Bruce Dorsey
@profbrucedorsey.bsky.social
Historian, writer. Professor of History, Swarthmore College. Most recent: MURDER IN A MILL TOWN (Oxford UP). Rep'd by Mullane Literary Associates.
Pinned
Bruce Dorsey
@profbrucedorsey.bsky.social
· Feb 23
Great thrill to be in conversation with Jen Manion @manionjen.bsky.social at the Charles River Museum @charlesrivermuseum.bsky.social for the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize celebration, awarded by the Massachusetts Historical Society @mhs1791.bsky.social
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
They line up perfectly.
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 AM
They line up perfectly.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
American invasion of US going well, reports indicate.
Trump Troop Deployment in U.S. Climbs to 35,000 Boots on the Ground
A federal judge found the deployment to LA violated bedrock constitutional law, but Trump’s domestic military campaign continues. theintercept.com/2025/09/17/t...
A federal judge found the deployment to LA violated bedrock constitutional law, but Trump’s domestic military campaign continues. theintercept.com/2025/09/17/t...
November 19, 2025 at 2:31 AM
American invasion of US going well, reports indicate.
How long before we hear "Things Happen" to describe citizens detained or deported, US troops firing weapons at residents of American cities, domestic "enemies" (including journalists) prosecuted or disappeared?
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
‘Things Happen’: Trump Brushes Off the Murder of Khashoggi
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:31 PM
How long before we hear "Things Happen" to describe citizens detained or deported, US troops firing weapons at residents of American cities, domestic "enemies" (including journalists) prosecuted or disappeared?
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...
This thread 👇. Thanks, Karin.
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...
November 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This thread 👇. Thanks, Karin.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Awful to see federal forces terrorizing Charlotte, like how they recently terrorized Chicago. Truly awful.
At the same time, don't miss how they had to withdraw from Chicago to do it. It's the same guys, like a hit squad.
Bottomless desire, limited capacity. Push the regime enough and it'll break.
At the same time, don't miss how they had to withdraw from Chicago to do it. It's the same guys, like a hit squad.
Bottomless desire, limited capacity. Push the regime enough and it'll break.
5 headlines tonight on Charlotte Observer’s homepage:
“Manolo's Bakery closes to protect customers”
“Church members flee as federal agents arrive”
“Super G executive describes agents dragging out teen employee”
“Border Patrol questions people at Walmart”
“Border Patrol sweep sparks fear”
“Manolo's Bakery closes to protect customers”
“Church members flee as federal agents arrive”
“Super G executive describes agents dragging out teen employee”
“Border Patrol questions people at Walmart”
“Border Patrol sweep sparks fear”
November 16, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Awful to see federal forces terrorizing Charlotte, like how they recently terrorized Chicago. Truly awful.
At the same time, don't miss how they had to withdraw from Chicago to do it. It's the same guys, like a hit squad.
Bottomless desire, limited capacity. Push the regime enough and it'll break.
At the same time, don't miss how they had to withdraw from Chicago to do it. It's the same guys, like a hit squad.
Bottomless desire, limited capacity. Push the regime enough and it'll break.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Some of the most respected Chicago journalists in modern history came together to pen a letter decrying the terror being waged by the federal government against area residents.
Source: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
The letter: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/13/l...
Source: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
The letter: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/13/l...
Retired journalists raise the alarm about state sponsored terror in Chicago
"It is without precedent that the biggest names in Chicago journalism have come together to condemn a public action"
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Some of the most respected Chicago journalists in modern history came together to pen a letter decrying the terror being waged by the federal government against area residents.
Source: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
The letter: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/13/l...
Source: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
The letter: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/13/l...
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
November 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
Yes! As Rep. Pingree from Maine said, this is not a merely "change [in] the tenor or tone or trajectory" of the NEH, "this is a dismantling,” "'rapid destruction' of the agency’s systems of scholarly review."
The way my blood boiled when I read that they gave $30,000 to an unnamed independent scholar for a project on “Meritocracy vs. Equity: The Declaration of Independence in Tension With Critical Race Theory and D.E.I.” (and without full review).
Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H.
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Yes! As Rep. Pingree from Maine said, this is not a merely "change [in] the tenor or tone or trajectory" of the NEH, "this is a dismantling,” "'rapid destruction' of the agency’s systems of scholarly review."
You'd think the narcissist-in-chief would want to release the files for this reason alone.
November 14, 2025 at 5:47 PM
You'd think the narcissist-in-chief would want to release the files for this reason alone.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
November 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Republican men are absolutely obsessed with masculinity - is eating edamame feminine?? Is it gay to please your wife in bed??? Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress & played a girl bunny????
Then they say things out loud like “I’m a Grok guy”
Then they say things out loud like “I’m a Grok guy”
JD Vance: "I'm a Grok guy. I think it's the best. It's also the least woke."
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Republican men are absolutely obsessed with masculinity - is eating edamame feminine?? Is it gay to please your wife in bed??? Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress & played a girl bunny????
Then they say things out loud like “I’m a Grok guy”
Then they say things out loud like “I’m a Grok guy”
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
One of my favorite things about NYC is that the entire fleet of NYC ferries was named by 2nd graders. I think about this every time my run takes me past the docks.
