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The End of Resistance History

On this episode of American Prestige, Charlotte Rosen on the short life of a liberal historiography that emerged during the first Trump administration.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

March 18, 2025

Scene at the signing of the Constitution of the United States.

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The End of Resistance History w/ Charlotte Rosen | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

On this episode of American Prestige, Danny and Derek speak with Chicago-based historian and writer Charlotte Rosen about the end of so-called “Resistance history”, a particular strain of liberal historiography that emerged during the first Trump administration. They talk about Resistance history’s defining characteristics, how it might have been an overcorrection to defend liberal democracy against attacks by Trump, how historians who engaged in this form of history viewed it as political action, some of the movement’s biggest figures, the apparent elitism and self-promotion among its proponents, the AHA and the decline of the history profession, and more.

Read Charlotte’s piece “The End of Resistance History” over at Protean Magazine.

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On this episode of American Prestige, we’re joined by Chicago-based historian and writer Charlotte Rosen about the end of so-called “Resistance history,” a particular strain of liberal historiography that emerged during the first Trump administration. We talk about Resistance history’s defining characteristics, how it might have been an overcorrection to defend liberal democracy against attacks by Trump, how historians who engaged in this form of history viewed it as political action, some of the movement’s biggest figures, the apparent elitism and self-promotion among its proponents, the American Historical Association and the decline of the history profession, and more.

You can read Charlotte’s piece “The End of Resistance History” over at Protean Magazine.

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

News — Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, Potential US-North Korea Diplomacy / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week’s news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (7:09); the Iran MOU expires as Trump escalates the economic war (9:20); the Islamic Republic might restart the shooting war (13:36); the Pentagon and Arab governments rethink America’s military presence in the Gulf (15:58); Trump curtails military exercises with South Korea, possibly moving toward diplomacy with North Korea/DPRK (18:53); the Sudanese military concludes a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia (24:47); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (27:39); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy faces calls for new elections (30:06); Trump suspends new tariffs on Canada (33:01); the U.S. moves Operation Southern Spear onto land (34:50); and a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report details the cost of the new “Trump class” battleships (36:45).

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Daniel BessnerTwitterDaniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.


Derek DavisonDerek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.


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