Bryan Banks
Historian of France/Atlantic World, Assoc. Prof, Book on Huguenot refugees. Working on a book about the Great Pigeon Massacre of 1789. Co-founder www.AgeofRevolutions.com
- In 2018, I heard a story of tunnels beneath Columbus, Ga. They were used to transport enslaved peoples before the Civil War, this person told me. What followed was my pursuit of the truth. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbP...
- My TedX talk is live! Let’s critically engage with folklore. Spread the word! www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbP...
- Excited my research is out here and freely accessible!! Thanks Itinerario and my excellent editors @thomasmareite.bsky.social and @nagonzalezq.bsky.social! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
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- Reposted by Bryan BanksDive into “Fact versus Fabrication: Popular Depictions of Francis Marion and the Historical Record” to explore how art, storytelling, and national memory reshaped the Swamp Fox into an American hero, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Read it here 👉 ageofrevolutions.com/2026/02/02/f...
- Who else slept “funny” last night? The crick in my neck wants to know it’s not alone.
- So grateful to Bertrand Van Ruymbeke for his thoughtful and generous review of my book, Write to Return: Huguenot Refugees on the Frontiers of the French Enlightenment, in the William and Mary Quarterly. 5 pages! muse.jhu.edu/article/957893
- Firmly believe this would serve multiple needs.
- What are those needs? To my mind, this would help us identify stopgaps in research processes (eg invisible methodological barriers) on a grand scale. It could also normalize the “failures” of the research process and remove the stigma, helping many to complete their projects. This is just the start.
- I firmly believe there is a place for this idea out there. One day I hope to return to my project “Love in the Time of Revolution,” which is a microhistory of a father who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and later rebuilt the astrological clock in Strasbourg.
- Reposted by Bryan BanksDiscover the overlooked story of Black Revolutionary War hero Jim Capers, a drum major who fought in key Southern campaigns and even served with Francis Marion. A powerful read on courage and resilience. 👉 ageofrevolutions.com/2026/01/26/t...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksIt’s part of our mantra! Nurture. Don’t suffocate an author’s voice. #reviewer2
- If you've never given yourself the pleasure of writing for @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social, may I recommend it, more highly than basically anything? My writing gets better every time I do, and if you want the antithesis of the reviewer #2 experience, AoR is it--nurturing, supportive, helpful, good.
- One thing I miss about graduate school is theory. Being introduced to big ideas. Being encouraged to reframe the world. That’s the challenge that pushed me through graduate school. I need to recapture that. Any good theory readings to come out in the last decade I may have missed?
- Working on a section of my book, entitled The Great Pigeon Massacre of 1789, that thinks about the spatial production of food on 18th-century French farms. I’m calling it “Eco-Feudal Farm to Table.”
- Reposted by Bryan BanksAge of Revolutions sits down with historian Miranda Spieler to explore the hidden lives of enslaved people in Paris and the fugitive histories that challenge our understanding of freedom and empire. 👉 Read the full interview: ageofrevolutions.com/2026/01/12/i...
- Giving a TedX talk on Thursday to over 300 people in person, which will later go live on their Youtube channel, which has 27 million + subscribers. I may be a little nervous. Wish me luck.
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- The Discovery Channel show Moonshiners: True Crime and Shine episode on the Phenix City mob airs tonight at 9 pm eastern. Check it out! #aha2026 m.imdb.com/news/ni65646...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksA sharp new look at Jeannot Bullet and the early Haitian Revolution—far more complex than the usual “villain” narrative. A fascinating rethink of power, violence, and revolutionary vision in 1791. @nicolaivoneggers.bsky.social 👉 ageofrevolutions.com/2025/12/29/j...
- Been getting into NBA basketball more lately. Yes, players today have some crazy longevity and skills, but the stats commentators keep bragging about are just silly. “How does it feel to be the all-time leader in rebounds, assists, 2nd quarter bathrooms breaks, and most colorful shoes?”
- Reposted by Bryan BanksIn need of some Christmas cheer??? ageofrevolutions.com/2021/12/20/1...
- Updating one’s CV is both exhausting and rewarding. You do more than you realize. Celebrate that.
- Would love someone to write a review of the series for @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social!!! Any takers?
- Something tells me this was Prince’s bidet. #rasberrybidet #rasberryberet
- Reposted by Bryan BanksAoR is celebrating its 10th anniversary with some special news/updates! ageofrevolutions.com/2025/12/01/a...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksEnter for your chance to win a copy of Ronaldo Angelo Johnson's Entangled Alliances: Racialized Freedom and Atlantic Diplomacy during the American Revolution (Cornell University Press, 2025). The raffle ends this Friday (11/28) at 11:59pm EDT. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/11/24/b...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksHappy birthday to @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social, and congrats to @bryanbanksphd.bsky.social and @cindyermus.bsky.social on this achievement.
