In addition to my research and scholarly publications, I have written a range of public history essays, blogposts, and other publications. I am interested in thinking critically about the research I undertake, and the modern connections and implications of my work. I have also made appearances on research podcasts, and have written for offline (pre-digital) publications.

Making Masters of Empire: A Journey to Indian Country

This is a recording of the James Madison Lecture I gave on October 11, 2019 at the Wisconsin Historical Society. The James Madison Lecture is an annual lecture series on early American history co-presented by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Center for the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The Lectures honor the scholarly work of Dr. Merrill Jensen (1905-1980), an influential scholar of the American Revolution, beloved mentor and longtime faculty member of the University of Wisconsin Department of History. Funding for the Lectures is provided by the James Madison Lectures endowment which has been made possible by a generous bequest from the Estate of John A. Peters and many private donors.

Black Radicalism with Manisha Sinha

This is a recording of a conversation I participated in with Manisha Sinha (University of Connecticut) on July 20, 2020. This conversation was part of the Omohundro Institute’s summer 2020 series ‘Slavery and Freedom in the Era of Revolution’. The OI is an independent research organization sponsored by William & Mary. This series of online conversations was focused on issues of race, slavery, freedom and revolution — all with a focus on understanding how historians have written, are writing, and are reading and talking about these critical subjects. The conversations were based on readings from the OI’s recommended reading list created for the New York Times 1619 Project event “Slavery and the American Revolution: a Historical Dialogue” (March 6, 2020).

A History Degree: What is it good for?

This is a recording of a conversation I co-hosted as part of History Council of NSW History Week on September 10, 2020. This panel was jointly hosted by the University of Newcastle, the University of Sydney and the University of New England. It addressed the recent announcement from Australian federal Education Minister Dan Tehan to dramatically increase the cost of Humanities degrees at Australian universities. The panel explored the value of studying history, showing that historians bring highly valued critical skills, civic literacy and clear communication to a wide range of workplaces.

K. Fullagar and M. A. McDonnell, eds., Facing Empire

This is an interview I did with my co-author, Kate Fullagar, about our edited collection Facing Empire: Indigenous Experiences in a Revolutionary Age. The interview was recorded for the Native American Studies series of the New Books Network podcast in 2018. The New Books Network is a consortium of author-interview podcast channels dedicated to raising the level of public discourse by introducing scholars and other serious writers to a wide public via new media. 

Call to Arms: Enlistment in America

This is an interview I did on the BackStory podcast in May 2017 (which has been rebroadcast in the subsequent years), in a segment about the increasingly generous incentives the Continental Army offered colonists to get them to fight for the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. BackStory is a weekly podcast that uses current events in America to take a deep dive into our past. Hosted by noted U.S. historians, each episode provides listeners with different perspectives on a particular theme or subject – giving you all sides to the story and then some.

Episode 088: Michael McDonnell, The History of History Writing

This is a interview I did on the Ben Franklin’s World podcast in 2016 about my book Masters of Empire: Great Lakes Indians and the Making of America and my process of working with secondary historical sources. Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history. It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

AHA Member Spotlight: Michael A. McDonnell

This is an interview I gave to Perspective on History, the newsmagazine of the American Historical Association, for its Member Spotlight series. In the interview I discussed my current research projects, my thoughts on the history profession, and my passions and interests outside of history.

History Beyond The Classroom

History Beyond The Classroom is a course I teach for final-year students at the University of Sydney. In this unit students produce an independently framed and original researched project drawn from a 10-hour engagement with communities and organisations outside the University. Part of the aim of this unit is to introduce students to history as a lived and lifelong practice and to appreciate history as a vital individual, community, and organisational practice. Together, we explore a variety of histories in action via time spent working with or alongside community organisations outside the University and discuss the challenges and opportunities of history beyond the classroom.

Social Inclusion Program

I convene the History Outreach Program at the University of Sydney, which is aimed at supporting teachers and students doing modern and ancient history and makes some of the University’s most interesting historical resources available to students in years 7-12. This program is part of the University’s Social Inclusion Program. Since 2012, the Departments of English, History, and Classics and Ancient History have worked with low-socioeconomic high schools across NSW to engage with a wider cohort of students, make us better, more inclusive teachers, foster aspiration, and encourage students of diverse backgrounds to participate in higher education.

The History Council of NSW

I sit on the Executive Committee of the History Council of NSW. The History Council of New South Wales (HCNSW) was established in 1995.  It is a not-for-profit membership association, and a registered charity. The HCNSW aims to ensure that history, in all its diverse forms, is an important part of the cultural life of the people and communities of NSW. We provide programs and services, which aim to build capacity within the history sector and showcase the importance of history.