David J. Hensley
@david-j-hensley.bsky.social
Associate Professor of History at Georgia Highlands College, opinions my own. Specialized in Modern European History (Belgium, language, and nationalism). Check out my book, Defending French in Flanders, 1873-1974 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023).
Coming up on the 2nd anniversary of publication
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Defending French in Flanders, 1873–1974
This book examines the efforts of the French-speaking minority in Flanders to maintain a legal and social presence of the French language
link.springer.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Coming up on the 2nd anniversary of publication
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
"he decided to have the gal not be a hog like his family" -- I am having trouble parsing what this means.
November 26, 2025 at 2:41 AM
"he decided to have the gal not be a hog like his family" -- I am having trouble parsing what this means.
The president pro tem then (1868) was Benjamin Wade of OH, a Radical Republican. Some historians speculate that Johnson was acquitted because other Senators did not want to see Wade in the presidency. A shame, in my opinion, as Wade had some views that were extraordinarily progressive for his day.
November 23, 2025 at 2:35 AM
The president pro tem then (1868) was Benjamin Wade of OH, a Radical Republican. Some historians speculate that Johnson was acquitted because other Senators did not want to see Wade in the presidency. A shame, in my opinion, as Wade had some views that were extraordinarily progressive for his day.
Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1792 (in force when Lincoln was killed), the president pro tem of the Senate came after the VP. In April 1865, that was Lafayette S. Foster of CT, a devoted abolitionist. The real "what if" is what if Johnson had been removed from office after impeachment:
November 23, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1792 (in force when Lincoln was killed), the president pro tem of the Senate came after the VP. In April 1865, that was Lafayette S. Foster of CT, a devoted abolitionist. The real "what if" is what if Johnson had been removed from office after impeachment:
This looks like some Gavin Menzies-level BS. (I always use Gavin Menzies to illustrate for my students that not everything in the History section of a commercial bookstore is academic history.)
November 23, 2025 at 2:22 AM
This looks like some Gavin Menzies-level BS. (I always use Gavin Menzies to illustrate for my students that not everything in the History section of a commercial bookstore is academic history.)
Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan.
November 20, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan.
I can get it any Mexican restaurant or grocery store here in northwest Georgia.
November 18, 2025 at 4:02 PM
I can get it any Mexican restaurant or grocery store here in northwest Georgia.
Jarritos, the Mexican soda company, has a tamarind flavor. My favorite!
November 18, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Jarritos, the Mexican soda company, has a tamarind flavor. My favorite!
To be fair, the 1860 Republican Party platform was like 75% about stopping the spread of slavery into the Western territories. Also one of the planks is about making sure naturalized immigrants were treated equally to the native-born. www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/re...
Republican Party Platform of 1860 | The American Presidency Project
www.presidency.ucsb.edu
November 9, 2025 at 7:06 AM
To be fair, the 1860 Republican Party platform was like 75% about stopping the spread of slavery into the Western territories. Also one of the planks is about making sure naturalized immigrants were treated equally to the native-born. www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/re...
Smithers: "Sir, phrenology was dismissed as quackery 160 years ago."
Burns: "Of course you'd say that, you have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter."
Burns: "Of course you'd say that, you have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter."
November 6, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Smithers: "Sir, phrenology was dismissed as quackery 160 years ago."
Burns: "Of course you'd say that, you have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter."
Burns: "Of course you'd say that, you have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter."
I hate the "customer service" mentality metastasizing throughout Higher Ed. I saw this really terrible Op-Ed last year that goes all in on "customer service."
archive.is/PADyX
archive.is/PADyX
archive.is
November 5, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I hate the "customer service" mentality metastasizing throughout Higher Ed. I saw this really terrible Op-Ed last year that goes all in on "customer service."
archive.is/PADyX
archive.is/PADyX
Counterpoint:
November 4, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Counterpoint:
Unless it produces a fake citation or a "as an AI model" type "tell," it's essentially impossible to prove that it's AI (at least, so that administration would take my side), so I just grade to the rubric as strictly as possible. It's been a very disheartening few years for me.
November 3, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Unless it produces a fake citation or a "as an AI model" type "tell," it's essentially impossible to prove that it's AI (at least, so that administration would take my side), so I just grade to the rubric as strictly as possible. It's been a very disheartening few years for me.
I wish this was the case with my students, who are overwhelmingly taking History courses for general education requirements in a nursing or business program. The use of AI is omnipresent despite my repeated attempts to explain that it short-circuits learning.
November 3, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I wish this was the case with my students, who are overwhelmingly taking History courses for general education requirements in a nursing or business program. The use of AI is omnipresent despite my repeated attempts to explain that it short-circuits learning.
See also Cuomo's anti-Mamdani (and also anti-Sliwa) ads made with AI, which are frankly libelous. I can't believe he is allowed to use these things in a campaign for public office.
November 2, 2025 at 1:09 AM
See also Cuomo's anti-Mamdani (and also anti-Sliwa) ads made with AI, which are frankly libelous. I can't believe he is allowed to use these things in a campaign for public office.
In grad school, we History PhD students had a "historical villains"-themed Halloween party. One friend, who studied Early Modern England, wore a little fence (like from a model train setup) around his neck. He said was going as "Enclosure."
October 31, 2025 at 10:08 PM
In grad school, we History PhD students had a "historical villains"-themed Halloween party. One friend, who studied Early Modern England, wore a little fence (like from a model train setup) around his neck. He said was going as "Enclosure."
Her being Robert Kardashian's kid is what made her sex tape notable at first; this led to her becoming a media figure in her own right which is how she met Kanye.
October 31, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Her being Robert Kardashian's kid is what made her sex tape notable at first; this led to her becoming a media figure in her own right which is how she met Kanye.
As someone who voted for Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 primaries, I feel secure in saying this is a certified bad take. One needs to avoid even "the appearance of impropriety," and Platner leaving a Totenkopf tattoo on his person even after he learned its significance is instantly disqualifying.
October 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
As someone who voted for Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 primaries, I feel secure in saying this is a certified bad take. One needs to avoid even "the appearance of impropriety," and Platner leaving a Totenkopf tattoo on his person even after he learned its significance is instantly disqualifying.
But he is also be ineligible to be *elected as vice-president*. I suppose one could argue that he could be appointed VP under the 25th Amendment.
October 24, 2025 at 4:09 AM
But he is also be ineligible to be *elected as vice-president*. I suppose one could argue that he could be appointed VP under the 25th Amendment.
Yeah, the problem with that is that the 12th Amendment states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States." The 22nd Amendment thus makes serving 2 terms as president disqualifying for election to VP.
October 24, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Yeah, the problem with that is that the 12th Amendment states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States." The 22nd Amendment thus makes serving 2 terms as president disqualifying for election to VP.
This is about the demolition of the East Wing of the White House and not Platner, but it's still a bad take.
October 24, 2025 at 3:17 AM
This is about the demolition of the East Wing of the White House and not Platner, but it's still a bad take.
"Cephalagia" is literally just headache in Greek, lol. But it makes the list seem more serious I suppose. Just ask this scientician!
October 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"Cephalagia" is literally just headache in Greek, lol. But it makes the list seem more serious I suppose. Just ask this scientician!