FSU Department of History

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FSU Department of History Welcome to the Florida State University Department of History, a place to examine the past to make informed choices for the future.

🎶London Bridge is falling down, falling down... or is it? Look through a short history of the well known but often overl...
10/27/2026

🎶London Bridge is falling down, falling down... or is it? Look through a short history of the well known but often overlooked bridge across the Thames!
Post Credit: Lyn I.
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons (London Bridge, HMS Jupiter)

Congratulations to Jane Cohen (FSU BA 2026) whose Honors in the Major thesis was recently published in Bandwagon, the Jo...
10/26/2026

Congratulations to Jane Cohen (FSU BA 2026) whose Honors in the Major thesis was recently published in Bandwagon, the Journal of the Circus Historical Society. Cohen won the Circus Historical Society Student Prize for 2026 with her essay "On and Off the Bandwagon: Wind Bands of the American Circus." Read it in Bandwagon, Vol 70: 3 (2026), pp. 48-72.

Cohen is a recent graduate of Florida State University, where she earned degrees in Music and History. In her work, Cohen studies American popular culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with a particular focus on music, print media, and touring entertainments. A lifelong circus fan, she is interested in how the circus and its allied arts spread American culture and ideals to audiences of diverse backgrounds.

Happy World Karate Day! In honor of today's observation of karate as one of the most internationally prominent martial a...
10/25/2026

Happy World Karate Day! In honor of today's observation of karate as one of the most internationally prominent martial arts, indulge in some of its rich history with us!

Want to know more?
Tan, K. S. Y. (2004). Constructing a martial tradition: Rethinking a popular history of karate-dou. Journal of Sport & Social Issues

Post credit: Michelle
Slide four image credits:
1. (Cropped) Hokusai, Katsushika; Sound of the Lake at Rinkai (Rinkai Kosei) Wikimedia Commons - Image in Public Domain
2. (Unidentified Artist) The First Ryukyuan Mission to Edo (1609-1711) Wikimedia Commons - Image in Public Domain
3. Published by Yoshikawa-Kobunkan; Five men wearing Ryukyuan Dress Wikimedia Commons - Image in Public Domain

Congratulations to Rebecca Shriver (FSU Ph.D. 2018) who recently published her monograph *A Feminine Federation: The Int...
10/23/2026

Congratulations to Rebecca Shriver (FSU Ph.D. 2018) who recently published her monograph *A Feminine Federation: The Interwar Campaign for Peace and European Integration* with Cambridge University Press.

Publisher's Book Description:
In this fascinating history of European federalism during the 1920s and 1930s, Rebecca Shriver uncovers a surprising grassroots phenomenon. Moving beyond the familiar story of elite male intellectuals, she reveals how women and feminist activists in the Pan-European Union, the New Europe Group, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom shaped new visions for a united Europe. These organizations imagined a continental federation that prioritized cooperation, reconciliation, and individualism-qualities they associated with women's leadership. By reframing the failures of the nation-state as products of 'man-made' systems, they offered alternatives grounded in gendered ideas of peace. Drawing on rich archival research, this study challenges conventional narratives of European integration and demonstrates the central role of women in its intellectual foundations. Both timely and provocative, it speaks to enduring debates on democracy, polarization, and international cooperation that continue to resonate today.

Well done, Dr. Shriver!

10/22/2026

On this episode of Haunted History of the Big Bend, we explore one of North Florida’s strangest legends: the Wakulla Volcano.
In the nineteenth century, mysterious smoke and lights rising from the Wakulla Swamp led some locals to believe a hidden volcano was burning beneath the marsh. Today, historians point to natural explanations like swamp gas or marsh fires—but the legend still captures the eerie power of the Florida landscape.
Post credit: Danielle


What's in the reel?
A video about the legend of the Wakulla Volcano in North Florida. The video features images of Wakulla Springs, swamps, forests, and historical illustrations while discussing nineteenth-century reports of smoke, fire, and glowing lights that led some residents to believe a volcano existed beneath the Wakulla wilderness. The reel explores how natural phenomena and local folklore combined to create one of the Big Bend's most unusual legends.

Senior Seminar Interview with Larry B. Harper (FSU 2026)In this article, History major Larry B. Harper explains how he g...
10/21/2026

Senior Seminar Interview with Larry B. Harper (FSU 2026)
In this article, History major Larry B. Harper explains how he got ready for his senior seminar class: "I knew what I wanted to study for my senior thesis many, many months in advance. I talked to Dr. Upchurch over a year before I took the class to see if my project would fit." Harper's advice: "Talk to the professor to see if they accept your ideas as fulfilling the course requirements."
Read more about Harper's story on the FSU History website. Tap "News" in the .

10/20/2026

Many of today's college students are too young to remember the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In our newest podcast episode, the FSU Department of History's Paul Renfro discusses how he teaches 9/11's significance and connects its aftereffects to students' lives today.

To tune in, visit: bit.ly/47x6cb3. 🎧

Florida State University

Kathleen Powers Conti, Ph.D. (FSU Department of History) received the 2026 Best Essay in an Edited Volume award for "Bey...
10/20/2026

Kathleen Powers Conti, Ph.D. (FSU Department of History) received the 2026 Best Essay in an Edited Volume award for "Beyond the Absence: Recovering the Architectural Imprints of Slavery at Virginia's Berkeley Plantation" from the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. Her chapter was published in Architectures of Slavery: Ruins & Reconstructions, Nathaniel Walker and Rachel Ama Asaa Engmann, eds. (University of Virginia Press, 2025). Congratulations, Dr. Conti!

Florida's Extinct Birds: A Brief History When it comes to extinct birds, the dodo might spring to mind, but do you know ...
10/19/2026

Florida's Extinct Birds: A Brief History

When it comes to extinct birds, the dodo might spring to mind, but do you know the species that once graced Florida's trees and shores? Swipe to learn about the six different birds from the long-gone "penguin of the north" to species last seen less than 50 years ago, but never confirmed to be extinct...

With fall migration kicking off, keep a lookout for the new species coming to your backyard, and remember the birds we can't see anymore.

Post credit: Anna La Sala
Images provided by Wikimedia, public domain.

Meet Anna La Sala, a new intern on the FSU History team! 👋We’re excited to have Anna joining us this semester!Swipe for ...
10/18/2026

Meet Anna La Sala, a new intern on the FSU History team! 👋
We’re excited to have Anna joining us this semester!
Swipe for a cat pic... 👀🐈
Post credit: Further Noumena

Address

401 Bellamy Building, FSU
Tallahassee, FL
32306

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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+18506445888

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