Every industry has undergone major changes since the COVID-19 pandemic and archives and related repositories are no exception. As historical researchers, we had a unique perspective as we watched these institutions adjust in real-time. Since 2020, we at TRG have discussed internally the changes we’ve seen at local and national repositories. After all, what happens in the archival world impacts us directly and therefore impacts our clients. From abrupt lockdown to cautious reopening to new normal, here are some of the most significant changes we have seen:
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1918 and 2020: Navigating U.S. Elections Amidst Global Pandemics
The years 1918 and 2020 have been prominent in our national discourse lately, as Americans’ endured devastating pandemics during each year. A less talked about commonality? There were general elections that had to be carried out in both years, despite the impact of the Spanish Influenza in 1918 and COVID-19 in 2020.
July 4th Then and Now: Are we celebrating Independence Day as the Founding Fathers once did?
As the weather gets hotter and the sunshine seems to last forever, it is clear that summer is in full swing. At stores throughout the country there are sparklers on the shelves, cupcake icing has turned red, white, and blue, and barbecue supplies are dwindling – all of which can only mean one thing: the Fourth of July is upon us. Despite a pandemic taking over our daily lives, the festivities of this holiday will surely go on, as 76% of Americans reportedly plan on celebrating the joyous occasion this year. Whether you plan on marking the day by sharing food, fun, and fireworks with friends or family, it’s important to understand where these traditions originated from. What were some of the first Fourth of July events like? What has remained the same and what new traditions have we adopted as a nation? Are you observing this occasion as our Founding Fathers did?
Historical Research: Its Role in Environmental Due Diligence Prior to Business Transactions
A recent article from Thompson Coburn LLP that provided tips for environmental due diligence for buyers in business transactions caught our attention. Why? Conducting research into historical environmental problems is one of our specialties at Taylor Research Group.
Another Lead-Related Crisis: East Chicago, Indiana
There are, of course, some big differences. The affected West Calumet Complex in East Chicago falls within an already designated EPA Superfund site where years before companies “smelted, dealt with or processed lead for decades,” according to CNN. The EPA has since sued several of these Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). But attorneys will now have to determine to what extent governmental agencies share in ongoing remedial efforts.
The Role of Historical Research in Product Liability Litigation
Product liability is not necessarily an area of law many people immediately associate with the need for conducting historical research. After all, litigation over an injury involving burns from a hot cup of coffee or an exploding soda bottle doesn’t have much to do with dusty old historical documents. Or does it? What about an injury sustained while operating a piece of machinery that came with an inadequate instruction manual? Or an injury from a household product that had a misleading label? And what about the potential successor liability risks involved when acquiring a company that might have manufactured a defective product?
Implications of the Clean Power Plan on Historical Research
We’ve been closely tracking litigation related to the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP), which seeks to reduce carbon pollution from power plants and includes state-by-state mandates. Recently, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the plan until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit completes its review.
The Ongoing Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan
Last week, citizens of Flint, Michigan filed two class-action lawsuits against Gov. Rick Snyder, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and other government officials. These follow a declared state of emergency in Flint, a pending investigation from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan, a declared federal emergency by President Obama, and an emergency order issued from the EPA to the state of Michigan.
Creating a Timeline of Fossil Fuel Disasters in America
As mentioned in a previous case study, much of the work we do in support of environmental law and toxic tort cases involves compiling comprehensive site histories. We work with our clients to come up with cost-efficient research strategies to answer their most pressing environmental and historical questions for litigation. Rarely do we get the chance to work outside our normal realm of legal clients and beyond the scope of a single site history, but that is exactly what happened over the past year in this unique case involving research into fossil fuel disasters in the United States for a non-legal client.