy to say that the @inpursuitusa.bsky.social podcast is now fully integrated into the In Pursuit Substack. Here's your one stop shop for both the audio and video version of the pod. Happy listening/watching! inpursuit.substack.com/podcast
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Charlie Lynch @charlielynch.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Let’s try again: I’d like to hear about new research from Scottish historians. Especially ECRs whose work may not get much attention. This is because I have a newspaper column where I publicise new work by Scottish historians! Tell me about your research!
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
New at Can We Still Govern? Molly Hardy was the Employee of the Year at the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2024. She was fired as a result of DOGE cuts in 2025. Here, she writes about why, when given a chance to return, she chose not to do so. 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/castles-ma...
donmoynihan.substack.com
Castles Made of Sand
Why I Did Not Return to the Government Job I Loved
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
You've seen David Blight defend history education before Congress, now watch him unpack the disastrous presidency of Franklin Pierce on In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan: "Franklin Pierce Fails to Read the Room" is now playing: youtu.be/9LnQCrl8mog
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David Morehous @dmorehous.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The really interesting revelation to me in the “Worlds Turned Upside Down” podcast (thanks @jimambuske.bsky.social) was that the colonial legislatures were not “parties” to the 1689 Glorious Revolution the same way as Westminster, and that created a constitutional problem that neither could solve
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
And you should watch!
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Retro Report @retroreport.org · 10/08/2026
@apnews.com takes a look at @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, More Perfect’s series of essays exploring lessons from American presidents and first ladies, with contributions from George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Chief Justice John Roberts and Ken Burns: apnews.com/article/arch...
pbs.org
PBS: Public Broadcasting Service
Watch full episodes of your favorite PBS dramas, find in-depth news analysis and explore documentaries on history, science, art and more!
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Preview of the Declaration’s red lines with @rparkinson.bsky.social.
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Posting from just down the road from where the British Redcoats involved in the Boston Massacre embarked for America, check out my chat with Rob Parkinson about the Tyrants and Rogues who were responsible for the 27 grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. youtu.be/ZEsCqY_LVVA?...
youtu.be
Tyrants and Rogues with Robert Parkinson I Revolutions In Retrospect
YouTube video by Primary Source Media
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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
"History involves sorting and organizing hundreds of thousands of facts" I remain astounded by how loud and wrong people are about what history actually is.
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Megan Stevenson
@MeganTStevenson
I haven't heard people talking about this, but AI is an absolute game changer for doing historical research. History involves sorting and organizing hundreds of thousands of facts— a massive logistical/memory problem made so delightfully easy with agentic research. 1/
1:31 PM · Jul 29, 2026
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Megan Stevenson
@MeganTStevenson
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Jul 29
I did an OCR conversion of all my PDFs to make text files, built a semantic search index, and can just let my agents roam free to answer questions, fact-check, dig up interesting stories, quotes, etc. It takes a lot of the hard work out, as well as a lot of the human error. 2/2
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Jason Heppler @jasonheppler.org · 27/07/2026
New little side project: Westward, an endless scroll of 1,000+ public-domain photographs of the American West from the Library of Congress, the Portal to Texas History, and SMU’s DeGolyer Library.
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Yale University Press @yalepress.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Michael Hattem considers American history and the Revolution the nation’s new origin myth and created a new civic identity. Read our entire Q&A celebrating #America250 here:
yalebooks.yale.edu
America at 250: Revolutionary Questions for a Revolutionary Country - Yale University Press
A Q&A with Yale University Press authors about the foundings of America, offering historical insights into people, ideas, and events
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Folks: Tomorrow night (7/23) at 7 pm ET, I'll be talking with historians Christopher J. Leahy and Sharon Williams Leahy about their new book, "Presidentess: The Life of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler" for @inpursuitusa.bsky.social I learned a lot and you will too! www.youtube.com/live/wtfTfzh...
youtube.com
Presidentess: First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler with Christopher & Sharon Leahy
YouTube video by In Pursuit USA
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
It would be neat if the people who have oversight of museums actually went to them.
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bpj1701.bsky.social @bpj1701.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
If there were Historian trading cards, I bet the Blight Rookie card would be a keeper
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Suitcase Genealogist @suitcasegen.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
An excellent and powerful opening statement that does not pull punches. Also, historians rock. Protect the work of the Smithsonian.
