Clay Jenkinson - Listening To America

Happy 250th Birthday, America

Tuesday, June 30 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

As much as the United States confronts monumental challenges, there is much to celebrate as the nation turns 250.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, Humanities

History in Context: Thomas Jefferson on War

Monday, June 22 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

Thomas Jefferson’s view of war was shaped by a deep study of history and hope for a new path for a young American nation.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Presidents

Clay visits the under construction Crazy Horse Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota

Crazy Horse and His Massive Memorial in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Thursday, June 18 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

Clay shares his thoughts on the Crazy Horse Memorial begun in 1948, a privately funded monument under construction in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The monument depicts Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse on horseback, pointing toward his tribal lands. Once completed, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world, at 641 feet long, 563 feet high — larger than nearby Mount Rushmore.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, Native Americans

A gander pull from an illustration by Frederic Remington.

Planning America’s 25th Anniversary Celebration — Long Lost Document Discovered?

Monday, June 15 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

Researchers at the National Archives recently made a startling discovery, uncovering a portion of a document that appears to discuss event planning for America’s 25th Anniversary.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Presidents

In a Far Corner of Colorado: One Chapter in the Great Dispossession

Monday, June 08 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

A recent visit to northwest Colorado reminds me of the paradox of Manifest Destiny and our American history.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, Books, Colorado, Native Americans, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. Presidents

President Theodore Roosevelt named Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming his first National Monument on September 24, 1906.

My Close Encounter With Devils Tower

Tuesday, June 02 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

I’ve loved Devils Tower since I first close encountered it four decades ago. President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower as the nation's first National Monument in September 1906. Roosevelt would establish 18 National Monuments during his two terms. Today we have 138.

Published in Features

Tagged under: America at 250, National Parks, Theodore Roosevelt, Wyoming

Wind Cave National Park

Tuesday, June 02 2026 by Clay Jenkinson

Our roving humanities scholar Clay S. Jenkinson is typically dedicated to the truth and nothing but the truth, but his visit to Wind Cave National Park seems to have addled his brain. No other visitor on his recent tour reported meeting Dante and Virgil at the Seventh Circle of the cave.