From History Wars to Outside the Academy: Why the Name Had to Change
Some of you have been here since this project was called History Wars.
That name had bite. It captured something real—a cultural battle over memory, meaning, and national identity. It drew readers who sensed that our historical narratives were being rewritten, weaponized, and hollowed out—when they should be shared to study, reflect on, and grow from.
But names carry weight, and History Wars began to feel like it boxed in the work. It suggested trench warfare—constant reaction, ideological jousting, a culture permanently at odds with itself. That was not the vision.
This newsletter has grown. The readership has grown. And frankly, the mission has clarified.
I am no longer interested in just critiquing the misuse of history. I am interested in rebuilding it—reclaiming our shared history and legacies, through the tradition and the truth-telling role of the historian outside the walls of the American academy. A historian I greatly respect once said that if history were to survive as a sober discipline, it would need to rebuild itself outside the academy. That feels more true now than ever, as recent changes in higher education make clear.
Thus the new name:
Professor Thompson Is Outside the Academy
Not as a gimmick. As a declaration that historical awareness should be for everyone and every community.
I’m a historian by training, a teacher by calling, and a public scholar by necessity. I study how power, memory, faith, and philosophy shape nations—and I am focusing my writing outside the academy because truth deserves no gatekeepers. I believe in a democratic society and its capacity for renewal. But I believe renewal starts with memory, and memory starts with honest storytelling.
What You Can Expect Moving Forward:
🕊️ Message Mondays
A weekly reflection on how we carry history—not just in dates or events, but in memory and feeling. Drawing from philosophy and our shared intellectual heritage, it’s a space to think through what shapes us, and what might still steady us, in both public life and private conscience.
🌍 World War Wednesdays
Inspired by the name of the First World War’s 369th Infantry Regiment, aka the Harlem Hellfighters, my Hellfighter series is a weekly exploration of the two world wars, alternating between the First World War (1914–1929) and the Second (1930–1945). It is an effort to revisit those thirty years of war with depth, care, and a sense that these years still have something to teach us.
🔥 Fire Hot Takes Fridays
A look at the week’s news, especially from abroad—offered with context, not certainty, and shaped by the long view of history.
🎙️ Outside the Academy Podcast
Audio conversations on history and culture, with study notes to carry the discussion beyond the episode. I cover U.S. history, Western Civilization, and World History—whether you’re tuning in on your commute, in the quiet hours, over coffee or tea, or brushing up on what school left out. Along the way, I bring in friends: scholars and writers with stories and ideas worth sharing.
The name has changed. The need is bigger now.
Welcome to Outside the Academy.
We are just getting started.
Professor Thompson
Historian. Teacher. Writing outside the academy.