
John Pierce: International Man of Mystery
Heather Carlquist Walser set out looking for a sailor but found a symbol.

Female Physicians in Antebellum New York City
Nicholas L. Syrett traces the deep history of distinguishing abortion from other women’s healthcare in order to demonize it and its practitioners.

On Dobbs: A Perspective from a Historian of Child Sexual Abuse
Grave Argo argues that we must fight for reproductive justice to bring closure to girls’ suffering in the past.

Whose Nation? Reconsidering Abortion as an American Tradition
Brooke Lansing recasts abortion as a national tradition by reminding us that women are part of the nation.

Induced Abortion in the Early Republic
In tracing the historical accuracy of Dobbs, Patricia Cline Cohen found a rich history of induced abortion in the early republic.

What Else I Learned from James D’Wolf’s Letters
Craig Hollander learned to read D’Wolf’s handwriting in a moment of paleographic deus ex machina.

The Possibilities and Perils of Slavery’s Digital Archive
Robert Colby used digital tools to unearth an enslaved family in Richmond, but was forced to confront their limitations.

Wrestling with the Titan; Or, Interpreting That One Really Weird Piece of Evidence
While writing his recent JER piece, Will B. Mackintosh struggled to interpret an anomalous piece of evidence.