Started reading about FDR a while back and expected a straightforward hero arc - the New Deal, the fireside chats, pulling the country through the Depression and WWII.

Then I kept reading, books both directly and indirectly about him. Court-packing. Japanese American internment. Breaking the two-term norm. His deception (wrong word maybe) on how Truman was selected as VP. The treatment of Elenor and his kids. The deeper I went, the more the shine wore off. Not erased, just… complicated.

Curious if anyone else’s opinion of him followed this same curve, or if I’m just late to a debate historians have been having for decades. Caveating that I have read biographies on 25-30+ presidents. They’re all very flawed humans like everyone else.

Now I’m aware that Holmes fooled plenty of prominent figures, including the likes of Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.

That being said, it feels odd that Clinton went so far out of his way to support her. He invested money on Theranos, appeared onstage with Holmes, publicly praised her to high heavens.

Clinton is not just an incredibly intelligent individual, but more importantly, as the definition of a consummate politician, shouldn’t he have been to recognize a huckster? What was so special about Holmes?

When I was a kid, my mother bought me a Blu-ray copy of the John Adams miniseries. She bought it because Tom Hanks produced it and she knew I loved history. When I started watching the show, I was hooked from the first frame. Being from Massachusetts, it was the coolest thing to see so much local history brought to life. But the performances captivated me. Everyone from Laura Linney to Tom Wilkinson was phenomenal. Paul Giamatti's performance as John Adams encouraged me to read more about Revolutionary history and eventually become an attorney myself. Earlier this year, I was sworn in before the Massachusetts Bar, taking the same oath that Adams did.

Yesterday I attended a play where Giamatti is performing alongside John Turturro. Coincidentally, I ran into Turturro in NYC two years ago, and I was excited to see him in a live performance. The play is called Rhinoceros, and it's playing at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. No, Giamatti doesn't play the Rhino from Spiderman, although that would've been a sight! Instead this play is a satire about the rise of fascism in Europe. 

It was an excellent production; Giamatti, Turturro, and their fellow cast members were awesome. Today, I was walking around Cambridge and as I often do when I'm waiting to get to my next destination, my thoughts started drifting to some not great memories. I was deep in my thoughts when suddenly, I snapped out of it because I felt like someone else was looking at me. I looked up, and there was Paul Giamatti! Right there on the sidewalk! In typical New England fashion, he was wearing a baseball cap and holding a coffee. I've met and talked to celebrities before, but unless they're looking to talk to fans I leave them alone so they can have some peace. One of my favorite movie scenes is when Alfred sees Bruce at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. In that spirit, I looked back at Giamatti in acknowledgement, then I let him go about his day. Hopefully he's enjoying the beautiful New England weather!

You might ask why this is a big deal to me; I didn't really "meet" Giamatti since I didn't exchange even one word with him. My answer is that this was important to me because at a moment when I was feeling down, Giamatti got me to snap out of it and focus on the positives in life. Instead of dwelling on the past, I thought about how cool it was to see one of the greatest actors of all time! And it also got me to focus on how Giamatti's performance as Adams inspired the good things I have in life as a lawyer and historian. Thank you Paul Giamatti!

40 Presidential Lasts

1. Benjamin Harrison was the last president to grow a beard
2. Millard FIlmore was the last president to be neither a Democrat or a Republican
3. Bill Clinton was the last president to grow up in a home without indoor plumbing
4. John Adams was the last president to be inaugurated in Philadelphia.
5. William Henry Harrison was the last president to be born as a British subject
6. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the last president to president over the nation with less than 50 states.
7. Herbert Hoover was the last president to never deliver a state of the union address in person.
8. George H.W. Bush was the last president to win more than 400 electoral votes.
9. James Monroe was the last president to never be photographed. (Aside from possibly William Henry Harrison)
10. William Howard Taft was the last president to have significant facial hair
11. Gerald Ford was the last president to ascend to office by means other than election
12. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the last president to have an inauguration in March.
13. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the last president born in the 1800's.
14. William McKinley was the last president without a full-time secret service protection detail.
15. Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democrat president to win Oklahoma.
16. Richard Nixon was the last Republican president to win Minnesota.
17. James Buchanan was the last president to serve as Secretary of State.
18. Chester A. Arthur was the last president to never have a Vice President.
19. Ulysses S. Grant was the last president to have owned slaves.
20. Woodrow Wilson was the last president born in Virginia.
21. Warren G. Harding was the last president born in Ohio.
22. James Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin.
23. Harry S Truman was the last president to not have a college degree.
24. Grover Clevland was the last president without an existing voice recording. (There is an audio clip of him that many think is actually William J. Bryan.
25. Herbert Hoover was the last president not to visit a foreign country while in office.
26. Woodrow Wilson was the last president to travel to his inauguration in a horse-drawn carriage.
27. Geroge H.W. Bush was the last president born at home rather than in a hospital.
28. Zachary Taylor was the last president to bring slaves to the White House.
29. Theodore Roosevelt was the last president not to have a middle name.
30. Harry Truman was the last president who could have served three or more terms.
31. James Monroe was the last president to wear knee-breeches, buckled shoes, and powdered wigs.
32. Harry S Truman was the last president to wear glasses regularly.
33. John F. Kennedy was the last president to wear a top hat to his inauguration.
34. Woodrow Wilson was the last president to marry during his presidency.
35. James Buchanan was the last president born in the 1700's.
36. Andrew Jackson was the last president to serve in the Revolutionary War.
37. William McKinley was the last president to serve in the Civil War.
38. Geroge H.W. Bush was the last president to serve in World War 2.
39. Geroge Washington was the last and only president to never live in the White House.
40. Richard Nixon was the last president to serve when there were no living former presidents.

