FDR’s Illness in Last Years of His Presidency Pose Lessons for Biden and Trump Campaigns

Franklin Roosevelt's declining health in 1943-45, as reported by the National Park Service, included poor memory and sometimes, disorientation. Yet few would argue in retrospect that the U.S. would have been better off with another president at the helm, and certainly not Thomas Dewey, the stiff and remote Republican governor of NY. The GOP at …

No Country for Old Men? Wilson, Reagan, Biden, and Trump. A Historian’s Take

Historian H.W. Brands on Substack: "Any president or potential president is a package deal, comprising strengths and weaknesses. Age can weaken memory but it can enhance wisdom. On balance, wisdom matters more. Presidents don’t have to think on their feet; they don’t need facts at their fingertips. They make their decisions sitting down—or at least …

75 Years After the UN Declaration on Human Rights, The World Is Disappointed

Inspiring statement of ideals and principles or a miserable failure? On December 10, 1948, led by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the United Nations General Assembly passed an International Declaration of Human Rights, designed to protect every human on the planet from genocides and the kinds of egregious violations that occurred during WWII, which was …

“Let Us Never Forget…

That government is ourselves, and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President, senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country." -- Franklin Roosevelt.

‘Living New Deal’ Nonprofit Preserves a Legacy and Promotes Model for a New New Deal

"The Living New Deal (livingnewdeal.org) can help you learn about the New Deal, one of the most remarkable eras in American history. Use this website to explore New Deal sites, find summaries of New Deal programs, watch videos about the New Deal, follow policy debates, and more. "The Living New Deal is making the New …

FDR’s Eloquent ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ Speech

Steve Schmidt points out how Joe Biden's Oval Office address from the Resolute desk pointing to the necessity to defend both Ukraine and Israel echoes Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech on December 29, 1940. Read and watch FDR on the American Rhetoric website. Schmidt's analysis is called "In Defense of Freedom."

‘Israel’s 9/11.’ Global Instability

Militants from Hamas, the organization that has governed (or occupied) the Gaza Strip since 2007 after defeating the more moderate Palestinian faction Fatah, surprisingly broke through security into Israel and killed hundreds of innocent civilians at a music festival in Southern Israel over the weekend. Israelis were reportedly murdered in their cars, their homes, on …

End of the American Dream in the Late 1920s, Early 1930s: Compelling Documentary About The Great Depression in the US

My mother-in-law at 100 -- she was born in late 1922 -- loves to watch documentaries on the history of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s or WWII, including this one. While watching it, she recalled her father taking her to visit with the World War I veterans who were promised their bonuses, but when they …

How FDR Worked to Keep His Declining Health A Secret

Timeline: World History Documentaries: "The Hidden History of the Wheelchair President. Host David Reynolds exposes the cover-up of Roosevelt's failing health and its impact on his wartime decisions and tough talks with Stalin and Churchill." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySvdFsbV108 Related: FDR’s Fateful Final Years Ended in Great Triumph FDR Died April 12, 1945 After Winning 4 Presidential Elections. His …

Memories of a 100-Year-Old, Week 1

To make history come alive, get to know someone much older and ask them about their historical memories. My mother-in-law, 100, has moved into my home, at least temporarily, and it's an opportunity for me to learn what it was like growing up in the 1920s, 1930s, and early 1940s. Read my Substack newsletter, "Life …