I just graduated this spring, and I always wanted to work in museums, specifically in archives. I did an academic year as an intern for my universities history department, as well as taking Museology, Public History, and anthropology classes. I like where I live and my family is here, so I'm hesitant to move, but so far the pickings are very slim.

Does anyone have any career advice for an intimidated recent grad?

EDIT: Thank you all for responding! I'm sorry it took me a little while to respond, I was both a bit bashful and was having some computer problems. Library science MA has so far been the most suggested route, but my local university, where I got my BA, does not offer one. I also live in a very secluded place (Hawaii, I live in Hawaii) and while Manoa is very close, there is no way I would be able to afford living there. I'll admit it, I'm afraid of being on my own, and I don't think I'm capable of it yet. But, that does not mean I give up, and will start making plans to become a bit more independent, and I will continue to invest in my community museums/societies.

Thank you all for responding (and upvoting!), and I hope to speak with some of you in the near future!

I just returned from a hiking trip in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, France. We visited several castles and ruined castles that were placed on mountain tops an hour or more hike from the nearest village. Was this a common occurrence in France and the rest of Europe during the medieval period ? How was a castle that far away helpful? Thank you.

Arguably, the Eastern front and Pacific theater were more destructive, claimed more lives, and ultimately more decisive in determining the outcome of the war. So why are more films, books, and Television shows based in and around the Western front, and why are the other theaters of war neglected in education and memorials? (Especially in my country, the UK)

How was this rule enforced by the church. In popular media today priests aren't always depicted as the most pious men. And even in the middle ages themselves priests or monks aren't always depicted as such. Boccaccio's decameron depicts nun as not being as pious as they make themselves out to be. Also in the story of Reynard we see satirical stories of priests breaking their celibacy. So what were the reprecrussions of breaking celibacy. What did the church do to batle this?

I know that the US was already very powerful before WW2, but from everything I've read, it makes it sound like a lot of the US's growth in the last 75 years can he owed to the productivity of WW2. Our infrastructure was intact and we were the ones who could reliably produce goods without threat. While Europe was destroyed, the US was able to thrive (not a bad things or anything.)

Hello! I have the following detailed question about the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Why EXACTLY did the Soviets and other Warsaw pact members invade Czechoslovakia in 1968? I know it was to stop Alexander Dubcek's reforms, but how exactly could they have affected the Eastern block? Was it really possible that Czechoslovakia exits the Warsaw pact? I'm also curious what were the Soviet - Czechoslovakian relations like after that. Thanks a lot to everyone who answers!

Such a small nation isn't really an opposition right? Why did The United Provinces/The Netherlands always kept their souvereinity? (After they broke loose from the Spanish crown, obviously)

Edit 1: there are some small examples, like ww2 and during Napoleon, but both were only 5 years or so, and even then we were allowed to run our own politics mostly.

Most of what I need for my PhD is in archives around where I live. One very important collection is in Philadelphia, in the care of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

I need advice on how best to go about mining their archives in a short amount of time. I am planning to go for a week but I can try for two if need be.

I do not need to read every letter in this guy's personal papers, just browse through for letters between him and a half a dozen people with him I know he did not correspond regularly.

The society offers a paid research service, which will come out to about the same as if I travel there in person and spend the week there, but I don't exactly trust them to be as thorough as I would be.

They allow cameras to take photos of documents but not scanners since these could be used to copy publication quality images.

Any tips as to how to best maximize my time there?

As far as I know the line style infantry marching that was apparent during the Napoleonic era was still prominent during the civil war.

Wasnt artillery range and rapid fire weapons (6 shot pistols, Gatling gun etc.) improved by the time of the US Civil war? I guess to reword my question, why were line battles still prominent in the 1860's?

The ships that discovered and plundered the new world were made almost entirely out of biodegradable materials and lived very rough lives, sailing between cool to tropical climates, through storms and damaging conditions, were vulnerable to rot and fire, and in later centuries, could be subjected to extreme violence. It seems many (most?) were decommissioned after being deemed broken beyond repair, or condemned by underwriters on economic grounds, as opposed to being retired due to natural degradation.

In a hypothetical scenario, how long would a ship like the Santa Maria, Sao Gabriel or Victoria, if maintained well, be expected to remain in active service back in the day?

Hi all, I recently took a university level intro to Classics course and our final exam question was just given us. I'm having problems understanding what the question is asking and I was hoping someone could put it into a simpler form?

Here is the question: Write an essay about the use of the mythic (e.g., Hesiod) or legendary/historical (e.g., Herodotus, Livy) past as an explanation for the writer’s present cultural institutions, beliefs, or practices, selecting at least one example of each (i.e, one mythic and one “historical/legendary”).

PLEASE NOTE I am not looking for an answer to the question. Just a better explanation of what my prof might be asking me to provide for him. Any and all help appreciated.

Also: how would this differ from person to person and how did historians reach this number?