Channel Title: Origins OSU Channel Description: "Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective" connects history with today. Every month since 2007 on our web site at origins.osu.edu, we’ve provided historical insight on current events that matter to the United States & the world. In 2016 we launched this channel to share videos based on written features from our web site as well as webinars. Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective is a collaboration between the history departments of Ohio State University in Columbus and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. We hope that Origins will help you understand the world more fully. To provide the best and most interesting content, we have and continue to partner with other like-minded organizations. The final goal of Origins is to make us all more informed, engaged citizens. As the American philosopher John Dewey wrote, “History which is not brought down close to the actual scene of events leaves a gap.” <video> The Founding of the People's Republic of China Description: On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong (1893-1976) stood on the rostrum of Tian’anmen (The Gate of Heavenly Peace) and announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in his strong Hunanese accent. This momentous announcement marked the end of China’s chaotic era of foreign domination since the mid-18th century and of frequent governmental upheavals after 1911. Written by Cruz Guan. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/establishment-peoples-republic-china. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. Music: Item Title: China Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/china-CCMT974 Item ID: CCMT974 Author Username: StudioKolomna Licensee: Laura Seeger/Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective Registered Project Name: The Establishment of the People's Republic of China License Date: November 29th, 2024 Item License Code: XEUAR57Q8S </video> <video> Remembering Bhopal: The World's Worst Industrial Disaster Description: This presentation commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster (2-3 December, 1984 in Bhopal, India), the world’s worst industrial disaster. Dr. Madhumita Dutta, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at The Ohio State University discusses the disaster, the immediate and ongoing health repercussions for the people of Bhopal, and their global legal and activist fight for justice and corporate accountability. Nicholas Breyfogle, Professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and Director of the Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching, serves as moderator. This is a production of the College of Arts & Sciences and Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Instragram and Bluesky: @Origins OSU. </video> <video> Grover Cleveland: First Non-Consecutive Two-Term President Description: The 1880s and 1890s were politically like today: evenly matched parties and swing states deciding the presidency. Between 1880 and 1892, no candidate won a majority, but Grover Cleveland (D-NY) made history by serving non-consecutive terms. He won in 1884 and 1892 but lost in 1888, despite never losing the popular vote. Over a century later, Donald Trump joined Cleveland as the only President to serve non-consecutive terms. Follow for more historical moments! #GroverCleveland #DonaldTrump #NonConsecutiveTerms #ElectionHistory #SwingStates #USPolitics #Subscribe #uspresidentialhistory #history #twopartysystem </video> <video> The 1824 U.S. Presidential Election Description: A 4-way race in 1824 broke years of calm elections. Adams won with Clay’s support, sparking outrage from Jackson’s camp and fueling the fierce 1828 campaign. Follow for more pivotal election moments! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video> <video> The 1844 U.S. Presidential Election Description: The shock of 1844: America’s first ‘dark horse’ candidate, James Polk, changed everything. Running on ‘54-40 or Fight,’ he expanded U.S. borders, ignited war with Mexico, and set the stage for Civil War. Follow for more pivotal election moments! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video> <video> The 1940 U.S. Presidential Election Description: Until 1940, no President attempted a third term. But with the world on the brink of war, everything changed. Franklin D. Roosevelt broke tradition, securing a third term amid a 'We Want Roosevelt' surge at the Democratic Convention. He’d lead the nation through WWII until his death, sparking a two-term limit for future presidents. Follow for more unprecedented elections that changed history! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video> <video> The 2000 U.S. Presidential Election Description: In 2000, America woke up to no victor! A recount in Florida and a month of legal battles ended with the Supreme Court stopping the count. Gore won the popular vote, but Bush claimed the presidency. Follow for more historic election moments! