Hello and welcome to H-Midwest, H-Net's home for Midwestern Studies. H-Midwest spans all approaches to Midwestern Studies--sociology, literature, history, economics, cultural studies, law, arts--and questions in the broader field of regional studies as well. We will interrogate where, what, and who is "Midwestern," and why. Our aim is to explore the expanding contours of this growing field, and push them where needed. The H-Midwest Board creates features and resources for the field and welcomes your announcements, posts, queries, discussions, CFP's and all things Midwestern.

Take a look around. H-Midwest Roundtables, discussions, and announcements are below. The images of states above will take you to content relevent to each state. We also post CFP's in Midwestern Studies and reviews of books concerning the Midwest published by H-Net. H-Midwest's Book Review Editor is currently commissioning new reviews. If you have something to post and don't see a space for it, don't worry: if it's about the Midwest, we'll make a space for it.

If you'd like to get to get involved as a contributor, editor, blogger, or have suggestions for H-Midwest, please contact us at editorial-midwest@mail.h-net.msu.edu.

Follow us on Twitter at @h_midwest

 

H-Midwest Roundtables

Page published by Patrick Cox, H-NET VP and Editor on Monday, November 23, 2015

H-Midwest Roundtables

H-Midwest Roundtables are a regular feature on H-Midwest. Each Roundtable introduces a subject or question in the field and a selection of thoughtful responses solicited from experts in the field, H-Midwest's Board, and responses to general calls. Roundtables are syntheses of current thinking on a subject and introduce a few new ideas and serve as starting points for discussion. Subscribers are invited to join the roundtable by replying to any contribution. At the end of each set of contributions is an open forum for thoughts on the roundtable subject generally.

H-Midwest Announcements

Discussion published by Marvin Bergman on Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Summer 2017 issue of The Annals of Iowa now available

The Summer 2017 issue of The Annals of Iowa is now available. 

In one feature article, Jeff Bremer, associate professor of history at Iowa State Uni­ver­sity, describes how settlers in early Iowa—far from being the self-sufficient farmers of frontier myth—participated in the expanding market system of the United States from the very beginning of the settlement process. 

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Discussions

Discussion published by Tony Sanfilippo on Friday, August 18, 2017

Hate Groups in Ohio

Recent events have taught me that I don't know nearly enough about the history of hate groups in Ohio. Ohio has a disproportionate number of hate groups here, according to statistics collected by the Southern Poverty Law Council, claiming 35 of the nation's 917 hate groups, including one of the largest, Southern Ohio Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and the White Nationalist website the Daily Stormer. I'm hoping to enlist an author researching this topic and ultimately produce an accessible book about the subject for our Trillium regional imprint.

Discussion published by Patrick Cox, H-NET VP and Editor on Monday, May 8, 2017

New Blog: Museums of Minnesota

May is Minnesota Museums Month, and May 18 is International Museum Day. H-Midwest participates in this celebration of the preservation and presentation of the state's culture with the initiation of a new blog, Museums of Minnesota. Throughout the month, directors, curators, other staffers, and volunteers at museums and historical societies around the state will be posting about their work, artifacts in their collections, exhibits, and the rich resources they house. 

Discussion published by Patrick Cox, H-NET VP and Editor on Wednesday, March 29, 2017

"What is the Midwest?"

Earlier today, H-Midwest Board member Jon Lauck appeared on "Central Standard" on KCUR in Kansas City to discuss the topic "What is the Midwest?" It was a fun and informative half hour on our favorite subject. A lot of interesting (and some surprising) definitions of Midwest came up, and quite a bit of sterotype bunking was heard.

Discussion published by James W. Fonseca on Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Re: Oklahoma ?

Wilbur Zelinsky wrote about Oklahoma in his book Cultural Geography of the United States. He categorized the state as one of three US regions of “uncertain status or affiliation.” (The other two were Texas and peninsula Florida.)

Zelinsky more or less said Oklahoma was divided culturally and geographically east and west. The eastern half of Oklahoma bordering Arkansas used to grow cotton and was like the South, but the western half is more like the Great Plains.

Discussion published by Patrick Pospisek on Thursday, November 3, 2016

Re: Oklahoma ?

Given Oklahoma's Native American history and energy industry, I always thought of the state in the larger context of the West. If anything, it does raise (or repeat) a larger question regarding the study of American regionalism: to what extent can regions be defined by state boundaries? It's certainly convenient but, as works like Fischer's Albion's Seed or Woodward's American Nations show, things are not always so clearly defined.

Discussion published by Patrick Cox, H-NET VP and Editor on Thursday, November 3, 2016

Re: Oklahoma ?

Hi Wyatt,

Good question! Speaking as an editor of H-Midwest, we came up with some early definitions for our purposes, and our Midwest did not include Oklahoma. But we also consider our definition not flexible but perhaps completely unnecessary.

Discussion published by Wyatt Reader M.A. on Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Oklahoma ?

Oklahoma is not included on the current States listed for the web page. Is Oklahoma considered South only ?

Discussion published by Patrick Cox, H-NET VP and Editor on Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Oberlin on Krueger, 'Myths of the Rune Stone: Viking Martyrs and the Birthplace of America'

As a Minnesotan, I just had to share this book review from our friends at H-Skand. I've always enjoyed the strength of feeling aroused in Minnesotans by the Kensington Rune Stone and the story of Vikings settling in Minnesota. The feelings have always been strong, but divided: some still believe it, many do not, but both sides have always seemed surprisingly passionate. I remember meeting people who were taught about the Kensington Rune Stone in their history classes.

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