This interview has been edited and condensed. Historically Speaking editor Randall Stephens spoke with Lepore about the uses of history, the politicization of the past, and writing for the general public. In 2009, Jill Lepore was reporting on the Tea Party movement for The New Yorker. Abstract. “ The Uses of American History: An Interview with Jill Lepore.” Historically Speaking (Project MUSE) 12 (2): 23-24. Professor Lepore’s recent book “These Truths: A History of the United States” traces histories of American politics, law, society, and technology from the Age of Discovery to the present day. Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University, as well as a staff writer at The New Yorker, and the host of the podcast “The Last Archive”. Jill Lepore (2014) Jill Lepore is a professor of American history at Harvard University and chair of Harvard's History and Literature Program.