Hillsdale College President Larry Arn has done a nice job marketing the college and making “conservative” ideas relevant. The “Constitution Minute” is heard across conservative talk radio, and their free courses on the Constitution and American history attract tens of thousands of “students.” Arn, however, is a Jaffaite and a Straussian who thinks “The Founders Key” is found in the “unknown” link between the Declaration …more
“No taxation without representation!” This is what most Americans will tell you started the American War for Independence. But is that true? The cause is, in fact, deeper than that. It was a constitutional crisis that had major implications for American government moving forward. I talk about the real conflict and what it means for America today. Book cited: Jack Greene, The Constitutional Origins of …more
Most Americans take for granted the perilous conditions the first English settlers had to endure in the wilds of 17th century Virginia. A PC narrative would portray these people as little more than barbarians stealing land. But the story behind these people and their impact on what became American culture is so much more interesting–and not PC. Books mentioned: A Brave Vessell by Hobson Woodward; …more
Not many Americans know anything about the Culper Ring, the intrepid group of American patriots and spies who helped Washington during his difficult tenure in New York during the War. AMC brought the ring to life in the series Turn. While fun to watch, the show lacks historical accuracy. I discuss the show, the Ring, and several of the historical inaccuracies in this episode of …more
A listener asked me to discuss the supposed “flip” of the major American political parties. The narrative is that the Republicans used to be the Democrats and the Democrats used to be the Republicans. This is simply untrue. I discuss both parties and the myth of the “flip” on Episode 87 of The Brion McClanahan Show.
Now Take ’em Down NOLA wants to remove the statue of Andrew Jackson. This was predictable. Jackson seems to be an easy target. After all, he will be removed from the $20 Federal Reserve Note and millennials think he hunted American Indians for sport. That is simply not true. Jackson was a mixed bag. He was a real American hero but as President he abused …more
Most people have never heard of Josiah Bailey of North Carolina. He was one of the few voices railing against the excesses of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and helped author “The Conservative Manifesto” in 1937. Garland Tucker featured him in his Conservative Heroes, a nice little book that is a good companion to Forgotten Conservatives in American History. I discuss Bailey, Southern Democrats, and the …more
Stephen Kinzer has written a number of marvelous books, and his latest The True Flag is no exception. Kinzer argues that the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the debates that swirled about the future of American policy at the time are the origins of our modern imperial impulse. There is some truth to this, but I also think that we have to go back fifty …more
John Randolph of Roanoke is one of the more important political figures in American history. His thoughts on foreign policy, government, and society are worth studying, but it was his status as an aristocrat that should have everyone take notice. Randolph “loved liberty,” and it was his independence achieved by being a planter that made liberty possible. Randolph the aristocrat was different than Jeff Bezos …more
A listener asked if there were any historical examples of foreign influence in American government or any good examples, other than Nixon, of major corruption in the executive branch. Of course! I wrote an entire book on bad presidents, 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America, but my latest tome, How Alexander Hamilton Screwed Up America, details Hamilton’s role as the greatest villain in American history. …more
Most Americans recognize a few of the Founding Fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Adams, Franklin—but what about some of the important but forgotten men who have been lost to time? They have great stories that need to be told. Here are ten whose fantastic lives are in many ways better than fiction.
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