Historians Contextualizing the Political Chaos: A Roundup

On January 6, 2021, a violent insurrection attacked the U.S. Capitol Building and threatened the government officials and journalists working inside. In the following days, information about the perpetrators - both within and outside the government - continues to trickle out and foment political turmoil.

Right away, historians recognized the unprecedented aspects of these events, as well as their deep historical roots. They’ve written blog posts, op-eds, and columns helping us to understand the political developments following the insurrection, including discussions of impeachment, the 14th amendment, the 25th amendment, and D.C. statehood.

A list of publications is below, in alphabetical order by author’s last name, and will continue to be updated as more information is released and more pieces published. This list emphasizes pieces that include deep historical analysis, as opposed to purely political recommendations. Be sure to check out the list of pieces curated by Megan Kate Nelson about the historical underpinnings of the insurrection itself.

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Balcerski, Thomas. “What history can teach Biden about facing insurrection on Inauguration Day,” CNN.

Brewer, Holly. Twitter Thread on Pence and the Constitution.

Carrington, Adam M. “Abusing Grace: Constitutional Subversion in the Presidential Self-Pardon,” The Constitutionalist.

Chervinsky, Lindsay M. “Precedent’s for This Week’s Cabinet Exodus,” The Bulwark.

Chervinsky, Lindsay M. “The President is a Threat to Congress and D.C.” Medium.

Chotiner, Isaac. “Learning from the Failure of Reconstruction,” The New Yorker.

Cohen, Eliot A. “These Old Evils Require Old Remedies,” The Atlantic.

DeVelvis, Melissa and DJ Polite. “The attempted insurrection was only part of the right’s anti-democratic playbook,” Made by History, The Washington Post.

Fagal, Andrew J. B. “This is not the first Congress to debate impeaching a lame-duck president,” Made by History, The Washington Post.

Fallows, James. “Time for Consequences,” The Atlantic.

Gallman, Matt. “Clement Vallandigham, Donald Trump, and the Politics of Treason,” H-Net.

Gerhardt, Michael. “History Shows the Senate Can Hold an Impeachment Trial After Trump Leaves Office,” Just Security.

Glass, Andrew. “Senate holds former war secretary’s impeachment trial, May 4, 1876,” Politico.

Graber, Mark. “Section Three to the Rescue,” The Constitutionalist.

Head, David. “The 14th Amendment is Not an Alternative to Impeachment,” The Bulwark.

Head, David. “Use Impeachment, Not the 25th Amendment, to Remove Trump,” The Bulwark.

Hemmer, Diana. “The Final Mess,” The Washington Post.

Hill, Fiona. “Yes, It Was a Coup. Here’s Why,” Politico.

Morone, James. “The election that foreshadowed 2020,” Made by History, The Washington Post.

O’Neil, Patrick W. “The founders’ case for impeaching Trump — even if it’s too late to remove him,” The Fayetteville Observer.

Richardson, Heather Cox. “Letters from an American, January 10.”

Smith, Craig Bruce. “The Last Action Hero and the First President,” The Bulwark.

Varon, Elizabeth. “A Senate conviction might stop Trump, but it won’t stop Trumpism,” Made by History, The Washington Post.

Vladeck, Stephen. “Why Trump Can Be Convicted Even as an Ex-President,” New York Times.