Bullets for Ballots: 1860 (3 of 3)
Until the election of 1860, the truths proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence had been the ground of American civic friendship, above all the central truth that all men are created equal. Fidel...
2 Nov 20207min
Ballots for Bullets: 1800 (2 of 3)
The election of 1800 in America came after a decade of bitter and extreme party strife. Each side accused the other of aiming to overthrow the Constitution and preparing the way for tyranny. There was...
27 Okt 20207min
Bullets and Ballots: 1776
Americans are being reminded how fragile and precious an achievement it is to establish the legitimate authority of government through peaceful and free elections. But there would be no ballots withou...
20 Okt 20206min
One for the Road
Streets and roads are very different animals. Willie Nelson sang, "I just can't wait to get on the road again." No one ever sang, "I just can't wait to get on the street again." Songs about country ro...
13 Okt 20206min
Like a Soldier
Marlene Dietrich was born in Berlin in 1901. In 1930, her performance in the film The Blue Angel made her a star. She moved to Hollywood, starred in six films, one of which earned her an Oscar nominat...
6 Okt 20206min
First Man of the Universe
Benjamin Franklin ran away at seventeen with barely a penny in his pocket. Through hard work and his own genius, he made a life for himself in the printing trade, and was able to retire at the age of ...
29 Sep 20206min
Catching Excellence
The son of an Italian immigrant, Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born in Brooklyn on June 11, 1913. He played guard in the famed Seven Blocks of Granite offensive line of Fordham University in the 1930s b...
22 Sep 20206min
Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver
The Declaration's great American proclamation that "all men are created equal" and the first three words of the Constitution—"We the People"—are profoundly connected. The relation between these two id...
15 Sep 20206min
