Karin Wulf
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kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf
@kawulf.bsky.social
14K followers 2.6K following 11K posts

Historian of #VastEarlyAmerica, gender, family & politics | Director & Librarian @ JCBLibrary | History Prof @ Brown U

#LineageTheBook OUP July, 2025 | On some other platforms and also @ karinwulf.com | Opinions here just mine. .. more

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Karin A. Wulf is an American historian and the Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island. She was the executive director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia from 2013 through 2021. She is also one of the founders of Women Also Know History, a searchable website database of women historians. Additionally, Wulf worked to spearhead a neurodiversity working group at William & Mary in 2011. She is currently writing a book about genealogy and political culture in Early America titled, Lineage: Genealogy and the Politics of Connection in British America, 1680-1820. Her work examines the history of women, gender, and the family in Early America. .. more

Political science 42%
Sociology 16%
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kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · Dec 28
It’s been a long time coming… so thrilled to share the cover (and Oxford UP website last in 🧵) for my book, _Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America_, pub date 7.2.25 (but will ship, so they say very enticingly, mid-June. 1/ #VastEarlyAmerica 🗃️
Book cover with various kinds of evidence of family history arrayed around the author and title, the latter is _Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America_. The kinds of materials include printed texts, manuscripts, a red book (shhhhh that figures largely in the Introduction!), a watercolor family record, Fraktur, gravestone, and a sampler. One repeated text says "born free, born free (etc)"

Reposted by Karin Wulf

profkfh.bsky.social
ProfKFH @profkfh.bsky.social · 14h
If you are in #NYC next week, come to “Weaving Dreams/#Quilting Community” a panel discussion-sewing demo featuring textile artists/writers/organizers who have inspired me. You’ll get swag to embellish!! #quiltsky #Artsky #Blacksky Pls register by 1/27!

www.eventbrite.com/e/weaving-dr...
Weaving Dreams, Quilting Community
Dr. Kim F. Hall in conversation and hands-on demo with fellow quilters Dr. Christa Gilliam, Juandamarie Gikandi, and Jacqueline Johnson.
www.eventbrite.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 1d
Historians have had quite a bit to say about #VastEarlyAmerica, but for me, this was always the essence.
Screenshot with text: "Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and other political leaders of the early, eastern United States will continue to stride through the pages of our histories, but they will occupy that space as slaveholders as well as political leaders, and they will share that space with other people and places that will help us understand these founders better. A capacious approach to early America shows us a past that was infinitely complex, dynamic, globally connected, and violent. And it also still shows us—better shows us—the origins of an ambitious, powerful, and democratic nation. In short, we need an early American history, but one that fully grasps the depth, breadth, and complexity—the vastness—of early America. That is both good history and good civics."

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Karin Wulf

jilldlawrence.bsky.social
Jill Lawrence @jilldlawrence.bsky.social · 1d
Philadelphia sues over "arbitrary and capricious" removal of displays about slavery" at Independence National Historical Park, with one official saying "History cannot be erased simply because it is uncomfortable." Good. Hope we see lots more lawsuits like this. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Philadelphia sues after slavery exhibits were taken down from President's House site
The lawsuit says the National Park Service removed the displays referring to slavery "presumably pursuant to the mandate” of an executive order from President Donald Trump.
www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Karin Wulf

caitlindeangelis.bsky.social
Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 1d
Interested in the history of enslaved people, Black history, and George Washington?

Download this report, which is still on the NPS site (for now).

My research team spent 3 years collaborating with descendants of people enslaved at the Washington's Headquarters site and the wonderful NPS staff:
Black History at the Vassall Estate Special History Study (U.S. National Park Service)
www.nps.gov

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 1d
Daily rhetorical: "could it get more Orwellian?"

Reposted by Steven French, Margot C. Finn, Magda Teter , and 1 more

caitlindeangelis.bsky.social
Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 1d
Future historian looking for an opening anecdote:

Today, Jan. 23, 2026, the people of Minnesota hold a general strike to protest the federal gov't's assault on their persons and rights.

Also today, someone (perhaps a billionaire) will pay ~$5,000,000 for a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Online listing for Christie's Americana Auction, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed in 1776, valued at 3-5 million https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6570310?ldp_breadcrumb=back

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Shelly Lundberg, Trevon D. Logan , and 7 more

johngmarks.com
John Garrison Marks @johngmarks.com · 2d
I know I don't have a ton of media followers, but I'll put this out there anyway: if you need someone to comment/offer context on the removal of the slavery exhibit at the President's House site in Philly, get in touch. I just finished an entire book on Americans' fight over Washington and slavery.

Reposted by Karin Wulf

jimambuske.bsky.social
Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 2d
We cannot escape the fact that George Washington enslaved people, and he knew he could not escape that fact either. Signs may come down (for now), but good history is out there, starting with: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
😁

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
😅 I definitely said "this is a look don't touch session!!"

Reposted by Andrew Jacobs, Karin Wulf

sarahebond.bsky.social
Sarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 2d
The latest Pasts Imperfect is out! @ingerkuin.bsky.social discusses her new Diogenes book and the controversy over teaching Plato in Texas. Then, a new open access book on Chinese philosophy, archaeological ecosystems, RaceB4Race, new ancient world journals by @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & more! 🛢️
Pasts Imperfect (1.22.26)
This week, intellectual historian and classicist Inger N.I. Kuin discusses her new book on Diogenes and ruminates on the controversy in Texas surrounding teaching Plato. Then, a new edited, open acces...
pasts-imperfect.ghost.io

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
#mood
dbellingradt.bsky.social Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · 2d
That's a one-finger salute from a reading lady of the 1770s with a fancy headdress. 🖕 #skystorians
The portrait of a lady seated at a table reading a book, and the middle finger as reading help can clearly be seen. She is smiling also. Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1866-0512-1969

Reposted by Kathleen Kennedy, Karin Wulf

aarontpratt.bsky.social
Aaron T. Pratt @aarontpratt.bsky.social · 2d
If you missed Ann Blair’s @ransomcenter.bsky.social Pforzheimer Lecture last night, you can check it out on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/live/u16QHaI...

