Tag: American History
This Fourth of July, let’s celebrate colonial failure.
July 4, 2017 | Post
The luck of the Spanish turned out to be their misfortune, and the curse of the English turned out to be a blessing.
Anne Hutchinson: The spirit of religious liberty
March 27, 2017 | Post
Opinions of Anne Hutchinson have, shall we say, covered the waterfront. In his masterful tome, Conceived in Liberty, 20th-century economist and libertarian historian Murray Rothbard cast her as a staunch individualist and the greatest threat to the “despotic Puritanical theocracy of Massachusetts Bay.” John Winthrop, the 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 12th governor of the Massachusetts […]
Hamilton Tells the Story of a Great Historical Figure, but Misses Some of the History
September 12, 2016 | Post
Hamilton the Musical takes liberties with American history.
Oath Taking and Religious Liberty in American History
September 9, 2016 | Post
Historically, oaths have been seen as essential for ensuring the loyalty and fidelity of citizens and elected officials. They were also viewed as critically important for the effective functioning of judicial systems. In the West, oaths historically invoke God as the witness of the oath taker’s veracity; written oaths often end with the phrase “so […]
How a Few New Ideas Caused an Entire Group of People to Turn on Their Country
July 11, 2016 | Post
Much like us today, American colonists thought of themselves as a free people. They viewed governance through a lens called Radical Whig Theory, a political ideology stating that individuals within a free society must jealously guard their liberty and be wary of any government encroachment. The theory holds that freedom is hard to keep, and […]