- We published our first essay 10 years ago today on @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social. It was based on a side idea I had for my dissertation that would explore news of Franklin’s death around the revolutionary Atlantic. ageofrevolutions.com/2015/11/21/f...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksCongrats, what an achievement. Looking forward to reading many more essays published by @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social in the years to come.
- We published our first essay 10 years ago today on @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social. It was based on a side idea I had for my dissertation that would explore news of Franklin’s death around the revolutionary Atlantic. ageofrevolutions.com/2015/11/21/f...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksHappy 10th birthday to @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social. Kudos to everyone who has worked on it and here's to the next decade!
- We published our first essay 10 years ago today on @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social. It was based on a side idea I had for my dissertation that would explore news of Franklin’s death around the revolutionary Atlantic. ageofrevolutions.com/2015/11/21/f...
- We published our first essay 10 years ago today on @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social. It was based on a side idea I had for my dissertation that would explore news of Franklin’s death around the revolutionary Atlantic. ageofrevolutions.com/2015/11/21/f...
- Still so very proud of my students who put together this podcast last year! csuepress.columbusstate.edu/lafayette-po...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksEdmund Burke’s reflections on the French Revolution remain as biting as ever—tragic, comic, and deeply unsettling. This new piece explores how Burke wrestled with the collapse of kingship and the rise of revolutionary chaos. 👉 Read Part II here: ageofrevolutions.com/2025/11/17/t...
- Listen to an interview I did on my book, Write to Return, with the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social! newbooksnetwork.com/write-to-ret...
- Where did modern definitions of refugees come from? Here’s my attempt to answer the question: Write to Return: Huguebot Refugees on the Frontiers of the French Enlightenment! @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social www.mqup.ca/write-to-ret...
- Reposted by Bryan Banks“The Tomb of the Murdered Monarchy” explores Edmund Burke’s tragicomic reflections on the French Revolution. A compelling look at how satire, sorrow, and political philosophy intertwine in the wake of royal collapse. Read part I now! ageofrevolutions.com/2025/11/10/t...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksKevin Murphy explores how loyalty oaths fractured communities and reshaped political belonging during the American Revolution. A timely reflection on allegiance, dissent, and the costs of revolution. Read now 👉 ageofrevolutions.com/2025/11/03/l...
- Returning to the Great Pigeon Massacre book means rereading everything I’ve written and planning forward. #amreading #amwriting copiously in the margins…
- With one major project completely off my desk, it is time to turn back to the Great Pigeon Massacre of 1789. I miss Twitter sometimes for how I used it to keep myself accountable. I'm going to try and use bsky in the same way. Are there hashtags for this? #Team500? CC: @drsepinwall.bsky.social
- Reposted by Bryan BanksWant to learn how to craft a compelling op-ed? Watch “Op-Ed Writing for Historians" with @bryanbanksphd.bsky.social, @jelaniya.bsky.social, @mauracunningham.bsky.social, @franhirsch.bsky.social, @brianros1.bsky.social, & moderator @lmansley.bsky.social. #AHAOnline 🗃️
- Reposted by Bryan BanksICYMI: Be on the lookout for the @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social book with @uvapress.bsky.social, coming out in February 2026!
- Time travel! Pre order a copy of our @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social book, coming with @uvapress.bsky.social in February 2026! www.upress.virginia.edu/title/10176/
- Time travel! Pre order a copy of our @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social book, coming with @uvapress.bsky.social in February 2026! www.upress.virginia.edu/title/10176/
- Reposted by Bryan BanksSo grateful to @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social for their time and care and for giving me space to have a verrrrrrry "thinking out loud" piece. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/10/13/a...
- Reposted by Bryan Banks@katytelling.bsky.social explores how race and masculinity were contested and constructed in the early American republic. What did it mean to have “a great reputation among men”? Dive into the complexities of honor, identity, and power. 📖 Read here: ageofrevolutions.com/2025/10/13/a...
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- And we have our cover! @cindyermus.bsky.social
- My kid has a great opportunity to play in the Marching Band at Dollywood at the end of the year. If you like to support these kinds of things, consider buying some popcorn or something else! poppinpopcornonline.com/store/store....
- Reposted by Bryan BanksExplore the overlooked Acadian crisis in France during the Seven Years’ War and rethink the narrative of exile, diplomacy, and imperial ambition with Irene Kim's article! 📖 Read more: ageofrevolutions.com/2025/09/23/i...
- Nothing makes the morning better than page proofs! @cindyermus.bsky.social @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social
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- Pitched an essay to @lmansley.bsky.social for the @historians.org’s Perspectives magazine, I’m very excited about! What does it involve, you ask? Cannon balls. Cave paintings. And MORE! In a lot of ways, it’s an extension of my essay on unessays. Read that here: www.historians.org/perspectives...
- It really is such an honor to receive such a wonderful and generous review from a scholar I greatly admire.
