This week’s curation begins with an excerpt from Ronald J. Pestritto’s new book, “America Transformed: The Rise and Legacy of American Progressivism,” which is out now from Encounter Books. Pestritto argues that early Progressives such as Woodrow Wilson, Frank Goodnow, and John Dewey rejected the principles of the American Founding because, while their appeal was understandable in 1776, they thought a natural rights-based approach in the early twentieth century was actively preventing the people’s demands of government from being fulfilled. Allen Guelzo responds to recent claims that Abraham Lincoln regularly read Karl Marx and was influenced by his economic program. He notes instead that Lincoln’s political economy was grounded upon the liberty that men and women have by nature to work for their own benefit. Furthermore, though limited in its power, the government nevertheless had an important duty to protect industry and promote internal improvements to infrastructure and transportation that would better secure the safety and happiness of the American people. The second installment of the Jack Miller Center’s historical series on Abraham Lincoln examines how the Civil War went from being primarily about keeping the union together to eradicating slavery. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, a prudent war measure based upon the president’s Article II powers, was a “moral bombshell” in Frederick Douglass’s words because the Union army was fighting not only to tamp down Southern rebellion but ultimately to secure freedom across the nation. Robert Curry argues that the rejection of the American Founders’ theory of natural rights by certain writers represents a wrong turn in political thought. Instead, Curry advises Americans to reject the British idea of inherited rights and understand that the argument for American independence rested upon on a wholly different account of the source of our rights. As Curry explains, “According to the founders, our right to life and our right to liberty are not inherited, they are inherent.” Original Posts Ronald J. Pestritto, RealClearPublicAffairs The Progressive Era was the first major period in American political development to feature, as a primary characteristic, the open and... Essential Reading Allen Guelzo, City Journal "You know who was into Karl Marx?” asked the title of Gillian Brockell’s Washington Post op-ed on July 27, 2019. “No, not AOC. Abraham Lincoln... In the News Andrew Koppelman, Law & Liberty Mary Grabar, The Federalist Ceili Doyle, Cincinnati Enquirer George R. La Noue, Law & Liberty Jeannie Suk Gerson, New Yorker David Harsanyi, National Review John Wood, Jr., USA Today James Stoner & Paul Carrese, National Review Robert Curry, American Greatness David Davenport, Washington Examiner Ray Tyler, Teaching American History Editorial Board, Richmond Times-Dispatch James R. Rogers, Law & Liberty David Bromwich, The Nation Jim Ryan & Melody Barnes, USA Today Bob Woodson, Ian Rowe, & Nique Fajors, Invisible Men In this episode, Ian and Nique are joined for a second time by Bob Woodson — president of the Woodson Center and most recently... Matthew Spalding, Peter Wood, Jenna Robinson, et al., John Locke Foundation The notion that our country’s founding dates to 1619, not 1776, has proven popular in media, culture, and education. The recent hiring... Sarah Burns & Tony Williams, BRI Scholar Talk How has the president been able to decide when the United States goes to war without Congress deliberating and declaring war... Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History Historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discuses his newest book, which covers 400 years of the history of the black church in America... Michael Warren, Patriot Lessons 56 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence. Not all voted for it, and not all who voted for it signed it. Each of the signers... Larry Arnn, Hillsdale College The American Founders believed that the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution were not simply preferences for their own day... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories You all know what that means: It's quote of the week day. Today's comes from a suffragette who, like her ... Good morning, it's Friday, May 28, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting ... Today is the 110th birthday of Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. Although he was a famed Minnesota Democrat, HHH was born and ... |