Karin Wulf
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kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf
@kawulf.bsky.social
14K followers 2.6K following 12K 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)"

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 10h
“If the ministry of truth in George Orwell’s _1984_ now existed…”

Quite the 🔥opening in defense of history.
adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social Adam Steinbaugh @adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social · 12h
Federal court orders Trump administration to restore historical panel exhibits at President’s House in Philadelphia.

Happy Presidents Day.
MEMORANDUM OPINION February 16, 2026 “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.” George Orwell, 1984' As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto "Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. The President's House is a component of Independence National Historical Park that commemorates the site of the first official presidential residence and the people who lived there, including people enslaved by President George Washington. On January 22, 2026, the National Park Service ("NPS") removed panels, displays, and video exhibits that referenced slavery and information about the individuals enslaved at the President's House. Plaintiff City of Philadelphia ("the City" filed this lawsuit under the Administrative Procedures Act ("APA") against the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum… CONCLUsION For the reasons stated above, the Motion for Preliminary Injunction will be granted. The preliminary injunction will remain in place pending further litigation in this matter. There can b no prejudice to Defendants' restoration of the status quo as of January 21, 2026, which requires that Defendants reinstall all panels, displays, and video exhibits that were previously in place. Defendants shall further prevent any additions, removals, destruction, or further changes of any kind to the President's House site, except in the event that a mutual written agreement is reachec between Defendants and the City of Philadelphia. An order will be entered.

Reposted by Daxton R. Stewart, Karin Wulf

adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social
Adam Steinbaugh @adamsteinbaugh.bsky.social · 12h
Federal court orders Trump administration to restore historical panel exhibits at President’s House in Philadelphia.

Happy Presidents Day.
MEMORANDUM OPINION February 16, 2026 “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.” George Orwell, 1984' As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto "Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. The President's House is a component of Independence National Historical Park that commemorates the site of the first official presidential residence and the people who lived there, including people enslaved by President George Washington. On January 22, 2026, the National Park Service ("NPS") removed panels, displays, and video exhibits that referenced slavery and information about the individuals enslaved at the President's House. Plaintiff City of Philadelphia ("the City" filed this lawsuit under the Administrative Procedures Act ("APA") against the Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum… CONCLUsION For the reasons stated above, the Motion for Preliminary Injunction will be granted. The preliminary injunction will remain in place pending further litigation in this matter. There can b no prejudice to Defendants' restoration of the status quo as of January 21, 2026, which requires that Defendants reinstall all panels, displays, and video exhibits that were previously in place. Defendants shall further prevent any additions, removals, destruction, or further changes of any kind to the President's House site, except in the event that a mutual written agreement is reachec between Defendants and the City of Philadelphia. An order will be entered.

Reposted by Karin Wulf

the-renovator.bsky.social
The Renovator @the-renovator.bsky.social · 12h
Also in the latest roundup: catch @dblight.bsky.social, Lonnie Bunch III, Drew Gilpin Faust, @kawulf.bsky.social, and Colleen Shogan at @nyhistory.bsky.social or livestreaming today on the topic "In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union":
In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union | The New York Historical
A panel of preeminent historians explore key moments in American history and our ongoing quest for a “more perfect” union.
www.nyhistory.org

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 12h
Good thread for president’s day w @cgoodhistorian.bsky.social ’s
work on the Washington family and slavery.
cgoodhistorian.bsky.social Cassandra Good @cgoodhistorian.bsky.social · 14h
The new @inpursuitusa.bsky.social project launches today for #PresidentsDay with articles on George & Martha Washington.

George W. Bush on George: www.inpursuit.org/lessons/for-...

@kawulf.bsky.social on Martha: www.inpursuit.org/lessons/befo...
🗃️

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 14h
You can read the full list of participants here: www.inpursuit.org
IN PURSUIT
Lessons from the American Experiment
www.inpursuit.org

Reposted by Andrew Jacobs, Karin Wulf

cgoodhistorian.bsky.social
Cassandra Good @cgoodhistorian.bsky.social · 14h
The new @inpursuitusa.bsky.social project launches today for #PresidentsDay with articles on George & Martha Washington.

George W. Bush on George: www.inpursuit.org/lessons/for-...

@kawulf.bsky.social on Martha: www.inpursuit.org/lessons/befo...
🗃️

Reposted by Karin Wulf

johnfea1.bsky.social
John Fea @johnfea1.bsky.social · 15h
Remembering Martha Washington

In a fitting piece for Presidents' Day, Brown University history professor Karin Wulf explores the life of Martha Washington. Here is a taste of her piece at In Pursuit: Did she encourage her husband’s better angels? In one respect we know she emphatically did not.…
Remembering Martha Washington
In a fitting piece for Presidents' Day, Brown University history professor Karin Wulf explores the life of Martha Washington. Here is a taste of her piece at In Pursuit: Did she encourage her husband’s better angels? In one respect we know she emphatically did not. She was casually cruel about slavery and her expectations of enslaved people. Confounded when seventeen fled with the British, who were promising freedom during the revolution, she was infuriated when one of her maids fled from Philadelphia decades later and wanted her tracked down and then brought back (she never was).
thewayofimprovement.blog

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 15h
And for Made by History, a piece responsive to an Atlantic essay. For President's Day and every day, I can value critical contributions without heroizing the man. Bc humans are so, so flawed. How we navigate that in our past and present is for more than social media. // time.com/7173647/geor...
Even George Washington Was a Tyrant
We don't need to find heroes in our past presidents. We need to try to understand that tyranny has always been part of American freedom.
time.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 15h
and on Washington specifically, from my book research: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what...
This Long-Ignored Document, Written by George Washington, Lays Bare the Legal Power of Genealogy
In Washington’s Virginia, family was a crucial determinant of social and economic status, and freedom
www.smithsonianmag.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 15h
If you're interested in what else I've written about the founders and Geo Wash in particular, this piece from 2019 still represents my approach. www.neh.gov/article/vast...
Vast Early America
www.neh.gov

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 15h
I reread a lot for this 1250 word assignment --the 2 most important have been important for years. Elite women remain elusive still and this volume --fewer than 85 letters from MW during the presidency--is essential. Erica Dunbar on Ona Judge one of most impt books on Washington in the last decades.
The Papers pf Martha Washington and Never Caught One Judge the Washingtons and the Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, pictures side by side on a desktop.