- Reposted by Bryan BanksOriane Guiziou-Lamour’s latest piece, “Sex Under the Guillotine”, dives into the intimate lives of women imprisoned during the French Revolution. Through powerful archival insights, she reveals how sexuality, punishment, and power collided behind prison walls. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/09/08/s...
- Doric. Ionic. Corinthian. Spreadsheet.
- Reposted by Bryan BanksWhat happens when justice becomes performance? Dive into the British Army’s use of show trials and the legal theater behind military discipline. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/09/02/s...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksWant to learn how to craft a compelling op-ed? Watch “Op-Ed Writing for Historians" with @bryanbanksphd.bsky.social, @jelaniya.bsky.social, @mauracunningham.bsky.social, @franhirsch.bsky.social, @brianros1.bsky.social, and moderator @lmansley.bsky.social. #AHAOnline 🗃️
- A podcast where I just talk to well known authors about the projects they started and stopped but still think about.
- Reposted by Bryan BanksCheck out our review of Mother Country Radicals, a podcast about the Weather Underground Organization, who declared war on the United States government. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/07/21/p...
- Got a behind the scenes tour of Carson McCullers’s childhood home yesterday. The house is operated by the university I work at. Such an incredible space with a powerful legacy. www.columbusstate.edu/mccullers-ce...
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- I can’t wait for @cindyermus.bsky.social and my edited collection on the global Age of Revolutions to come out next year, just in time for the anniversary of the American Revolution.
- A good visualization to challenge your terracentricism CC: @marcusrediker.bsky.social
- Dear color coders out there. Please stop.
- Reposted by Bryan BanksMikkel Flohr explores how "crisis" functions in political discourse and often times becomes instrumentalized for personal agendas. Read more! ageofrevolutions.com/2025/06/09/t...
- Come work with me! TT History Education position! careers.hprod.onehcm.usg.edu/psp/careers/...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksJust got the first round of proofs I'm expecting this summer! My contribution to @bryanbanksphd.bsky.social & @cindyermus.bsky.social upcoming edited volume on @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social
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- Reposted by Bryan BanksMake sure to pickup our exec editor’s book!
- Where did modern definitions of refugees come from? Here’s my attempt to answer the question: Write to Return: Huguebot Refugees on the Frontiers of the French Enlightenment! @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social www.mqup.ca/write-to-ret...
- Where did modern definitions of refugees come from? Here’s my attempt to answer the question: Write to Return: Huguebot Refugees on the Frontiers of the French Enlightenment! @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social www.mqup.ca/write-to-ret...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksWe’re excited to announce that @drericajohnson.bsky.social will be our new Managing Editor! S/O to Dr. Johnson!!!!
- I enjoy my job because everyday is different. Tomorrow, I get to MC a hotdog eating contest. I never thought I'd say that.
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- Too good not to share
- Reposted by Bryan Banks@drericajohnson.bsky.social explores sociologist Nathan Hare revolutionary roots in Oklahoma and his role in the rise of Black Studies in her essay “From Oklahoma to San Francisco: Nathan Hare and the Unexpected Origins of Black Studies in the United States.” ageofrevolutions.com/2025/04/21/f...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksI missed this one by @tlecaque.bsky.social! Great discussion here on the erasing of Native Americans from the history of colonial Massachusetts in #Fallout4. 🗃️ #gtp Love to see more & more great scholarship by historians analyzing video games!
- Reposted by Bryan BanksFrom the @ageofrevolutions.bsky.social archive, Ernesto Bassi and Javier Puente's "A Revolution in Knowledge: The Intellectual Legacy of Visa Holders in the United States. A Permanent Work in Progress. ageofrevolutions.com/2020/07/10/a...
- Reposted by Bryan BanksWant to learn how to craft a compelling op-ed? Watch “Op-Ed Writing for Historians: How to Pitch, Write, Revise, & Get Your Ideas to the Public" with @bryanbanksphd.bsky.social, @jelaniya.bsky.social, @mauracunningham.bsky.social, Francine Hirsch, Brian Rosenwald, & @lmansley.bsky.social #AHAOnline
- #parentingwin I sneak history stories in all the time. My kid asked what an academic roundtable was. I told her the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. The presenters all defend their arguments like knights. The commentator is King Arthur. Response: *audible sigh*
- Speaking for all Bryans out there. Double check spelling before you email “Hello Brian.” It happens several times every week.
- Packed the house last night for a side research topic of mine. A cultural history of tunnels beneath Columbus, Ga. Local artist, Cathy Fussell made the most amazing quilt based on these rumors.
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- Reposted by Bryan Banks18th-century, Enlightenment philosophers and bureaucrats increasingly argued that promotion and placement within the Old Regime's state apparatus should be based on merit and not on class-based hereditary lineage. Claudio Man explores this subject. ageofrevolutions.com/2025/03/03/o...
- @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social gave the most incredible keynote, closing out the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era. So grateful for great and brilliant colleagues.
