Mark R. Cheathem Early Republic, Founding Fathers, George Washington

The Founding Fathers Drop It Like It’s Hot

I'm speechless. Because nothing says "Founding Fathers" chic like fabric depicting them in A & F skin-revealing poses. And according to Urban Dictionary, the blog title might actually be appropriate. H/t @JennieGoloboy

Mark R. Cheathem Early Republic, George Washington, John Adams, Philadelphia, Presidents, Public history, Slavery

Commemorating Liberty and Slavery in Philadelphia

Yesterday, the New York Times ran reviewed the new exhibit, “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” which opens today. The exhibit treats the Philadelphia house where George Washington and John Adams lived as presidents during the 1790s. (The U.S. had several capital cities in its early years before … Continue reading Commemorating Liberty and Slavery in Philadelphia

Mark R. Cheathem George Washington, Jill Lepore, Ron Chernow

Review of Ron Chernow’s Washington: A Life

Jill Lepore is a widely recognized and well-respected historian of eighteenth-century America. I don't usually venture this far back into the Early Republic, but her review might convince me to read Chernow's biography of Washington. Every generation must have its Washington; ours is fated to choose among dozens. Ronald Reagan, in his first Inaugural Address, … Continue reading Review of Ron Chernow’s Washington: A Life

Mark R. Cheathem Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Stephen A. Douglas

The National Archives’ Treasure Hunters

As this L.A. Times article notes, you might be shocked at the number and types of documents that have been stolen from the National Archives over the years. When Paul Brachfeld took over as inspector general of the National Archives, guardian of the country's most beloved treasures, he discovered the American people were being stolen blind. The Wright Brothers 1903 … Continue reading The National Archives’ Treasure Hunters