Jane E. Calvert is Director and Chief Editor of The John Dickinson Writings Project. This interview is based on her new book, Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (Oxford University Press, 2024). JF: What led you to […]
Declaration of Independence
The Author’s Corner with Christopher R. Pearl
Christopher R. Pearl is Associate Professor and Chair of History at Lycoming College. This interview is based on his new book, Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution (University of Virginia Press, 2024). JF: What led you […]
Thomas Jefferson said our rights come from the “Creator.” Was he right?
Christian nationalism was in the news again this weekend. As we noted in today’s Roundup, a lot of evangelicals (and others) are upset about Politico journalist Heidi Przybyla’s claim that anyone who believes that their rights come from God is […]
In a sermon on “defending truth,” Tim Barton makes multiple false claims
The son of Wallbuilders founder David Barton recently gave a rambling “history” sermon at Christian Missions Church in Jacksboro, Texas. This is what can happen when the past is only useful as a form of activism. Here is Barton: Let’s […]
Thomas Jefferson: hero or villain?
The title of this post is not, primarily, a historical question. It is primarily a moral question. We should keep the complexity of the past in mind as we celebrate Independence Day. Check out early American historian’s Jack Rakove‘s recent […]
Sorry Michael Flynn, the Constitution does not mention the word “Creator” four times. In fact, it never mentions the word.
Here is Kyle Mantyla at Right Wing Watch: Michael Flynn, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who served as national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, spoke at a campaign rally Saturday for MAGA pastor Jackson Lahmeyer in Oklahoma, where he falsely claimed that “the word ‘Creator’ is in […]
Josh Hawley’s “Love America Act.” Let’s break it down
Last week we published a post on Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s op-ed in The New York Post condemning critical race theory and promoting his personal view of what young Americans should learn in history class. His views are encapsulated in […]
Six things you may not know about the Declaration of Independence
Historian Woody Holton explains at The Conversation: Ordinary Americans played a big role. American independence is due in part to African Americans. The complaints weren’t actually about the King. The Declaration of Independence does not actually denounce monarch. The Declaration […]