“Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory,” by UGA history professor Claudio Saunt, was a 2020 National Book Award finalist and has found a place on several best books of 2020 lists, including the Washington Post and The Atlantic magazine. In it, Saunt argues that removal of the Southeastern native tribes was not a historical sidebar, but a critical event leading to the Civil War two decades later.
Saunt’s book demonstrates how Indian removal and slavery have much in common. Enormous profits were at stake in both cases. Both had the support of Southern planters backed by Northern financiers. Both faced an opposition in Congress that remained in the minority in part because of the constitutional compromise that allowed slaves to count in the census as three-fifths of a person, skewing representation. And both involved Southern threats of violent resistance to federal authority.
– From 'The Trail of Tears decimated my ancestors. Now, historians are reassessing that painful chapter in U.S. history' –Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jan. 7, 2021.
A few other of the many notes and quotes in the media about Franklin College faculty scholarship:
Diversity and competency are not incompatible — A Black scientist’s reflection – Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, in his regular column at Forbes
Sociopaths vs. narcissists: Three ways to tell the difference – Keith Campbell, professor of psychology on MSN
Georgia's diversifying suburbs could be boon for Democrats in the Senate runoffs – assistant professor of geography Jerry Shannon quoted by NBC News, DNYUZ
Australian robots are exploring to the deep sea to study marine snow – Patricia Yager, professor of marine sciences, quoted at Gizmodo
UGA’s Shepherd is said to be in line for Biden appointment –WSB
Love in the time of COVID-19 – research authored by Richard Slatcher, Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor, reported by Aljazeera
Our post-Trump democratic prospects: What the Ming Dynasty can tell us – research authored by Stephen Kowalewski, Professor Emeritus of anthropology, reported at Inequality, Common Dreams, Albany Herald, Athens CEO
Sea stars may be “drowning” – organic matter, bacteria doom starfish to oxygen depletion – professor of genetics John P. Wares quoted at SciTech Daily, AzoCleantech
Wives bore the brunt of child care during the shutdown – research by Kristen Shockley, associated professor of psychology, reported by UGA Today, News-Medical, Health Medicine Network, Eurasia Review, Health News Digest
Workaholics more prone to depression, anxiety and sleep disorder – Malissa Clark, associate professor of psychology, quoted by The Health Site
Mathematicians resurrect Hilbert’s 13th problem – Daniel Litt, assistant professor of mathematics, quoted in Quanta Magazine
Where’s dad? Third of women are shouldering all child care duties during COVID shutdowns – reporting on research by Kristen Shockley in Study Finds,MSN,WND News, HealthDay
$1M grant creates partnership between Beaufort County’s Penn Center, University of GA –The Island Packet reports on Mellon grant to Franklin faculty leading the Willson center
The rise of the fake commute, and why it's good for your mental health – Kristen Shockley quoted by WISN, KABC