Historically Thinking Roundtable: Historians, Historical Thinking, Civic Trust, and America at 250

This is the first ever Historically Thinking Roundtable. Given that it's 2026, it’s appropriate that this roundtable focus on the 250th anniversary of the United States, and how historians can be involved in its commemoration. 

Difficulties in doing this can arise from at least two reasons. One is that historians, like most academics, represent a relatively small slice of the political pie. And indeed, in these very partisan times, academics are some of the least trusted people in society–right around members of congress, according to a recent poll. Naturally academics and professionals in cultural institutions tend to get defensive about that, and beginning in a posture of attack and defense usually means that whatever happens afterward will not be good. 

But there’s another problem, one related to historical thinking. Historians are taught to tell the whole story, however complicated and messy. They often find anything less than that to be distortion. And while arguably civic thought requires an element of gratitude, that’s not how historians think of their own craft. 

These difficulties can be acutely felt by professionals in 

With me to discuss these difficulties, and how to resolve them are:

• Bill Peterson, Director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota
• Trait Thompson, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, host of the podcast, co-host of A Very OK Podcast
• Ben Jones, South Dakota State Historian, and Director of the South Dakota Historical Society, 
• Ryan Cole, historian, Speechwriter at U.S. Senate, author most recently of The Last Adieu: Lafayette's Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic
• And Jill Weiss Simins, historian and Director of Special Projects, Indiana State Archives

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction

3:20 - Community Conversations in Red States

13:04 - Telling Complex History

20:28 - When Is Complexity Bad?

25:12 - Bridging Alienation and Division

31:10 - Primary Sources and Making Arguments

37:35 - Historical Distortion and Noble Lies

47:15 - America 250 Local Projects