I PASSED MY EXAM! Now it's only an oral exam at the end of next term that separates me from getting into my prospectus and teaching in front of a live class again.

I had a chance to go and visit several of the locks along the Rideau Canal National Park of Canada and World Heritage Site this week. It's pretty nice. It's the best-preserved example of a slack-water canal system and the only one still operating with the original technology. Living where I do, I've of course seen the Canal many a time and was there when it officially joined the UNESCO list, but this was the first time I travelled any real length along the canal (by car of all things...it really would be better by boat). We saw the swing bridge at Merrickville in operation, which is pretty neat to see if you've never seen a swing bridge, and obviously the filling of the locks that preceded it to allow a boat through. We also went out to Jones Falls Dam, which is not a waterfall, but was at the time one of the highest dams in the world at 60 feet. The locks there are very impressive and there seems to be quite a bit of hiking around, though we only did a little. We also stopped for a meal at the Opinicon, a lodge/restaurant/rest stop along the Canal that has been serving visitors for over a century, a testimony to just how much traffic the Canal actually sees (since it's flat in the middle of nowhere as you drive). Much of the history we covered was a review from my tour guiding days, but it was still neat to read about John Redpath, who had been one of the lead engineers on the Jones Fall Dam (along with Thomas McKay, who build Rideau Hall, Earnscliffe, and what is now the Bytowne Museum) and later went on to found the Redpath sugar refinery.

I'd recommend a trip, but pick a better time, as much of the interpretive centres and many of the small museums were closed in the off-peak season.

I've finally started really selecting, pulling, and displaying objects for my exhibition. A little frustrating - unless some of what's in the database has been lost or deaccessioned, it's here and yet I can't find it - but it's great to lay out the display cases.

When I was looking for boxes of homemade textile stuff for the exhibition I found a box with some corsets, which was great. There was a very pretty light blue one from the 1880s-1890s in it.

It's Better Know an Historian! And this week on highlight is /u/itsalrightwithme, and we get to hear all about Glorious Belgium, why Early Modern Period is Best Period, and recreating history in video games...

Someone made a short drone video of the Los Guachimontones site where I've worked and what my thesis is on. I wish they spent more time showing the ruins rather than the interpretive center. C'est la vie

Posting here at recommendation of mod (thanks).

I'm interested in what historians think about this chart I created a while back mapping historical trends of cultural production and identity.

http://imgur.com/ChNsF7E

Further information explaining it a bit:

http://grimeandreason.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/some-predictions-for-humanities.html

I am a history graduate, but, well, let's just say my application of complexity theory to cultural evolution did take well with my rather too (imo) modernist professor. This is history view the lens of who controls and/or mediates cultural production, how this translates to personal and societal identity, and the patterns I see therein.

The only time I have seen this framework used (in a slightly more limited way) is in the work of Pierre Levi, as described in his 1997 book Collective Intelligence.

Anyway, I did this a few years ago, and after having a twitter discussion that reminded me of it, I thought I would share.

I've started a seminar on revolution and warfare in Ireland, England and Scotland during the mid 17th century and was expecting it to be sort of boring, because I'm honestly not that into Early Modern history. Turns out that the course has a FASCINATING reading list and touches on way more than just warfare and rebellion. Proto-anarchist millenarian radicalism is just so awesome.

I don't want to make a thread about this since it is such a vague question, but what American western film do you think most accurately illustrates life at the time? I am asking since I am watching High Plains Drifter right now and I am curious.

Hey beautiful people, I hope everyone's enjoying the start of their weekend :) I wonder if anyone wouldn't mind recommending me some general books on Native American history? It's one of those periods of history that I know little about (being British) and every book I try and read about the various NA tribes doesn't seem to be grabbing my interest so I thought you lovely people might big able to change my opinion. :) I've heard of Charles Mann's 1491 & 1493, Are these books a good place to start?

The areas of NA history that seemed most interesting were the Pacific North-west & Alaska region, Canadian first nations and the Toltec and Olmec civilizations of Latin America. Thanks everyone. Enjoy your weekends

Anyone here familiar with Jewish history in Europe, especially the 16th and 17th centuries? Taking an upper-division Intro to Judaism class (not a history major, but definitely an enthusiast), and have to write a 10-12 page term paper. My first idea was to write about the Jewish influence on Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age (I had read a little about it in The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson and was intrigued). When I brought the idea to my professor, he led me down the rabbit hole, taking me on a mini-journey that encompassed:

• Jewish exile from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century
• The Ottoman Empire
• Jewish colonies in Brazil
• The Dutch East India Company
• Peter Stuyvesant and his religious intolerance
• Spinoza, his family and his "excommunication"
• Some other stuff I can't remember

His best advice was to find a way to narrow down what I wanted to write about. I've read a little about each of these topics now, but doubt I'll have time to explore any of them in enough fullness to come to an informed decision. So before I arbitrarily pick a direction and go, does anyone have suggestions for a good angle of attack?

I am currently at the airport (first of two stops) on my way to two months of research in SA and hopefully Zimbabwe. This is the first real extended research trip in four years, and the longest in eight, so I'm stoked. Of course I have plenty of work to do on the way, revising grants, writing reviews, and working on the book chapter that won't die. Monday morning I will be in the archives again! Already miss my family, but they understand--this is the job after all.

What's a good resource for information on the CIA? I'm looking for specific covert operations as well as the CIA's direct influence on US foreign policy.

Edit: this is for a research paper.

What are some good authors of articles that explore epistemic problems about knowing things historically?