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J.M. Opal

Associate Professor of History, McGill University
Jason Opal teaches history at McGill University and is the author of Avenging the People: Andrew Jackson, the Rule of Law, and the American Nation, published by Oxford University Press.

Jason Opal studies colonial North America, the American Revolution, and the early decades of the United States. His work tries to integrate social, cultural, and intellectual history and to shed light on such broad topics as nationalism, capitalism, and democracy.

Opal did his undergraduate work at Cornell and his doctoral studies at Brandeis, where he worked with historians such as Jane Kamensky, David Hackett Fischer, and James T. Kloppenberg. His first major project was on the cultural transformation of ambition in the post-Revolutionary New England countryside. It resulted in a 2004 Journal of American History article that won the Organization of American Historians’ Binkley-Stephenson Award and in a 2008 book, Beyond the Farm: National Ambitions in Rural New England, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. His second book project focused on the southern borderlands of the American Revolution and on the rise of Andrew Jackson as the leader of an American national concept rooted in the desire for vengeance. Supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant, this project culminated in the 2017 book, Avenging the People: Andrew Jackson, the Rule of Law, and the American Nation by Oxford University Press. His new projects include a global history of Barbados and a collaborative project with his father, Dr. Steven M. Opal, on the history of epidemic diseases in American life.

At McGill, Opal teaches surveys of the early United States and the American Revolution as well as more specialized courses on the history of slavery, U.S. foreign relations, democracy, and the family.

The U.S. Founding Fathers would want us to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Jan 19, 2021 05:48 am UTC| Politics Insights & Views

With the United States Capitol overrun by Trumps deplorables, it was easy to miss the other calamity that hit America last week: the pace of COVID-19 deaths hit a frightful new high. In Los Angeles County, a victim now...

The resilience of Barbados counters Trump's 'sh-thole' remarks

Nov 14, 2018 11:46 am UTC| Insights & Views

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, former attorney and future inmate Michael Cohen revealed some of the uglier things Donald Trump said to him during their many years together. Among the alleged quotes: Name one...

The elimination of smallpox showed how humans can work together to solve deadly global problems

Oct 04, 2018 14:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

If you were to watch a split-screen broadcast with global weather on one side and world politics on the other, you could easily conclude that we are doomed. Prodigious storms and killer heat waves announce the arrival...

Location, location, location: Trump has the best spot in American politics

Sep 10, 2018 13:51 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

How long until hes impeached? Canadian observers of the political dumpster fire down south are right to pose this question, for the list of scandals and offences is long and growing. One week, we learn about...

Economy

Asian Stocks Slide as Semiconductor Selloff Weighs on South Korea and Japan

Asian stock markets retreated on Thursday, led by sharp declines in South Korea and Japan as renewed selling in semiconductor stocks erased part of the previous sessions AI-driven gains. Investors turned cautious after...

Asian Currencies Hold Steady as US Dollar Nears Seven-Week Low Ahead of Key Jobs Data

Asian currencies traded in a narrow range on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a seven-week low, with investors closely watching Middle East diplomatic developments and upcoming U.S. labor market data for clues on...

Gold Price Hits Seven-Week High as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade and Hormuz Deal Hopes Grow

Gold prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday, reaching their highest level in seven weeks as easing concerns over global energy supplies weakened the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields. The rally was...

Australia Trade Surplus Returns in June as Iron Ore, Coal and LNG Exports Surge

Australias trade balance returned to a larger-than-expected surplus in June, driven by strong exports of iron ore, coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and non-monetary gold, according to data released Thursday by the...

Singapore Says One-Third of U.S. Exports Hit by New 12.5% Tariff

Singapore said around one-third of its exports to the United States will be affected by a new 12.5% U.S. tariff introduced on July 24, with Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong estimating the impacted shipments at S$9.5 billion...

Politics

Russia Intensifies Drone and Bomb Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Deepening Civilian Fear

Russia has intensified its aerial assault on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, leaving residents facing growing danger as drone and glide bomb attacks become more frequent. The escalating strikes have...

Russian Strikes Kill Six in Eastern and Northern Ukraine, Dozens Injured

Russian attacks across several regions of Ukraine killed at least six people and injured dozens overnight, as rescue teams continued emergency operations on Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities. In the eastern city...

Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Sets Up Key Midterm Showdown

Abdul El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination for Michigans U.S. Senate race, positioning himself for a closely watched general election against Republican Mike Rogers in November. The victory marks a significant moment...

U.S. Unseals Charges Against Five Alleged CJNG Leaders, Raises Reward for New Cartel Chief

The U.S. Justice Department has unsealed criminal charges against five alleged senior members of Mexicos Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), intensifying Washingtons crackdown on one of the worlds most powerful drug...

Mark Carney Jokes About Teleprompter, Takes Swipe at Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made light of a teleprompter malfunction during a housing policy news conference on Wednesday, using the unexpected interruption to take a subtle jab at U.S. President Donald Trump....

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns

SoftBank Group (TYO: 9984) reported a stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter profit despite higher operating and financing costs, supported by massive investment gains from Intel and its Vision Fund portfolio. For the...

DeepSeek to Raise AI API Prices as Demand for New Models Surges

Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has announced plans to significantly increase the pricing of its API services as demand for its latest AI models continues to grow. The company revealed the upcoming change...

SK Hynix, Samsung Lead Asian Chip Stock Selloff After Sandisk, Western Digital Outlook

Shares of SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics tumbled on Thursday, leading a broad decline in Asian memory chip stocks after earnings guidance from Sandisk and Western Digital failed to meet investors high expectations. SK...

Alphabet Stock Slides as Google AI Pioneer Jeff Dean Exits to Launch Discovery Loop

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares dropped as much as 5.4% during Thursdays session after news emerged that longtime Google AI leader Jeff Dean is leaving the company to launch a new artificial intelligence startup, adding to...

Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as FY2027 Outlook Tops Expectations

Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, surpassing Wall Street estimates for both earnings and revenue while issuing an optimistic outlook for the first...