Author Archives: michaeljdouma
Who Invented the “Wet Burrito”?
A recent thread on reddit concerned the origin of the “wet burrito.” For those who don’t know, a wet burrito is like a regular burrito, but it is typically eaten on a plate, with a fork, and it is covered in an enchilada sauce. Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the 1980s and 1990s, […]
JP Morgan
A business school student tells me he has an interview with J.P. Morgan. Me the historian: “Wait, J.P. Morgan is still alive?”
My article on Dutch-speaking runaway slaves in Geschiedenis Magazine
The full article in Dutch is here.
The “Teach to mastery approach” for history class
Shortly put, teach-to-mastery means (at least to me) that students get multiple attempts to learn, do their work, repeat and improve on their work. The approach is revolutionary in the sense that it allows students to absorb feedback from their teacher and incorporate that feedback in a revision to their work. Instead of punishing students […]
“I bought a Veneklasen brick house; now how do I repair the bricks”?
At least a few times per year, I get an email from someone from West Michigan who owns a 19th century brick house and is looking to repair it. I welcome these emails, and I’m always glad to share information. In the past, I have learned of some people who have extra bricks sitting around. […]
Dutch Letters of Marque and the Arrival of the First Enslaved Africans in Virginia
A recording from a webinar I moderated for the Netherlands American Foundation, with Leendert van der Valk and Vincent Tucker. https://vimeo.com/536451450
Some early maps of Hampshire County, W.V.
Since moving to Hampshire County, W.V. five years ago, I have been researching the history of my property and the county more generally. One problem in this research has been the lack of good, early maps. Early properties were defined by “metes and bounds” from the old Oak to the Chestnut, to the ridge, and […]
Teach-to-mastery approach in history classes
I’m using the teach-to-mastery approach in my course this semester. It helps that I only teach one class with 14 students in it. Essentially, I am allowing students to revise any assignment and turn it in for an improved grade as many times as they wish to. This is much more like how historians operate […]
I’m the new book review editor for the Journal of Markets & Morality
I’m the new (2021) book review editor for the Journal of Markets & Morality, published by the Acton Institute. The journal is interested in books about the intersection of religion (specifically but not limited to Catholicism), ethics, and economics, but also theology, history, and other related topics. If you are the author of a new […]
Michael J Douma 