Why subscribe?

Past Imperfect seeks to shatter rose-colored views of the past and deromanticize the world our ancestors inhabited. With historical research and data, the articles and other writings here aim to inform the reader about what life was really like in the days of yore.

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What Is Past Imperfect and Who Are You?

I’m Chelsea Follett, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute and managing editor of Human Progress, a Cato Institute project dedicated to documenting the improving state of the world (please check out their Substack, Doomslayer, as well).

I’m also the author of the book, Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World (2023). My second book, The Grim Old Days: An Introduction to the Preindustrial Past, will be out in 2026. I'm interested in long-term trends in living standards, inequality, and fertility, and particularly in economic and social history. This Substack’s focus is primarily on history.

Trying to imagine the past might conjure an image of an idyllic country village with pristine air and residents merrily dancing around maypoles. If only one could return to the good old days! Except that such rose-colored views of the past bear no resemblance to reality. The world our ancestors inhabited was in fact more gruesome than modern minds can fathom.

Past Imperfect aims to shine a light on the past’s forgotten horrors and foster a proper perspective on the improvements that characterize the modern era. The world is far from perfect and always will be, but we have come a long way.