Author: Mary

history pragmatic historian

The History Enterprise Is More Than Just Museums

By Mary | by Mary

A good friend of mine, fellow historian, and colleague in the museum field, David Grabitske, uses a term that encompasses the entire history field: History Enterprise. David is currently the Site Manager for the Texas Historical Commission, but he previously served for almost a decade as the State History Services Manager for the Minnesota Historical Society. As the History Services Manager (we in Minnesota knew his department better as Field Services), David traveled all over…

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history pragmatic historian

Why Be a Pragmatic Historian?

By Mary | by Mary

When discussing any topic, it’s useful to start with definitions so that everyone involved is on the same page. I sincerely believe this is one of the reasons for the political polarization we see in the United States today, a lack of common, agreed-upon definitions. Instead, terms like “family values” or “immigration” are tossed around and people nod or shake their heads at whoever is using the term, depending upon the definition they are operating…

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history pragmatic historian

Using History – Sloths, History Flat, & the Job of Being President

By Mary | by Mary

History is in use all around us for a variety of purposes. The Pragmatic Historian’s “Using History” series is meant to highlight some of these uses by presenting a few articles and other online resources each week. [Reuters] Giant sloth vs. ancient man: fossil footprints track prehistoric hunt – By using 3D modeling, scientists have been able to analyze the footprints of giant sloths and ancient humans to see how sloths were hunted. Not only…

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