Did Abraham Lincoln order the assassination of Confederate president Jefferson Davis? The quote in the title comes from Oxford University Lincoln scholar Richard Carwardine. It appears at the end of Tom Mackaman‘s review of two recent attempts by Apple TV […]
Ben Franklin
An early American historian on Michael Douglas’s portrayal of Ben Franklin
Last month we called your attention to Franklin, an Apple TV+ miniseries staring Michael Douglas as Poor Richard. Today, we call your attention to historian Joseph Adelman’s review of Franklin at Slate.Com. Here is a taste: Key to the show’s […]
High productivity and hard comparisons
Our culture tends to venerate productivity and accomplishment. But we can get so caught up in celebrating productivity that we can forget about the products and byproducts.
Jack Hibbs is still talking about American history. And it’s getting worse.
Last week I called your attention to megachurch pastor Jack Hibbs’s atrocious handling of the history of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Now he is back with more. Watch: OK, let’s break it down: 1:10ff: Hibbs says, with no […]
Is abortion “deeply rooted” in American history?
In his leaked decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Samuel Alito wrote, “The inescapable conclusion is that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted into the Nation’s history and tradition.” Is this true? It is hard to define what “deeply […]
The return of Ben Franklin
Historian Joseph Adelman calls our attention to a small Ben Franklin revival. Here is his piece at Slate: Benjamin Franklin is having a moment. For decades he has hovered on the periphery of popular representations of the American founding. This […]
Did Benjamin Franklin successfully thwart cancel culture?
Here is “presidential historian” Jane Hampton Cook yesterday on Fox News: Cook’s appearance follows this article at Fox News. What qualifies one as a “presidential historian?” Unfortunately, Cook doesn’t really know what she is talking about here. Cook comes from […]