Elizabeth Kurrus Historical Research

05/13/2026

If you haven’t been there lately, head on over to the History Museum in Washington!

05/12/2026

See you in Washington❣️
Washington Historical Society

🍺 Only one week until Evening at the Museum!

Our May program explores the story of German immigrants, religion, and culture in Missouri.

👇 Washington is known for its German heritage. Do you have German ancestry in your family? Tell us below 👇️

05/07/2026

As the U.S. 250th nears, bishops discuss democracy: United Methodist bishops and scholars from around the world examined Christian faith and democracy at the spring Council of Bishops meeting. The discussions came as democracy faces threats around the world, including the U.S.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/as-us-250th-nears-bishops-discuss-democracy

04/20/2026

Yeah, it was a pretty great night 😃

04/15/2026

Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most popular and most quoted presidents. And in our humble opinion, there’s a good reason why: his applicability to the modern era.

Today’s is just one example of the enduring relevance of Roosevelt’s words to modern-day issues and topics: “Probably the best test of true love of liberty in any country is the way in which minorities are treated in that country.”

Did you know that this quotation comes from Roosevelt’s famous “Citizenship in a Republic,” better known as the “Man in the Arena” speech? Although this particular quotation is often overshadowed by the more famous “man in the arena” sentence in the speech, these words better encapsulate Roosevelt’s overall argument in the speech of what it meant to be a good citizen in a republic.

In the speech, Roosevelt emphasized the importance of liberty in a republic—and not just for the few. Roosevelt did not support any kind of persecution, no matter which side was the persecutor and which side was the persecuted. “Persecution is bad because it is persecution,” he said.

According to Roosevelt, a republic’s success depended on tolerating—even fostering—“[w]ide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political, and social belief.” Equitable treatment for all—most especially minorities—rather than fanaticism were the key to the longevity and long-term success of a republic.

Although Roosevelt executed this ideal imperfectly in office as president, particularly in the Brownsville Raid of 1906, his support of a “square deal” for all Americans is a key legacy of his administration.

Read the full “Citizenship in a Republic” speech at the American Presidency Project: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-sorbonne-paris-france-citizenship-republic

04/13/2026

Whoop whoop!
Register here 👉🏼 https://www.salemstlouis.com/event/beer_germans_methodist

04/12/2026

Amid ongoing national controversy, it is more important than ever for the history community to be able to clearly explain what history is, how we come to understand the past, and why it matters to society. The Reframing History initiative provides the field with a new set of evidence-backed recommendations for communicating about history. Learn more about the initiative and download the toolkit at aaslh.org/reframing-history.

04/04/2026

Society of American Archivists

03/15/2026

Am over-the-top excited about the Faust Beer 🍺 carpet at Idol Wolf!

12/12/2025

Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a suit in federal court to pause construction related to the proposed White House ballroom.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt construction immediately.

With this filing, we are calling on the Administration to follow all legally mandated review processes by:

• Submitting the ballroom plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, including a public comment period

• Seeking Congressional authorization for construction in President’s Park

• Complying with the National Environmental Policy Act through appropriate environmental review

As the nation’s congressionally chartered historic preservation organization, we are acting to ensure that any changes to the White House campus respect federal law and preserve the historic integrity of the People’s House.

Read our statement on the filing: https://ow.ly/cGlw50XItqo