Applied History Project

The mission of Harvard’s Applied History Project is to revitalize applied history by promoting the production and use of historical reasoning to clarify public and private challenges and choices. Founded by Professors Graham Allison and Niall Ferguson in 2016, the Applied History Project builds upon the foundation laid by Professors Ernest May and Richard Neustadt in the 1980s, reflected in their book Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers. 

Advancing its mission, the Project sponsors the Applied History Working Group of faculty members across Harvard University to organize discussions with scholars and practitioners; supports historians and policymakers in producing Applied History; develops courses in Applied History; funds the Ernest May Fellowships in History and Policy for pre- and post-doctoral students; and holds Applied History Events open to the Harvard Community and the public. Harvard’s project is one of the leaders among a rapidly expanding network of universities and think tanks that are furthering the discipline of Applied History by clarifying predicaments and choices to inform better decisions.

The Project gratefully acknowledges the Stanton Foundation's generous support for its Applied History endeavors. 

Quote of the Week 

“Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter XLIII (1532) 

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Article of the Week 

“The Era of Dark Passions” – David Brooks, The New York Times, September 18, 2025. 

Recommending William Galston’s recent book, Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech, Brooks reflects on how declining religiosity and an increasingly career-focused education system have made Americans more susceptible to political appeals that arouse “dark passions,” versus the “bright passions” of hope and care. Turning to history as a guide, Brooks urges political leaders to “interrupt the process” by showing kindness to enemies—as demonstrated by Abraham Lincoln in his second Inaugural Address, Martin Luther King Jr., or Nelson Mandela. Brooks adds that “leaders need to create conditions in which people can experience social mobility,” instilling hope and agency rather than fear and stagnation.