On topic: Hope as an American tradition

On topic: Hope as an American tradition

In studying and teaching American history, Iver Bernstein noticed the prevalence and importance of hope in the American democratic experiment. Nowadays, it may seem that hope is in short supply, but Bernstein says that it continues to be part of America’s foundation and future.

Washington People: Iver Bernstein

Historian Iver Bernstein, PhD, takes an exhaustive, interdisciplinary approach to any topic he studies. Colleagues say he asks the questions that no one else thinks to ask and brings fresh perspectives to the long-ago past. Bernstein is passionate about revealing unspoken or unremembered history that is suppressed in national stories. His book on The New York City Draft Riots is considered by some to be “the gold standard” on the topic.