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video> <video> The 1874 Election Description: #TwoPartySystem: During Reconstruction, Southern elections were marred by violence as Republicans rallied Black voters and Union supporters, while Democrats opposed Federal power, often through force. By 1876, the nation split into two regional coalitions. Follow for more pivotal election moments! Read the article this short was created from at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections </video> <video> Congolese Rumba: Soundtrack to African Political Struggle Description: In the Year of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo negotiated independence from Belgium to the rhythm of the country’s greatest export: Congolese rumba. The wildly popular and meaningful genre became a soundtrack to global change. Written by Emily Hardick. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/article/year-of-africa-1960-rumba-pan-africanism-Kariba. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. Additional Resources: Elkins, Caroline. Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya. Toronto: CNIB, 2008. Fanon, Frantz. Toward the African Revolution: Political Essays. New York: Grove, 1952. Lee, Christopher J. Making a World after Empire: The Bandung Moment and Its Political Afterlives. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2010. Monson, Jamie. Africa's Freedom Railway: How a Chinese Development Project Changed Lives and Livelihoods in Tanzania. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009. Phiri, Kings M. Malawi in Crisis: the 1959/60 Nyasaland State of Emergency and Its Legacy. Zomba, Malawi: Kachere, 2012. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Colonialism and Neocolonialism. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 1964. Tischler, Julia. Light and Power for a Multiracial Nation: the Kariba Dam Scheme in the Central African Federation. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Collinet, Georges. “Hidden Meanings in Congo Music.” Afropop Worldwide, December 21, 2011. https://afropop.org/audio-programs/hidden-meanings-in-congo-music. Gondola, Didier. The History of Congo. Westport, Conn: Greenwood, 2002. Kazadi, Pierre Cary (Kazadi wa Mukuna). “The Genesis of Urban Music in Zaïre.” African Music 7, no. 2 (1992): 72–84. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. Patrice Lumumba. First edition. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2014. White, Bob W. Rumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu’s Zaire. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2008. Iwa Dworkin, Congo Love Song: African American Culture and the Crisis of the Colonial State (University of North Carolina Press, 2017) Kevin K. Gaines, American Africans in Ghana: Black Expatriates and The Civil Rights Era (University of North Carolina Press, 2006) James Meriwether, Proudly We Can Be Africans: Black Americans and Africa, 1935-1961 (University of North Carolina Press, 2002) </video> <video> What was Wrong with the Judges at the Salem Witch Trials? Description: While most of the books written about the Salem witch trials concern those who were accused of witchcraft and their accusers, Matt Goldish's new book, "Science and Specters" at Salem, turns the spotlight on the judges. They were, after all, the men who decided to accept these accusations and move the trials forward. Historians have long wondered why the judges accepted evidence based on visions of apparitions and "touch tests.” Goldish offers some unexpected answers. Speaker Note: Matt Goldish would like to add a more complete response to one of the questions asked him after his talk. Not all those convicted in Salem were executed. Anyone who confessed was, paradoxically, kept alive, while those convicted who would not confess were executed. Presumably, those who confessed would have been executed eventually if the trials had been allowed to continue. In addition, Elizabeth Procter was spared because she was pregnant and the court wished to spare the life of the unborn child. Presented by Matt Goldish, Samuel M. and Esther Melton Chair in History at The Ohio State University. The moderator is Nicholas Breyfogle, Co-Editor of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, Director of the Harvey Goldberg Center and Professor of History at Ohio State University This is a production of the College of Arts & Sciences and Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Instragram and Bluesky: @Origins OSU. </video> <video> The Story of Poinsettia Day and U.S.-Mexico Relations Description: Since 2002, December 12 has been known as Poinsettia Day, created by Congress to honor the passing of Paul Ecke, Jr., who helped commercialize the plant in the United States in the middle of the twentieth century. Written by Lindsay Schakenbach Regele. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/poinsettia-day-monroe-doctrine-and-us-mexican-relations. Learn More: Flowers, Guns, and Money: Joel Roberts Poinsett and the Paradoxes of American Patriotism (University of Chicago Press, 2023) Ana Romero-Valderrama, “La coalición pedracista: elecciones y rebeliones para una re-definición de la participación política en México (1826-1828)” (PhD. Diss. