The American Story

In January, 1835, the first volume of a book named Democracy in America was published in Paris. It was a great critical and commercial success. The author, a young French aristocrat named Alexis de To...

30 Nov 20217min

Sarah Josepha Hale was born in New Hampshire in 1788. In an era when the average American life expectancy was forty years, she lived until 1879—91 years—and has been remembered by posterity primarily ...

23 Nov 20217min

The American story isn't just history. We write the American story ourselves every day with the choices we make as individuals and as a country.

16 Nov 20216min

"Chesty" Puller was a Marine's Marine. To this day, in Marine Corps boot camp, recruits are exhorted, "Do one more for Chesty! Chesty Puller never quit!" His combat service record is astonishing: he i...

9 Nov 20217min

The beautiful 17-year-old actress Madeleine LeBeau fled Paris in June, 1940, just hours before the Germans marched in. Like thousands of other refugees, she and her husband made their way with forged ...

2 Nov 20218min

I had some time on my hands, and before I knew it, I had time on my mind. Time flies, marches on, and sometimes just stands still. You can buy time, be on borrowed time, or run out of time. We can all...

26 Okt 20217min

Turning to the back of the American one-dollar bill, I behold on the right side the "obverse" and on the left side the "reverse" of the Great Seal of the U.S. I pause to mention that to heraldry exper...

19 Okt 20217min

In September 1787, a new Constitution had miraculously come forth from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. But it would remain mere paper until ratified by 9 of the 13 states. Criticism of ...

12 Okt 20216min