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 16h
I understand that!

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 17h
💯

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 17h
Love it*

*am also enraged by it!

Reposted by Karin Wulf

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 17h
'Scientists and researchers who study public understanding should reckon with their own role in this cultural disconnect. In particular, they need to reimagine the ways in which scientific literacy and trust have long been conceptualized and measured.' 1/2
Why we don’t really know what the public thinks about science
Measuring trust isn’t enough. Furthering knowledge about the institutions and norms of science is the best way to build credibility.
www.nature.com

Reposted by Catherine J. Frieman

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 18h
Interesting that the NYT story linked to my @smithsonianmag.bsky.social essay on Washington and the twinned legalities of genealogy -- land and wealth for GW and enslavement for people he "inherited." Shows the complexity of the project-- of this history. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what...

Reposted by Andrew Jacobs, Karin Wulf

jimambuske.bsky.social
Jim Ambuske @jimambuske.bsky.social · 18h
@inpursuitusa.bsky.social is now live!

Check out @kawulf.bsky.social's essay on Martha Washington, the first First Lady, and a plantation mistress shaped by lineages of power, revolutionary politics, and slavery.

inpursuit.substack.com/p/martha-was...

Hear Karin read her essay as well.
An image of Martha Washington

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 18h
New essays at @inpursuitusa.bsky.social will post weekly-- next week is John Adams by Danielle Allen and Abigail Adams by Joe Ellis. Some amazing pairings (beyond GWB and me, obv I meant the writers and their subjects!) in this series. www.inpursuit.org
IN PURSUIT
Lessons from the American Experiment
www.inpursuit.org

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 18h
A new project launched this morning -- on the history of presidents and the presidency. And First Ladies. With a pointed essay on George W(ashington) by George W (Bush) --about presidential humility. Oh, and me about Martha Washington! www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/a...
From One President to Another, a Love Letter With an Edge
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Karin Wulf

ageofrevolutions.bsky.social
Age of Revolutions @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social · 1d
CFP! Check it out! ageofrevolutions.com/2026/02/15/r...
Reinterpreting the Caribbean Age of Revolutions – Slave Revolts, their Non-Slave Participants and Proto-Citizenship CFP
Call for Papers: Two Parts Part One: Graduate Workshop on Early modern Caribbean and Atlantic Slavery and Emancipation We welcome graduate students working on topics related to early modern Caribbe…
ageofrevolutions.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 1d
Hahahahaha INDEED

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 1d
I think it's the same company-- I bought "obsessive note taking" for a couple of people. 😁

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 1d
"...amid a national push by conservative lawmakers to mandate “patriotic” education in colleges and universities... “It fulfills the statutory requirements precisely,” said Messer-Kruse. “But it treated these documents ... by asking who wrote them, why and who paid the price.”

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Karin Wulf

profmk.bsky.social
Timothy Messer-Kruse @profmk.bsky.social · 1d
bgfalconmedia.com/176826/lifes...
BGSU professor’s new book challenges a patriotic narrative
Timothy Messer-Kruse, a Bowling Green State University (BGSU) professor, recently published a civics textbook designed to meet Ohio’s Department of Higher Education’s new requirements. These new requi...
bgfalconmedia.com

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
Highly rec this v straightforward discussion fr our RI Sec State (and former hs history teacher!) Gregg Amore about election law, federal and state, the integrity of voter rolls, and election security. I shared this w family & friends not as perennially online but feeling awfully anxious.

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 2d
Cf full histories of complex, diverse, regularly violent American history.
willbunch.bsky.social Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 2d
This NYT column by @polgreen.bsky.social is the truest thing I've ever seen about the REAL reason public trust in the media collapsed

Reposted by Karin Wulf

civilwarmemory.bsky.social
Kevin M. Levin @civilwarmemory.bsky.social · 2d
...and finally an argument as to why we should consider Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show as part of the ongoing America 250 commemoration. kevinmlevin.substack.com/p/bad-bunny-...
Bad Bunny Delivers a History Lesson and an Important Reminder for America's 250th
If you are like me, last night’s halftime show performed by Bad Bunny (aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) is still ringing in your head.
kevinmlevin.substack.com

Reposted by Karin Wulf

willbunch.bsky.social
Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 2d
This NYT column by @polgreen.bsky.social is the truest thing I've ever seen about the REAL reason public trust in the media collapsed

Reposted by Caroline T. Schroeder, Karin Wulf

kyledcheney.bsky.social
Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 3d
👀 A federal judge has ordered the disclosure of a roster of DOGE employees and affiliates, as well as a text message revealing a top NEH official’s views on “woke” and “progressive” grants. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

kawulf.bsky.social
Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 3d
W Jamelle, too! Because historical context takes time to develop thoughtfully -- to learn, incorporate, and then produce. But it seems that there's an agreement here that it's not only super interesting but incredibly important to the work they're doing.

Stay tuned! //