TR and his big stick.
As a longtime student of President Theodore Roosevelt, historian Clay Jenkinson considers how TR might have approached current events in Iran.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft under parachutes as it lands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, Friday, April 10, 2026.
It felt like old times on Friday night as we all watched the splashdown of the Artemis II Moon mission.
Liftoff of the SLS rocket carrying NASA's Artemis II mission to the moon. April 1, 2026.
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.
American Flag & US Constitution
What is the Health of the U.S. Constitution and what can we do about it?
Partial view of Declaration of Independence draft
As the country approaches its 250th birthday, Clay profiles the 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson, the youngest member of the Virginia delegation, as he made his way to the Second Continental Congress and his date with immortality.
A statute of Lewis and Clark and the expedition's
Oh my, it would be infinitely easier for me to give a three-hour lecture than one of just half an hour.
A artist rendition of the signing of the United States Constitution with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton (left to right in the foreground).
When the Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to craft a new constitution, they worked strenuously to cage the “dogs of war” by way of constitutional restraints.
A fresco by artist Cesare Maccari (1840-1919) depicting Roman Consul Cicero (63 BCE) denouncing Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the Republic in the Roman senate.
America’s Founding Fathers drew heavily on the last years of the Roman Republic in crafting our nation’s founding documents, foreseeing both the promise and the frailties of a Republic. 
Cover image for the book Volga Blues by Marzio Mian.
My friend, the Italian journalist Marzio Mian, has just published a remarkable book on his monthlong underground journey along Russia’s sacred Volga River. Part travelogue, part Russian history, and part exploration of the dense, tragic Russian soul in a time of brutal war, the book is a powerful read when America’s place in world affairs is significantly unsettled.
Tagged under: , ,
Route 66 road sign

An Age of Disillusionment

What Is our American Story as the Nation’s 250th Birthday Approaches?
Tagged under: ,