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologiìa, Mexico, 2011). Jay Sexton, The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth-Century America (New York: Hill and Wang, 2011). María Eugenia Vázquez Semadeni, “Del mar a la política: Masonería en Nueva España, México, 1816-1823,” Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Latinoamericana y Caribeña (Dec. 2015) Torcuato S. Di Tella, National Popular Politics in Early Independent Mexico, 1820-1847 (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1996). United States' Mexican Company, Statement in relation to the United States' Mexican Company (Albany: Websters and Skinners, 1826). This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. </video> <video> Our Top 10 Historical Musicals Description: Musicals have sought to bring history to life onstage, with varying degrees of creative license. These are our top ten musicals based on real-life people and events that have shaped the theatre. 00:47 1. Evangeline, or The Belle of Acadia (1874) 02:18 2. The King and I (1951) / The Sound of Music (1959) 04:20 3. Fiorello! (1959) 06:32 4. 1776 (1969) 08:57 5. Evita (1979) 11:00 6. Assassins (1990) 13:00 7. Elisabeth (1992) 15:02 8. Leonardo the Musical: A Portrait of Love (1993) 16:49 9. Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson (2010) / Hamilton (2015) 18:50 10. Newsies (2012) Written by Lauren Henry. Narrated by Nicholas Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/top-ten-historical-musicals. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. </video> <video> Postwar Decolonization and its Discontents Description: Presented by Lydia Walker, Provost Scholar Assistant Professor, Seth Andre Myers Chair in Global Military History, in the Department of History at The Ohio State University. After the Second World War, national self-determination became a recognized international norm, yet it only extended to former colonies. Groups within postcolonial states that made alternative sovereign claims were disregarded or actively suppressed. This talk showcases their contested histories, highlighting little-known regions in South Asia and Southern Africa, marginalized individuals, and their hidden (or lost) archives. Personal connections linked disparate nationalist struggles across the globe through advocacy networks. However, these advocates had their own agendas and allegiances, which could undermine the autonomy of the claimants they supported. This webinar features material from Lydia Walker’s new book, "States-in-Waiting" (Cambridge, 2024) which illuminates the unfinished and improvised ways that the state-centric international system replaced empire, which left certain claims of sovereignty perpetually awaiting recognition. The book is available Open Access for free download at https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/statesinwaiting/9446AB4E4355759A4500202B9C0F9C25 The Moderator is Nicholas Breyfogle, Professor of History and Director, Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching at The Ohio State University. </video> <video> The 1876 U.S. Presidential Election Description: In 1876, Samuel Tilden won the popular vote, but contested results in three Southern states and an elector in Oregon left him just one vote short of victory. Fraud, voter suppression, and violence defined this election—subscribe now for more on this and other top 10 unprecedented elections in American history! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video> <video> The 1800 U.S. Presidential Election Description: The election of 1800 changed everything! For the first time, party slates ran together. Jefferson and Burr tied, and after intense voting in the House, Jefferson emerged as President, thanks to Alexander Hamilton’s influence. Follow for more pivotal election moments! Read the article this short was based on at https://go.osu.edu/unprecedentedelections. </video>

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"Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective" connects history with today. Every month since 2007 on our web site at origins.osu.edu, we’ve provided historical insight on current events that matter to the United States & the world. In 2016 we launched this channel to share videos based on written features from our web site as well as webinars. Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective is a collaboration between the history departments of Ohio State University in Columbus and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

We hope that Origins will help you understand the world more fully. To provide the best and most interesting content, we have and continue to partner with other like-minded organizations.

The final goal of Origins is to make us all more informed, engaged citizens. As the American philosopher John Dewey wrote, “History which is not brought down close to the actual scene of events leaves a gap.”

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