Meeker Massacre Site

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

A recent visit to northwest Colorado reminds me of the paradox of Manifest Destiny and our American history.
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President Theodore Roosevelt named Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming his first National Monument on September 24, 1906.

My Close Encounter With Devils Tower

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.
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Clay's map from day one on his 2026 exploration of Teddy Roosevelt's West, between In Burning Coal Vein National Forest, N.D., between Bullion Butte and Devils Tower.

On the Road! Westward With Teddy Roosevelt

Memorial Day weekend 2026, Clay and the LTA Airstream hit the trail, following Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy in the American West.  
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Image from Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt ,July 13, 2024.

Who Knows What to Believe (Or Rule Out) These Days?

The Destabilization of Truth may be the epitaph of the American republic. 
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US Presidents

Who Was the Indispensable President?

How would you answer the question of which U.S. president was indispensable to the Republic?
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Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey — Now More Than Ever, Even With All His Faults

A recent visit to Arizona had me thinking about the legacy and prescience of Edward Abbey. With warts and all, he’s a kind of modern-day Henry David Thoreau.
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TR and his big stick.

What Might Theodore Roosevelt Say About America’s Current War in Iran?

As a longtime student of President Theodore Roosevelt, historian Clay Jenkinson considers how TR might have approached current events in Iran.
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NASA’s Orion spacecraft under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026.

The Torch Has Been Passed —  A New Era of Space Exploration 

It felt like old times on Friday night as we all watched the splashdown of the Artemis II Moon mission.
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Liftoff of the SLS rocket carrying NASA's Artemis II mission to the moon. April 1, 2026.

Artemis II Reflections: To the Moon and Beyond

It felt like 1965. I sat looking at a small screen TV last week as Artemis II was launched on America’s first moon mission in over 50 years.
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American Flag & US Constitution

A Constitutional Quiz in 7 Questions

What is the Health of the U.S. Constitution and what can we do about it?
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