Expert Interviews

Conversations with historians, economists, and scholars providing context and depth to American industrial history.

Scholarly Perspectives

To complement our analytical articles, we sit down with experts to discuss their research and interpretations of the industrial era.

Portrait of Dr. Eleanor Vance

Dr. Eleanor Vance on Antitrust Movements

The Professor of Economic History discusses the social and political climate that led to the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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Portrait of Dr. Samuel Chen

Dr. Samuel Chen on Corporate Personhood

An exploration of the legal precedents that shaped the modern corporation during the Gilded Age.

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Portrait of Dr. Isabella Rodriguez

Dr. Isabella Rodriguez on Patent Wars

A deep dive into the use of the patent system as a competitive tool by figures like Edison and Westinghouse.

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Portrait of a male historian

Prof. Robert Grant on Infrastructural Legacies

Discussing the long-term societal impact of an industrial-era infrastructure, from rail gauges to city layouts.

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Portrait of a female archeologist

Dr. Maria Flores on Industrial Philanthropy

An analysis of the motivations and consequences of the large-scale philanthropic activities of industrialists.

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Portrait of a male economist

Dr. Michael Kim on Labor Organization

A sociological perspective on the formation of unions and the dynamics of major labor strikes in the late 19th Century.

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A modern recording studio microphone

A Forum for Scholarly Discourse

Our interview series aims to bring the nuanced conversation of academia to a wider audience. We provide a platform for experts to share their specialized knowledge and elaborate on the complex topics they've spent their careers studying. These conversations add a valuable layer of interpretation and context to our fact-based articles.

Each interview is minimally edited to preserve the speaker's original intent and arguments. We see our role as facilitators, asking targeted questions that allow these scholars to illuminate the past.

Audience Feedback

What our readers say about the interview series.

"Hearing directly from the historians who write the books I study is fantastic. The interview with Dr. Vance gave me a whole new perspective for my thesis research."

Portrait of a student
Jessica L. Graduate Student

"It's refreshing to hear long-form, intelligent conversation. These interviews are the perfect companion to the detailed articles, providing the 'why' behind the 'what'."

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Tom H. History Enthusiast

"As an educator, I use clips from these interviews in my classroom. They help humanize history and show students that it's a field of active discussion and interpretation."

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Sarah Kline High School History Teacher

Our Interview Program

Consistency and quality are key to our content strategy.

1
New Interview Per Month
30+
Scholars Interviewed to Date
5+
University Affiliations
1000s
of Academic Views

Recommend an Expert

Know a historian or economist whose work aligns with our mission? We are always looking for new voices to feature in our series.

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