Anyway, there are people who went to work this morning aboard The Tooth Ferry and the Ocean Queen Rockstar.
Anyway, there are people who went to work this morning aboard The Tooth Ferry and the Ocean Queen Rockstar.
November 13, 2025 at 9:37 PM
One of my favorite things about NYC is that the entire fleet of NYC ferries was named by 2nd graders. I think about this every time my run takes me past the docks.
Anyway, there are people who went to work this morning aboard The Tooth Ferry and the Ocean Queen Rockstar.
Anyway, there are people who went to work this morning aboard The Tooth Ferry and the Ocean Queen Rockstar.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Let me fix that for you:
Texas A&M is limiting how instructors may discuss gender identity and race in classrooms in an assault on academic freedom unseen in America since the Red Scare.
Texas A&M is limiting how instructors may discuss gender identity and race in classrooms in an assault on academic freedom unseen in America since the Red Scare.
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Let me fix that for you:
Texas A&M is limiting how instructors may discuss gender identity and race in classrooms in an assault on academic freedom unseen in America since the Red Scare.
Texas A&M is limiting how instructors may discuss gender identity and race in classrooms in an assault on academic freedom unseen in America since the Red Scare.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
NEW: At Pope Leo’s Urging, Bishops Issue Historic Rebuke of Trump’s Raids
Nearly all U.S. Catholic bishops united in Baltimore to denounce the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign — a near-unanimous, unprecedented moral stand against a sitting president.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 AM
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
So many emails. . . Terrible horrible description. . . 😳
Watch out ketchup ‼️
Watch out ketchup ‼️
several bottles of ketchup are lined up on a table
ALT: several bottles of ketchup are lined up on a table
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:27 AM
So many emails. . . Terrible horrible description. . . 😳
Watch out ketchup ‼️
Watch out ketchup ‼️
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
turns out the emails we should have been reading in 2016 were from the NYT
November 12, 2025 at 10:34 PM
turns out the emails we should have been reading in 2016 were from the NYT
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Historians! If you’re within driving distance of Gettysburg, come to the Fortenbaugh next week with David Blight, Drew Faust & Stephanie McCurry. I pushed to try a panel format this year—excited to see it come to life. www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories...
63rd Fortenbaugh Lecture to feature Blight, Faust, and McCurry
A highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
www.gettysburg.edu
November 13, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Historians! If you’re within driving distance of Gettysburg, come to the Fortenbaugh next week with David Blight, Drew Faust & Stephanie McCurry. I pushed to try a panel format this year—excited to see it come to life. www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Swarthmore faculty: Join us on Nov. 19 at 4:15pm.
November 11, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Swarthmore faculty: Join us on Nov. 19 at 4:15pm.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
This.
Knowing that they were going to do this, they should have addressed the public on the decision. Made USE of the moment.
Knowing that they were going to do this, they should have addressed the public on the decision. Made USE of the moment.
This is actually good spin, or would have been. But the fact that the Democratic cave happened without even a coordinated, agreed-upon message like this indicates the depth of the leadership void.
November 11, 2025 at 6:05 PM
This.
Knowing that they were going to do this, they should have addressed the public on the decision. Made USE of the moment.
Knowing that they were going to do this, they should have addressed the public on the decision. Made USE of the moment.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
In response to this claim that the "strategy didn't work."
The people were on our side. We were building momentum to help save our democracy. We could have won - the premium increase notices were just starting.
And giving in now will embolden him. Things will likely get worse.
The people were on our side. We were building momentum to help save our democracy. We could have won - the premium increase notices were just starting.
And giving in now will embolden him. Things will likely get worse.
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
In response to this claim that the "strategy didn't work."
The people were on our side. We were building momentum to help save our democracy. We could have won - the premium increase notices were just starting.
And giving in now will embolden him. Things will likely get worse.
The people were on our side. We were building momentum to help save our democracy. We could have won - the premium increase notices were just starting.
And giving in now will embolden him. Things will likely get worse.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
50 years ago today
Horses is the debut studio album by American proto-punk / punkrock musician Patti Smith, which was released on this day in 1975.
#punk #punks #protopunk #garagerock #womenofpunk #pattismith #horses #history #punkrockhistory #otd
Horses is the debut studio album by American proto-punk / punkrock musician Patti Smith, which was released on this day in 1975.
#punk #punks #protopunk #garagerock #womenofpunk #pattismith #horses #history #punkrockhistory #otd
November 10, 2025 at 3:48 AM
50 years ago today
Horses is the debut studio album by American proto-punk / punkrock musician Patti Smith, which was released on this day in 1975.
#punk #punks #protopunk #garagerock #womenofpunk #pattismith #horses #history #punkrockhistory #otd
Horses is the debut studio album by American proto-punk / punkrock musician Patti Smith, which was released on this day in 1975.
#punk #punks #protopunk #garagerock #womenofpunk #pattismith #horses #history #punkrockhistory #otd
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 AM
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
Reposted by Bruce Dorsey
50 year mortgage is so crazy. to put it in perspective, 2016 was 50 years ago
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 AM
50 year mortgage is so crazy. to put it in perspective, 2016 was 50 years ago