History Archives

How Did Donald Trump Win Against All Odds?

How did Donald Trump win the election when all odds were against him? What were the key factors that helped him secure the Republican nomination in June 2015? When Trump launched his campaign for the Republican nomination in June 2015, he was a novelty candidate who stood little chance of actually winning. A total outsider to GOP politics, he had no close institutional ties to the party and seemed to lack even the most basic grounding in conservative ideology—not to mention his anti-immigration rhetoric that many leaders in the Republican Party considered to be extreme and outlandish. Here is how

The Impact of the 1968 Nomination of Hubert Humphrey

Who was Hubert Humphrey? How did Humphrey secure the Democratic Party nomination for the president without competing in the primaries? Hubert Humphrey served as the 39th vice president of the United States under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey became a nominee of the Democratic Party, despite him not having completed any primaries. According to political scientists Levitsky and Ziblatt, Hubert Humprey’s nomination is what prompted the call for the reform of the old presidential nomination system. Here’s why Humphrey’s nomination was such a blow to the old party system, according to Levitsky and Ziblatt.

The Legacy of George Wallace’s Presidential Campaign

Who is George Wallace? Under what party did Wallace run for president? Former Governor of Alabama George Wallace ran for president in 1968 under the American Independent Party banner. Although George Wallace had little effect on American politics, his 1968 presidential campaign remains a deeply significant event. Read more about the legacy of George Wallace’s presidential campaign below.

What Is Voter Suppression? Examples and Tactics

What is voter suppression? How do politicians suppress people from exercising their right to vote? Voter suppression in the United States involves any efforts (both legal and illegal) that prevent people from casting their votes. The most effective tactics are gerrymandering (the redrawing of election districts to lock in political advantage for one party) and restricting who is eligible to vote. In this article, we’ll look at a couple of historical examples of voter suppression.

Why Humans Have a Natural Creative Impulse

Why do people like to be creative? Do you think there is a biological underpinning for the human creative impulse? We, humans, enjoy and take pride in our creativity. The creative impulse dates back to pre-historic times—ancient cave drawings, sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing tools dating back 2.5 million years ago. According to Elizabeth Gilbert, the human proclivity toward creativity is encoded in our DNA. In this article, we’ll explore where the human creative impulse stems from.

The Importance of Studying Mythology and Folklore

What is the importance of studying mythology and folklore in modern society? In what ways can myths be useful to us? When you understand that myths bind us together and make us feel like we are a part of something much larger than ourselves, you will recognize the continued importance of studying mythology and folklore. The power of myths lies in the fact that they always yield answers to any question we ask of them. They can be stories that amuse us, they can be instructional, they can provide us with a higher meaning, and anything else we demand of

What Is the Link Between Language and Nationalism?

How did language and literacy impact the growth of nationalism? What indirect impact did the advent of the printing press have on nationalism? According to Benedict Anderson’s theory, nationalism is a modern and “unnatural” social construct that quickly expanded after the rise in literacy. Language and nationalism are connected because one of the primary bonds that link strangers is their shared language. Continue reading for more on the link between language and the rise of nationalism.

The Reward: The Hero’s Journey Ends With the Maiden

What is the reward in the hero’s journey? How does the Irish legend of Cuchulainn illustrate this stage of the hero’s journey? The reward in the hero’s journey is often represented in the form of a beautiful woman that the hero marries after overcoming the hardships of his quest for herohood. This is perfectly illustrated in the Irish legend of Cuchulainn. He was only able to marry Emer (his love interest) after he had successfully completed the dangerous quest of learning supernatural arts from the warrior woman Scathach. Read on to learn more about the reward stage of the hero’s

The Making of Modern Nationalism in Europe

How did nationalism arise in Europe? What were the key factors that have led to its development? It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that Europe started to feel its own form of national pride—part of this was thanks to the Enlightenment. Another contributing factor was the realization that Latin wasn’t the “superior” language and that there were, in fact, many ancient languages in the world. Keep reading to learn more about the making of nationalism in Europe.

The Impact of Secularization on Mythology and Folklore

What is the impact of secularization on classic hero myths? Are we misunderstanding the true purpose of mythologies? The degradation of the supernatural elements of ancient myths and folklore into mere instructive fables is largely due to the impact of secularization. In our logic-driven society, it is easy to prove that mythologies are not true. However, this ignores the purpose of myths, which is to serve as an adventure into the recesses of the soul, a journey of self-discovery with a mythical story as our guide. Read on to discover more about the impact of secularization on the relevance of