History for Today

Standing Up for America

Three moments in the 20th century when national leaders took a stand against autocrats and demagogues in defense of American democracy. Part One of a…

Oct 23 •

Nativism's Comeback, Donald Trump, and American Politics in 2025

Part Three in a series. The return of nativism and its link to politics and authoritarianism today.

Jun 13 •

Burning crosses and anti-Catholicism on the 1928 campaign trail

Part Two in a series on nativism in American politics in the 1920s and 2020s

Jun 8 •

A "Klanbake" at the 1924 Democratic National Convention

Part One in a series on nativism in American politics in the 1920s and 2020s

Jun 4 •

Patriots' Day: 1775, 1849, and 2025

Thoughts on standing up to tyranny (and travel photos to ponder from Concord, Massachusetts).

Apr 22 •

Return of the Know Nothings

America is for Americans only? Narratives and reality on immigration.

Apr 4 •

Breaking Up with Europe?

The D-Day words of three presidents and the potential end of an eight-decade partnership

Mar 13 •

What Could Donald Trump Learn from James Garfield's Presidency?

Perhaps why the government has career civil service employees

Feb 7 •

Joe Biden's Farewell

And other noteworthy farewell addresses by outgoing presidents

Jan 20 •

From James Madison to Donald Trump

Trump's cabinet nominees are crashing into Madison's Federalist Papers and testing the Constitution's guardrails

Nov 21, 2024 •

Let's Talk About the Electoral College

Why do we have an Electoral College? And how might it impact the 2024 election?

Nov 2, 2024 •

How One Insult Can Swing an Election

From Irish Catholics in 1884 to Puerto Ricans in 2024?

Oct 29, 2024 •

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