Jerry Bannister
Editors’ note: This week marks the final series for Borealia after a decade of online public history and conversation. You can read our thank you remarks here, and will be able to access Borealia’s back-catalogue for at least another couple years. Thanks for reading, and thanks to E.A. Heaman, Max Hamon, and Jerry Bannister for this final series, bringing historical perspective to this current moment of nationalism redux and cross-border complexity.
“Nations matter. National cultures matter. And national histories matter. As we try to understand what has happened in the United States, we should keep those three things in mind.”
I wrote that in a blog post the day after Trump’s first election in 2016 to cope with the shock of events without knowing, of course, of the worse shocks to come. The post was a small part of the larger discussion that Borealia promoted on the wider issues of collective memory, historical methods, and the tangled relationships between colonialism, presentism, and nationalism.
In a blogosphere dominated by ideology, Borealia was a breath of fresh air. It was deliciously eclectic and gently challenged the rigidities that so often inflict academic history. As a contributor, I wasn’t sure whether this was a deliberate policy or more a reflection of the editors’ personal inclinations. What mattered to me was the openness and, dare I say, kindness of the editors and the way they approached social media and history. Reading the blog was like listening to Keith Grant speak: honestly, directly, without a hint of pretension. One never got the sense that Keith, Denis McKim, or Laura Smith were pushing a partisan agenda or looking to score political points. It was clear they were doing it for their love of history, not as leverage or career advancement. Think about how often you can say that about another blog or publication.
For me, the most important legacy of Borealia is not so much what they published but how they approached history. In retrospect, the editors created and promoted a space for moderate history, with a lower political temperature and higher tolerance for open debate. The tone they fostered was a conversation, not an argument. I think we will miss that tone dearly in the coming years, and I hope others come forward to fill the need for more talking and less yelling. For those inclined to shouting at others, there is no shortage of online venues, which is what made Borealia such a special place.
I have no idea whether the centre will hold in Canada, but Borealia did its part in promoting thoughtful and independent discussion of our histories. In an era marked by loss and anxiety, it was a gentle yet firm reminder that hope springs eternal.
Jerry Bannister teaches history at Dalhousie University and is the Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance.
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