Abbey Shimer
@aeshimer.bsky.social
History PhD Candidate researching the beginning of the modern homeschooling movement in the US.
NC ➡️ ND/SD.
Views are my own and do not reflect my employer.
NC ➡️ ND/SD.
Views are my own and do not reflect my employer.
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
What makes historic collections difficult? And how do researchers work with “difficult” collections?
New CFP from Paper Trails here:
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...
Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
New CFP from Paper Trails here:
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...
Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
Call for Papers: Difficult Collections | UCL UCL Special Collections
UCL Homepage
blogs.ucl.ac.uk
November 27, 2025 at 6:21 PM
What makes historic collections difficult? And how do researchers work with “difficult” collections?
New CFP from Paper Trails here:
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...
Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
New CFP from Paper Trails here:
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...
Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
For the What's History Feed 🗃️.
This is a fantastic opportunity for historians off the tenure track (including NTT, contingent, and independent scholars, archivists and librarians, museum workers and other public history folks) to spread the word about their publications.
✍🏽📚📄
This is a fantastic opportunity for historians off the tenure track (including NTT, contingent, and independent scholars, archivists and librarians, museum workers and other public history folks) to spread the word about their publications.
✍🏽📚📄
Haven't received as many contributions as usual for this year's lists--could be many things, but one aspect is surely that our ability to get this in front of people is much diminished. If you know folks whose stuff should be on here, please suggest it! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
November 24, 2025 at 7:44 PM
For the What's History Feed 🗃️.
This is a fantastic opportunity for historians off the tenure track (including NTT, contingent, and independent scholars, archivists and librarians, museum workers and other public history folks) to spread the word about their publications.
✍🏽📚📄
This is a fantastic opportunity for historians off the tenure track (including NTT, contingent, and independent scholars, archivists and librarians, museum workers and other public history folks) to spread the word about their publications.
✍🏽📚📄
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
Western historians: consider this CFP for the digital history lightning round at the 2026 WHA conference in Portland! Great format for discussing work in progress with a supportive audience. Happy to answer any questions. Respond by Wed., Dec. 3. #AmWest 🗃️
WHA 2026 Digital Scholarship Lightning Round - Expression of Interest
Please complete the form below. Someone from the Digital Scholarship Committee will contact you to confirm your acceptance to the lightning round. Contact Sean Fraga, [email protected], with questions.
forms.gle
November 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Western historians: consider this CFP for the digital history lightning round at the 2026 WHA conference in Portland! Great format for discussing work in progress with a supportive audience. Happy to answer any questions. Respond by Wed., Dec. 3. #AmWest 🗃️
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
In #AHAPerspectives today, @rhigarthjones.bsky.social and @profgabriele.com write about creative ways to approach citations and bibliography in trade books. 🗃️
Bibliographies for the People – AHA
Embracing alternative citation help the public better engage with trade history books.
www.historians.org
November 19, 2025 at 6:07 PM
In #AHAPerspectives today, @rhigarthjones.bsky.social and @profgabriele.com write about creative ways to approach citations and bibliography in trade books. 🗃️
Grading students’ video essays about the constitution and have School House Rock’s preamble song suck in my head. 🙃
November 18, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Grading students’ video essays about the constitution and have School House Rock’s preamble song suck in my head. 🙃
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
As a historian of the 18th c and an American, I've always known 2026 would be a critical moment. This doc is worth watching, and thinking through. Begins and ends w Indigenous contexts, conveys the horrors of a civil war wrought w racism + the ideals of liberty and equality we keep reaching for. 1/
_The American Revolution_ offers a look at how complex and violent — and also inspiring— the American founding was. Getting huge coverage, it may give folks time to digest that complexity as 2026 commences. Premieres tonight + PBS has preview clips of all episodes. www.pbs.org/show/the-ame...
The American Revolution
Thirteen colonies unite in rebellion, win their independence, and found the United States.
www.pbs.org
November 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
As a historian of the 18th c and an American, I've always known 2026 would be a critical moment. This doc is worth watching, and thinking through. Begins and ends w Indigenous contexts, conveys the horrors of a civil war wrought w racism + the ideals of liberty and equality we keep reaching for. 1/
Fascinating panel on the Midwest and regional studies at The Lost Region Recovery Project: A Conference on Midwestern Studies
November 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Fascinating panel on the Midwest and regional studies at The Lost Region Recovery Project: A Conference on Midwestern Studies
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
A lot of details in here surprised me--cost of college edging lower, overall enrollment numbers holding steady. Definitely a case where the ambient conventional wisdom and the facts are pulling in opposite directions.
Popular discourse attributes falling college enrollments to the rising cost of four-year college.
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
That story is wrong in multiple ways, as @mattbarnum.bsky.social points out in his latest roundup of the evidence (citing a new working paper of ours):
www.chalkbeat.org/2025/11/11/i...
Is college enrollment plummeting?
Reports of the death of the bachelor’s degree have been greatly exaggerated.
www.chalkbeat.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
A lot of details in here surprised me--cost of college edging lower, overall enrollment numbers holding steady. Definitely a case where the ambient conventional wisdom and the facts are pulling in opposite directions.
