Editor's Message

Marc Jason Gilbert

     World History Connected, an open sourced, peer-reviewed publication of the University of Illinois Press, which currently reaches 1.85 million readers and receives 3 million visits to its website, announces the publication of its June 2019 issue (Volume 16, no. 2).

     This issue's Forum, or themed articles section, offers several innovative articles intended to deepen and expand our understanding of the nature, impact, and means of using film to further world historical analysis and pedagogy. The Forum's Guest Editor, Scott Bailey, has provided a useful introduction to the field that should be required reading for the novice post-secondary and secondary school instructor and also offers food for thought for those who are already actively pursuing the subject. He also provides an excellent introduction to the articles that follow that well-serves even the busiest instructor by convincing them of the rewards that will flow from a closer reading of each of them.

     Much the same can be said for the Articles section. World History Connected's Digital Resources Editor, John Maunu, has created an annotated digital bibliography designed to support the Forum, but can stand alone as a contribution to the field. He never fails to unearth lost treasures as well as the latest academic research and teaching resources on the subject. Those who might think that the pace of change in the digital universe renders digital references all-too-soon obsolete should not assume anything of the kind about this collection.

     David Neuman begins his article, "Australia and the United States: Comparisons and Conjunctures Between Settler Societies in the Pacific World," by noting that, despite the recent trend to emphasize Australia the ostensibly unique development of each county since the nineteenth century, "few nation states have a more remarkable combination of similarities than Australia and the United States. Both states emerged from English-speaking British colonies with a population base that, while primarily English, was ethnically diverse. Both developed a strong ethic of independence shaped by distance from the metropole and the migration of commoners and the "middling sort" with few if any members of the nobility. Both have a tradition of hardy character shaped by white farming and grazing in the western frontiers, sometimes with the government's permission and often simply as squatters. This aggressive settlement, along with cultural and religious notions of superiority, led in both cases to troubled histories of racial violence and the displacement of indigenous populations. Various forms of unfree labor, often justified by the race and supposed civilizational development of laborers, facilitated economic expansion."

     However, Neumann goes further, arguing that "upon closer inspection, many of these similarities actually reflect historical intersections" of the kind noted by Richard Bulliet. Neumann tells us that "the two largely reflect the emergence of an integrated Pacific World, the last of the major sea or ocean basins to develop, roughly two centuries ago. Within the Pacific World, connections between the United States and Australia intensified—from gold rushes and immigration, to concern about modern Japan's growing power, to alliances during and after World War II." Further insights follow that move beyond the comparative or "connections" analyses.

     World History Connected's Book Editor, Christine Skwiot, continues her unbroken string of gathering books and book reviewers examining wide-ranging topics of interest of world historians and appealing to all levels of instruction. She welcomes any titles you believe the journal should address. Currently, the journal has a number of fascinating and timely books available for review. Please see the "Books Available for Review" button on the left-hand side of the journal's webpage. If you are interested in reviewing any of these titles, or other recent works, please e-mail her at christine.skwiot@mma.edu, supplying her with a brief biography or C.V. and the title that interests you. Please note that the availability of books for review is subject to change and that World History Connected cannot honor every request. In addition, due to cost considerations, the journal can only ship books for review to the United States and Canada but is happy to assist reviewers outside of those areas to connect with publishers directly.

     World History Connected has of late received Forum proposals now in the pipeline that include Art, Gender, and the Vikings in World History and also articles on Teaching World History Through Experiential Learning. It would especially welcome additional submissions on those subjects, both articles and reviews of related books.

     Submissions for the October issue, with its Forum on Art in World History, should be in the editor's hands by July 30, 2019. Again, individual articles and book reviews need not be related to the Forum.

     World History Connected would very much like to receive more individual articles for our articles section generally, particularly regarding sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia in world history, which are not now the subjects of planned Forums, though that depends on contributors! Guest editors wishing to create a Forum, papers on Forum topics above and the submission of individual articles on any subject germane to our field may be sent to the Editor, mgilbert@hpu.edu. Please feature "WHC" in the subject-line of your e-mail.

     It is hoped that WHC readers not attending the World History Association's annual meeting in Puerto Rico where they had opportunities to meet with me for feedback and conversation may do the same via e-mail and phone conversations. As my entire College is moving its offices several blocks away, my phone service at the office will be disconnected, but I will be happy to reply to any e-mail that includes the writer's phone number to start a live discussion.

Marc Jason Gilbert, Editor
Hawai'i Pacific University

Marc Jason Gilbert is Professor of History and National Endowment for the Humanities Endowed Chair in World History at Hawai'i Pacific University. He can be reached at mgilbert@hpu.edu.