Mark R. Cheathem Civil War, Historical memory

Jim DeMint: Historian Extraordinaire

Former South Carolina senator Jim DeMint doesn't let history get in the way of his argument that the U.S. government didn't end slavery: DeMint: This progressive, the whole idea of being progressive is to progress away from those ideas that made this country great. What we're trying to conserve as conservative are those things that work. … Continue reading Jim DeMint: Historian Extraordinaire

Mark R. Cheathem Historical memory

Frozen in Time

I attended the funeral of my best friend's father last week. It was bittersweet for family and friends: relief that he was no longer suffering from cancer, but grief that he was no longer alive to be a son, brother, husband, father, or grandfather. At the visitation and the memorial service, I saw a number … Continue reading Frozen in Time

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Democratic party, Historical memory

Should the Democratic Party Dump Andrew Jackson?

It's taken me longer than I hoped to respond to this piece by Steve Yoder (h/t John Fea). Yoder poses an interesting proposition: That the Democratic party should drop its association with Jackson because he was "perhaps the most systematic violator of human rights for America’s nonwhites." This question of name association is one that is not … Continue reading Should the Democratic Party Dump Andrew Jackson?

Mark R. Cheathem Historical memory, Keith Harris, Lech Walesa, Ronald Reagan, Wayne Gretzky

My Earliest Historical Memory

Recently, Keith Harris asked the following question on his Cosmic America blog: "What is your first memory of a historical event?" I remember many things from my early childhood, including sitting in gas lines during the Carter administration, listening to records and eight-tracks, and being chased by a neighborhood dog, but my earliest historical memory … Continue reading My Earliest Historical Memory