When my husband is on the farm and sees beautiful lights but I’m in the city and see … the great lights of Target…
November 12, 2025 at 4:36 AM
When my husband is on the farm and sees beautiful lights but I’m in the city and see … the great lights of Target…
I wrote “catch up on my late work” in my planner yesterday and now I have no idea what late work I meant. 🙃
November 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I wrote “catch up on my late work” in my planner yesterday and now I have no idea what late work I meant. 🙃
Reorganizing books this lazy Saturday
November 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Reorganizing books this lazy Saturday
“If I get though it first I’ll let you know how it is”
"that doesn't sound comfortable"
October 27, 2025 at 3:15 AM
“If I get though it first I’ll let you know how it is”
Farm update: new barn cat and Lou Lou got a hoodie
October 27, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Farm update: new barn cat and Lou Lou got a hoodie
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
THESE ARE OUR MOST READ PIECES EVERY YEAR!
If you are a UP editor or on the ed board of a journal, you can submit everything you published this year written by a contingent historian. Get them in front of people's eyes!
If you are a UP editor or on the ed board of a journal, you can submit everything you published this year written by a contingent historian. Get them in front of people's eyes!
A reminder that we're collecting books, chapters, and journal articles by non-TT historians for publication in our year-end lists. Anything with a 2025 pub date is eligible and you can submit for your friends/colleagues! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:15 AM
THESE ARE OUR MOST READ PIECES EVERY YEAR!
If you are a UP editor or on the ed board of a journal, you can submit everything you published this year written by a contingent historian. Get them in front of people's eyes!
If you are a UP editor or on the ed board of a journal, you can submit everything you published this year written by a contingent historian. Get them in front of people's eyes!
Typing “cover letter” into my Mac finder is always fun because I get everything from Jo-Ann’s Fabric (RIP), to grad school app, to TT job apps. 😅
October 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Typing “cover letter” into my Mac finder is always fun because I get everything from Jo-Ann’s Fabric (RIP), to grad school app, to TT job apps. 😅
With an hour to spare, midterm grades are submitted!
a group of people are jumping in the air with the words yippee in the corner .
ALT: a group of people are jumping in the air with the words yippee in the corner .
media.tenor.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:08 AM
With an hour to spare, midterm grades are submitted!
Today's rabbit trails included the questions of whether the Second Amendment should give you the right to own a tank or a fighter jet and how many people it takes to start a religion.
But hey, everyone was thinking about the Bill of Rights.
But hey, everyone was thinking about the Bill of Rights.
a cartoon character holding a scroll of the u.s. constitution says hello i 'm the u.s. constitution
Alt: a cartoon character holding a scroll of the u.s. constitution says hello i 'm the u.s. constitution
media.tenor.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Today's rabbit trails included the questions of whether the Second Amendment should give you the right to own a tank or a fighter jet and how many people it takes to start a religion.
But hey, everyone was thinking about the Bill of Rights.
But hey, everyone was thinking about the Bill of Rights.
Well, naturally this would happen the week that midterm grades are due…. 😒
October 20, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Well, naturally this would happen the week that midterm grades are due…. 😒
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
It's been a while, but I have exciting news! Our department is hiring a Digital Historian with a specialization in Early America. Help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity within your networks. #DigitalHistory #DH #HigherEdJobs
jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinna...
jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinna...
Assistant Professor in Digital and Early American History, Department of History, College of A&S
Assistant Professor in Digital and Early American History, Department of History, College of A&S
jobs.uc.edu
October 19, 2025 at 1:37 PM
It's been a while, but I have exciting news! Our department is hiring a Digital Historian with a specialization in Early America. Help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity within your networks. #DigitalHistory #DH #HigherEdJobs
jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinna...
jobs.uc.edu/job/Cincinna...
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
The AHA is compiling resources developed by historians in response to recent actions by the federal governments. We welcome submissions from our members about op-eds, media appearances, or other resources they've contributed offering historical context and insight to the public. 🗃️
Historians Respond to Federal Actions - AHA
AHA members are providing important historical context and insight to the public on the recent actions by the federal government.
www.historians.org
October 17, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The AHA is compiling resources developed by historians in response to recent actions by the federal governments. We welcome submissions from our members about op-eds, media appearances, or other resources they've contributed offering historical context and insight to the public. 🗃️
Google turning up little so I'm turning to religious studies bluesky. What did John of Damascus mean when he wrote about the "perfection of manhood" regarding icons? A student asked me in class because Christianity doesn't teach humans are perfect. I have guesses, but wasn't sure the consensus.
October 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Google turning up little so I'm turning to religious studies bluesky. What did John of Damascus mean when he wrote about the "perfection of manhood" regarding icons? A student asked me in class because Christianity doesn't teach humans are perfect. I have guesses, but wasn't sure the consensus.
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
I'm determined to be a useful member of the Digital Scholarship committee for the WHA this year, so I need help: what cool new-ish digital humanities projects related to Western US history do you know about?
October 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
I'm determined to be a useful member of the Digital Scholarship committee for the WHA this year, so I need help: what cool new-ish digital humanities projects related to Western US history do you know about?
Have a cat with a bandaged leg and she hates life at the moment 😭
October 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Have a cat with a bandaged leg and she hates life at the moment 😭
Reposted by Abbey Shimer
Religious movements are *always* internally contested. It is not for historians/outsiders to decide which party to the contestation represents the “true“ version or deserves exclusive use of the movement’s name/label. Their job is rather to describe the internal diversity as accurately as possible.
October 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Religious movements are *always* internally contested. It is not for historians/outsiders to decide which party to the contestation represents the “true“ version or deserves exclusive use of the movement’s name/label. Their job is rather to describe the internal diversity as accurately as possible.