January 6 and the Politics of History

by Jim Downs (Editor), Joanne B. Freeman, Elizabeth Hinton

On January 6, 2021, more than two thousand rioters stormed the doors of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., hoping to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power from former president Donald Trump to his successor, Joseph Biden. The deaths, property damage, and vicious rampage that ensued were witnessed on live television as an unprecedented attack on the democratic process and those who strive to protect it. As an installment of UGA Press’s History in the Headlines series, this book offers a rich discussion between highly respected scholars on the historical backdrop and context for contemporary issues from the headlines. In addition to the historical context, this conversation demonstrates how historians speak to one another about contentious topics and how they contribute in meaningful ways to the public’s understanding of momentous events. This volume focuses on the historical context of the January 6 attack and employs a free-flowing conversation style that allows the historians a more unconventional format. The participants discuss if—and if so, how—historians should engage in public debates and what that engagement means to their roles as academic authorities in the public.

Genres: Politics, History

144 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2024

About the author

Jim Downs is Gilder Lehrman–National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of Civil War Era Studies and History at Gettysburg College. He is the editor of Civil War History and author and editor of six other books, including Sick from Freedom: African-American Illness and Suffering during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Reviews

[Tammy Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been on my list for almost two years. I couldn’t find it through the library. My local independent bookstore was able to order it for me.

Sitting in on a discussion of January 6, 2021, with noted historians, is such a gift. The conversation begins with where they were on that day, their reaction to the events, and how to define it as an historian.

They discuss the role of historians in the media, as they try to explain what happened, how it happened, and why it happened, in short sound bites.

The round table discussion is followed by articles written the day of, and in the days following, January 6, 2022. This is such an important perspective not just of that day but also how historians see their role in informing a public.

I highly recommend this book!

[scarlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read that was very informative into the January 6th Insurrection and the historical causes behind it.

[Tyler Rust · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, with a lengthy discussion about Jan. 6 followed by seven smaller essays on its significance.
Each of the historians offers a cutting critique of what the day signifies in history, and each does in a way that is easy to read and ponder.

[Mae Heeringa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself was pretty good but the discussions that you are able to have after having read the book are even better. This is a really good book for sparking discussion about the role of historians and how they grapple with historical events in real time. Some of the opinions of the historians in the book were interesting and others were kinda frustrating to read in my opinion. I enjoyed it a lot.