I think you’ll agree that it’s both sharp and a lot of fun.
Dr. Ann Blair - How Renaissance Scholars and Printers Decided on the Size of Books
YouTube video by Harry Ransom Center
www.youtube.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
“A fundamental test of the publishing industry’s commitment to the principles of accountability, integrity, and transparency.” Again, imperfect yet vital institutions and sectors being consumed.

Reposted by Karin Wulf

scholarlykitchen.bsky.social
The Scholarly Kitchen @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social · 2d
Guest Post — The Ghost in the Machine: Why Generative AI is a Crisis of Authorship, Not Just a Tool scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/01/22/g...
Guest Post - The Ghost in the Machine: Why Generative AI is a Crisis of Authorship, Not Just a Tool - The Scholarly Kitchen
Today's guest author raises the question of whether a researcher submitting an article that was significantly drafted by an LLM without clear disclosure is effectively engaging in a contemporary form ...
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org

Reposted by Karin Wulf

dbellingradt.bsky.social
Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · 2d
That's a one-finger salute from a reading lady of the 1770s with a fancy headdress. 🖕 #skystorians
The portrait of a lady seated at a table reading a book, and the middle finger as reading help can clearly be seen. She is smiling also. Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1866-0512-1969

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
Much to say about the Heritage Foundation report that @jessgrose.bsky.social writes about here, but esp key to point out the essential role of history of family. As ever, distorted or poorly understood histories are foundations for political goals. #FamilyIsPolitical www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/o...
Opinion | The Heritage Foundation Wants to Send American Women Back Half a Century
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Karin Wulf

visithmml.bsky.social
HMML @visithmml.bsky.social · 3d
How do you transform a fragile book into carefully maintained digital images & provide free, round-the-clock access for anyone, anywhere in the world?

On January 28 at 11am (CT), join us for “The Extraordinary, Ordinary Work of Building a Digital Library,” a free, virtual program: hmml.org/events
The Extraordinary, Ordinary Work of Building a Digital Library Wayne Torborg, Dr. Catherine Walsh, and John Meyerhofer January 28 from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (CT) Free, virtual Winter Lecture Series RSVP at HMML.org

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
Dramatic, short-sighted, terrible.

And the NEH staffing cuts were twice that.
davidho.bsky.social David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 4d
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
"Both of us posted multiple times about our Foreign Affairs essay. Only one of us, however, received a steady barrage of vitriolic criticism over the course of the day.1 Wanna guess which one of us it was? I bet you already know!"

Yep.

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
Huzzah! That's wonderful! 🎉

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
Have pre-ordered. Have read w appreciation all your books, and especially the last. Love the description of this tale of what we read and know and won't know.

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Elizabeth Saunders, Robert Wolfe , and 4 more

dandrezner.bsky.social
Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 3d
Today’s newsletter is about a natural experiment that happened on Bluesky yesterday. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/on-trump-a...
On Trump, Anarchy, and a Natural Experiment
My latest co-authored essay for Foreign Affairs.
danieldrezner.substack.com

Reposted by Karin Wulf

cjdenial.bsky.social
Cate Denial @cjdenial.bsky.social · 3d
Jameson Sweet's "A Vast Indigenous World" (Wm and My Quarterly, 81: (Jan 2024): 93-102. I often pair it with a chapter from Coll Thrush's _Indigenous London_. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt...
Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire on JSTOR
JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.
www.jstor.org

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
Tough words for lawyers and doctors but phew on historians 🎯 but honestly all of us. #miscellany

"The historian has the Theban and Trojan wars at his fingers ends, but is almost wholly ignorant of a much higher concern, the proper knowledge of himself."
Screenshot of 18th c printed text "the historian has the Theban and Trojan wars at his fingers ends, but is almost wholly ignorant of a much higher concern, the proper knowledge of himself."

Reposted by Laurent Dubois

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 4d
This is going to be a much needed, super strong dose of _Common Sense_
A stack of copies of common sense, spines out with title usually in gold.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Joanna Bryson, Marc Lynch , and 80 more

davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 4d
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

Reposted by Karin Wulf

brownhist.bsky.social
Brown History Department @brownhist.bsky.social · 4d
"This week we’re in Rhode Island" — In this video from
@photowalkstv.bsky.social, Professor of History and Director and Librarian of the @jcblibrary.bsky.social, @kawulf.bsky.social, was interviewed about Brown’s Revolutionary War-era history. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=72RbEbWzZJo

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 4d
🤓❤️

Reposted by Karin Wulf

jlepler.bsky.social
Dr. Jessica Lepler @jlepler.bsky.social · 4d
@ksalex10.bsky.social and I wrote a new article about UNH students churning butter with 500 5-12 year olds to bring the humanities into an elementary school's STEAM night. The kids ate it up! Find the full article in @historians.org "Perspectives Magazine" www.historians.org/perspectives...
🗃️
Image of the UNH Butter Churning Team in an Elementary School Classroom.