USH: Early Years Archives - Daniel Aaron Lazar

Which of the 11 American nations do you live in?

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 05:02:50 +0000

North America can be broken neatly into 11 separate nation-states, where dominant cultures explain our voting behaviors and attitudes toward everything from social issues to the role of government. I hail from West Yakeedom?

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Thomas Jefferson’s 1769 Newspaper Ad Seeking a Fugitive Slave

admin — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 11:56:28 +0000

Aside from a handful of slaves (including some of Sally Hemings’s children), Jefferson never freed his bondspeople—unlike George Washington, who left provisions in his will for the emancipation of his slaves upon Martha’s death.*

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Sex Lives of the American Founding Fathers

admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 04:14:31 +0000

In Sex and the Founding Fathers: The American Quest for a Relatable Past, Dr. Foster examines the long history of stories Americans have told about the sex lives of the Founding Fathers and find no shortage of material to examine — and compelling evidence that none of them were virgins.

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George Washington: The Reluctant President

admin — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 10:08:14 +0000

“Any student of Washington’s life might have predicted that he would acknowledge his election in a short, self-effacing speech full of disclaimers. “While I realize the arduous nature of the task which is conferred on me and feel my inability to perform it,” he replied to Thomson, “I wish there may not be reason for … Continue reading George Washington: The Reluctant President →

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George Washington Wanted a Simple Inauguration

admin — Fri, 30 May 2014 08:59:50 +0000

Washington told anyone who would listen that he was unfit for the job. He constantly fretted about it. He wrote that waiting for official word of his selection was like waiting for his hanging. “I wish there may not be reason for regretting the choice,” he said upon being informed of the official decision. During … Continue reading George Washington Wanted a Simple Inauguration →

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In Our Time: The War of 1812

admin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:05:31 +0000

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the War of 1812, the conflict between America and the British Empire sometimes referred to as the second American War of Independence. In June 1812, President James Madison declared war on Britain, angered by the restrictions Britain had imposed on American trade, the Royal Navy’s capture of American sailors … Continue reading In Our Time: The War of 1812 →

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Mudslinging in 1800 and Beyond

admin — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 07:39:10 +0000

I want to push back a bit on the Diehl-Rocks thesis that the election of 1828 is the genesis of dirty campaigning. Thomas Jefferson supporters accused Adams of being a hermaphrodite with “neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” In response, the Adams campaign accused Jefferson … Continue reading Mudslinging in 1800 and Beyond →

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'Master' Jefferson: Defender Of Liberty, Then Slavery

admin — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 04:59:05 +0000

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” there’s compelling evidence to indicate that he indeed meant all men, not just white guys. But by the 1780s, Jefferson’s views on slavery in America had mysteriously shifted. He formulated racial theories asserting, for instance, that African women had mated with apes; … Continue reading 'Master' Jefferson: Defender Of Liberty, Then Slavery →

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NPR Interview: Mickey Edwards On Democracy's 'Cancer'

admin — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:54:38 +0000

In his 16 years in Congress, Republican Mickey Edwards came to a strong conclusion: Political parties are the “cancer at the heart of our democracy,” he tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross. In his new book, The Parties Versus the People, the former Republican congressman from Oklahoma details how party leaders have too much control over … Continue reading NPR Interview: Mickey Edwards On Democracy's 'Cancer' →

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Thomas Jefferson Defends America With a Moose

admin — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 06:08:31 +0000

Europeans said America was “degenerate.” Jefferson was obsessed with proving them wrong. Kinda funny.

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