Happy 250th Birthday, America
Tuesday, June 30 2026
As much as the United States confronts monumental challenges, there is much to celebrate as the nation turns 250.
- Published in Features
History in Context: Thomas Jefferson on War
Monday, June 22 2026
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
Crazy Horse and His Massive Memorial in South Dakota’s Black Hills
Thursday, June 18 2026
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
Planning America’s 25th Anniversary Celebration — Long Lost Document Discovered?
Monday, June 15 2026
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
In a Far Corner of Colorado: One Chapter in the Great Dispossession
Monday, June 08 2026
A recent visit to northwest Colorado reminds me of the paradox of Manifest Destiny and our American history.
- Published in Features
My Close Encounter With Devils Tower
Tuesday, June 02 2026
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
On the Road! Westward With Teddy Roosevelt
Tuesday, May 26 2026
Memorial Day weekend 2026, Clay and the LTA Airstream hit the trail, following Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy in the American West.
- Published in Dispatches from the Road
Who Knows What to Believe (Or Rule Out) These Days?
Tuesday, May 05 2026
The Destabilization of Truth may be the epitaph of the American republic.
- Published in Features
Who Was the Indispensable President?
Monday, April 27 2026
How would you answer the question of which U.S. president was indispensable to the Republic?
- Published in Features
Edward Abbey — Now More Than Ever, Even With All His Faults
Tuesday, April 21 2026
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.
- Published in Features