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A Brief Criminal History of the Mask

How a New York law on “masquerading” passed in the early nineteenth century has been used—and abused—in the decades since.
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Governors Must Hold Firm on Stay-at-Home Orders

Weariness of strong government is a key American tradition. But equally important is the revolutionary idea that national governance should come from the states.

What the Civil War Can Teach Us About COVID-19

Lessons from another time of great disillusionment.
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Coronavirus Has a Playlist. Songs About Disease Go Way Back.

Coronavirus songwriting has gone as global as the pandemic itself, creating a new genre called pandemic pop. It’s a tradition with a long history.
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COVID-19 in History

Living through a momentus time has prompted many reflections on what the past has to teach us about why the pandemic took the shape that it did – and how we can better respond to it.

War Has Been the Governing Metaphor for Decades of American Life

But the COVID-19 pandemic exposes its weaknesses.

The Tangled History of Illness and Idiocy

The pandemic is stress-testing two concepts Americans have historically gotten wrong.
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The Other Pandemic

In addition to COVID-19, another pandemic is preying upon the human spirit, nourished by a vulgar bigotry that has gone viral.
A hospital filled with patients during the influenza pandemic of 1918

How Pandemics Seep into Literature

The literature that arose from the influenza pandemic speaks to our current moment in profound ways, offering connections in the exact realms where art excels.
People mourning AIDS victims at a vigil.
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Coronavirus Is Different from AIDS

People comparing covid-19 and AIDS may obscure more than they clarify.

States Can't Fight Coronavirus on Their Own—And the Founding Fathers Knew It

It was a lesson they'd learned from experience.

The Revolution Is Only Getting Started

Far from making Americans crave stability, the pandemic underscores how everything is up for grabs.

How Generals Fueled 1918 Flu Pandemic to Win Their World War

Just like today, brass and bureaucrats ignored warnings, and sent troops overseas despite the consequences.

How the Black Death Radically Changed the Course of History

A look at the economic changes that occured after the Black Death in Europe and what that could mean for the aftermath of Covid-19.
Illustration of six books on the topic of pandemics

COVID-19 and the Outbreak Narrative

Outbreak narratives from past diseases can be influential in the way we think about the COVID pandemic.
Asian-Americans protesting COVID-19-related racism in San Francisco's Chinatown
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Xenophobia in the Age of COVID-19

Scapegoating immigrant groups in times of disease outbreak has a long history.
Trump speech script with "Corona" crossed out and changed to "Chinese" Virus.
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Stop Calling Covid-19 a Foreign Virus

Medical xenophobia has dangerous ramifications.
Propaganda poster from World War II showing a gloved hand holding a wrench and reading "America's answer!".

The Coronavirus War Economy Will Change the World

When societies shift their economies to a war footing, it doesn’t just help them survive a crisis—it alters them forever.

The Seminal Novel About the 1918 Flu Pandemic Was Written by a Texan

Katherine Anne Porter’s ‘Pale Horse, Pale Rider’ tells the tale of a pandemic she barely survived.
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President Trump Must Act Immediately to Protect Doctors and Nurses from Covid-19

Using the Defense Production Act is long overdue — and the health of our doctors and nurses is at stake.

When Restaurants Close, Americans Lose Much More Than a Meal

Restaurants have always been about more than feeding city residents. During the 1918 flu pandemic, they were kept open as sites of social solidarity.

The 5 WWII Lessons That Could Help the Government Fight Coronavirus

Eighty years ago, U.S. industry mobilized in a big way during a crisis. We could do it again.
A lone person sits in an empty mall.
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Americans Must Relearn to Sacrifice in the Time of Coronavirus

Citizenship used to demand sacrifice. Then we taught Americans to buy things instead.
People standing in line, social distancing six feet apart.
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Social Distancing Won’t Happen Until Governments Order It

Just like in wartime, compulsion is a must.

Why You Should Stop Joking That Black People Are Immune to Coronavirus

There’s a fatal history behind the claim that African Americans are more resistant to diseases like Covid-19 or yellow fever.

History in a Crisis - Lessons for Covid-19

The history of epidemics offers considerable advice, but only if people know the history and respond with wisdom.

The Shortages May Be Worse Than the Disease

Over the centuries, societies have shown a long history of making the effects of epidemics worse and furthering their own destruction.

It Doesn't Have to Be a War

The Trump administration appears ready to invoke the Defense Production Act to speed manufacture of essential goods like face masks.

The Coronavirus Is No 1918 Pandemic

The differences between the global response to the Great Flu Pandemic and today’s COVID-19 outbreak could not be more striking.
Virus seen through a microscope.

How Pandemics Change History

The historian Frank M. Snowden discusses the politics of restricting travel during epidemics and more.
The sun shining through the crown of a lone tree in an agricultural field.

What The Mississippi Delta Teaches Me About Home—And Hope

Finding struggle and resilience on a road trip through the birthplace of the blues.

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