4.8 Abandoned Histories

Something nearly every historian has, but almost never discusses, are abandoned projects—historical quests that for one reason or another did not pan out. But what if we didn't keep these experiences to ourselves? What if, instead, we found community around these moments of questioning and struggle? Those possibilities are what a small group of historians explore in this episode. Reprising a session they conducted at the AHA Annual Meeting in 2025, Danna Agmon, Carmen Gitre, Sue Peabody, Christy Pichichero, David Sartorius, and Bianca Premo dive into their experiences of abandoned histories and what they imagine could be gained by bringing these things into the light.