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
"Ours is a beautiful, ancient craft essential for any society's needs for self-understanding. We are equipped with a host of modern methods, but guided ethically by very old rules that no authoritarian political project ought to be allowed to profane." www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbz2...
youtube.com
WATCH: David Blight makes opening statement in hearing on how Smithsonian presents history
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
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UVA Press @uvapress.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
. #SHEAR2026 may be over, but the 40% discount code still lives . . . until August 15! Good to see you @stevesarson.bsky.social, @adamxmcneil.bsky.social@frankcogliano.bsky.social, @matthewmason.bsky.social, Christopher Pearl, Susan Stearns (And many more)! www.upress.virginia.edu/exhibits/she...
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Frank Cogliano @frankcogliano.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
A rare social media appearance (with her blessing) of my nonpareil editor, Nadine Zimmerli, and the book we did together for @uvapress.bsky.social (with 24 amazing colleagues). Taken at #SHEAR2026
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UVA Press @uvapress.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
We are here at #SHEAR2026! Stop by the booth, chat with an editor, browse our books, and take advantage of the conference discount! Or, if you're not in Philadelphia, visit our virtual exhibit and use promo code <10SHEAR26> valid until August 15! www.upress.virginia.edu/exhibits/she...
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Alright, let’s see if Lord Bute will negotiate a treaty that will satisfy Pitt this time. #sevenyearswarjokes #worldcup
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Brent S. Sirota @brentsirota.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Possible Spain-England final. El Draque awakens.
Laser eyes Sir Francis Drake.
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Team: This Friday at SHEAR join me, @kathleenduval.bsky.social, Jennifer Tucker, and Daniel Preston for Historians on Camera. We'll talk about making documentary films, interpreting history on camera, and the mediation of memory. Can't join in person? Watch here: tinyurl.com/histdocfilms
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Christopher Jones @ccjones.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
As a historian, I’m aware that societal norms of morality change over time. I feel like we should all be able to agree that murdering a father in front of his pajama-clad 3yo is morally repugnant yesterday, today, and forever.
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Joanne Freeman @jbf1755.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I’m a historian who stands with Lonnie Bunch. Let’s hear from more of us!
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Frank Cogliano @frankcogliano.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
It took Odysseus ten years to get home and Moses forty years to cross Sinai. That is what happens when dudes refuse to stop and ask directions.
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King Algamemnon @adamrothman.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
England hasn't done this well in America since Bladensburg.
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OIEAHC (Omohundro Institute) @oieahc.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Replay now available: vastearly.am/4eUuSPf Valérie Capdeville presents The Digital Encyclopedia of British Sociability in the Long Eighteenth Century, an open-access project for 18th-century studies and the digital humanities. @univrennes2.bsky.social
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American Historical Association @historians.org · 07/07/2026
A new White House report accuses the Smithsonian of distorting American history. In an @npr.org interview, AHA Exec. Dir. Sarah Weicksel explains why the AHA disagrees, arguing that the report misunderstands historical interpretation and mischaracterizes the Smithsonian's work. Listen at link.
npr.org
Trump administration accuses Smithsonian museum of 'extreme political activism'
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with American Historical Association's Sarah Weicksel about the Trump administration's report accusing a Smithsonian museum of "extreme political activism."
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Over at @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, we’ve partnered with a few Gen Z storytellers to help illuminate the lives of people like Louisa Catherine Adams for younger generations. Check out Lauren Cella’s take on LCA’s powerful influence on “nepo baby” John Quincy Adams www.instagram.com/reel/DajFbrN...
instagram.com
Lauren Cella on Instagram: "Louisa and John Quincy Adams were quite the pair. In a new essay series from @inpursuitusa there is one line that describes their relationship perfectly; “They were an odd...
458 likes, 21 comments - laurencella on July 8, 2026: "Louisa and John Quincy Adams were quite the pair. In a new essay series from @inpursuitusa there is one line that describes their relationship p...
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Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Team: Check out this special episode of Nichole Hill's "Our Ancestors were Messy: A Black History Comedy Podcast" about the Black Loyalists who went to Nova Scotia in the wake of the Revolutionary War. Honored to play a role behind the scenes on this one! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
podcasts.apple.com
The Revolutionary Black Loyalists! Live with Tressie McMillan Cottom
Podcast Episode · Our Ancestors Were Messy · S1 Bonus · 1h 39m
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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
ME: and make mine a double WAITER: your...your tater tots? ME: you heard me
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