History & Politics – Kimberly B. Sherman

Emigration as Epidemic: Perspectives on the Eighteenth-Century Scottish Highlands

June 24, 2019

In our digital age, the contagion metaphor is often part of the language we use regarding the exchange of information. The most popular videos go “viral” online. We share culturally-relevant “memes” via social media that spread like the common cold. But such metaphors are nothing new, especially when applied to migration. As medical knowledge developed in … More Emigration as Epidemic: Perspectives on the Eighteenth-Century Scottish Highlands

Reading early America (for fun!)

February 3, 2019

I am a reader. Since I was very young, I’ve had an affinity for libraries, for the smell of books, the crispness of their pages, and the music made by the words inside. As a historian, my career as a scholar compels me to read – both widely and deeply – in order to understand … More Reading early America (for fun!)

Whose Milk? Changing US Attitudes toward Maternal Breastfeeding

September 25, 2018

Earlier this year, delegates from around the world met in Geneva, Switzerland for the World Health Assembly. Debates emerged around the topic of promoting maternal breastfeeding and sparked a heated confrontation between the United States and the nation of Ecuador. Looking for some historical context to the “Breast is Best” campaign? Read my latest article … More Whose Milk? Changing US Attitudes toward Maternal Breastfeeding