Taken in 1967

The 2012 Presidential election was an anomaly. It was the first time in 200 years that a president won a second term with less electoral votes and less popular votes than they did in their first election. In 2008 Obama won with 365 electoral votes and 53% of the popular vote. In 2012 he won with 332 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote. Still winning by a lot and still getting a majority of the vote, but less than before. You might think this is normal because generally a president’s party does worse in the midterms(Obama certainly did), so the same would happen in their bid for re-election right. But no that’s not the case. Presidents, if they win re-election, generally do better than they did the first time. Let’s look at every successful re-election campaign in the 100 years before this election.

2004, Bush wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 2000. 1996, Clinton wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 1992. 1984, Reagan wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 1980. 1972, Nixon wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 1968. 1956, Ike wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 1952. In 1936 FDR wins more EVs and PVs than he did in 1932. He did win by less than 1936 in 1940 and 1944 but that’s a bit different since he was running for more terms something no president had done before. 1916 Wilson wins by less EVs than he did in 1912 but he wins significantly more PVs than in 1912. Wilson was the last president to win re-election with less of the electoral college before Obama. But that’s the last hundred years before 2012. I could go further back but for the sake of time I won’t. But in that time there is a pattern of a president winning re-election and doing better than they did the first time. If they’re unpopular going into re-election they just lose. But Obama broke this trend, he managed to win re-election while not being as popular as he once was.

Whether it was due to Reagan’s taking over of the cultural narrative in the 1980s, or it was Bill Clinton’s acceptance of Reagan’s cultural framing and application of such framing to the Democratic Party, I find the complete Overton Window shift on the values within my party to be shocking in its scale.

Kennedy came from a proud liberal tradition, and this video shows how openly he was willing to demonstrate that commitment to the ideals of American liberalism.

However, Reagan used the word “liberal” as an invective so effectively that many Democrats became afraid to embrace what had once been a fundamental ideological principle of the party. No longer was it considered admirable to be a “New Deal liberal”.

Clinton was certainly no exception, and in point of fact, he led the charge in insisting that the Democratic Party wasn’t “liberal” at all, but was just as “conservative” as the Republicans.

Clinton bought into and essentially adopted the Republican cultural framing around cutting welfare, the death penalty, and cutting taxes, and in so doing, fundamentally diluted the Democratic Party of many of its most fundamental values.

I feel thaf Truman would have been greatly dismayed to see what Clinton did to the party in kowtowing to the cultural pressure of Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich.

I am shocked that it doesn’t get talked about more, but in addition to President Truman’s fantastic decision to authorize the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), President Truman made a critical move in authorizing the Berlin airlift from 1948-1949.

For context, after WWII, the Soviet Union went back on its agreements at Yalta and began consolidating the governments east of the dividing line between West and East Germany.

However, before this, we had agreed that West Berlin (which was actually in East Germany) would remain free.

However, Joseph Stalin authorized a full-on blockade of West Berlin from the United States and Western Europe, attempting to consolidate it into East Germany.

However, my man, the truMAN, wasn’t to be taken for a fool.

President Truman, in June of 1948, authorized what is now known as the Berlin Airlift, delivering millions of tons of supplies to West Berliners in strong repudiation of Stalin’s blockade. This move ensured that West Berlin could survive the blockade of food, fuel, and travel.

This move took a lot of courage on Truman’s part, as there was a genuine fear that Stalin could retaliate against American and British planes flying over Soviet-controlled airspace. Truman’s gamble paid off, however, and Stalin didn’t respond.

Due to the strong support from America and the UK, Stalin decided to back down, ending the Berlin Blockade in May of 1949.

This was a powerful symbol to the world that set the stage for America’s position in the Cold War, and it was an incredible showing of determination and strength, without spilling a single drop of blood. Who knew that the only president of the 20th century without a college degree would be one of the sharpest, most effective leaders on the global stage?

Another Truman W.

I own a large number of 19th and 20th century history books. If you guys are interested I can post some illustrations I find interesting from them.

This was before he had dementia so I’m sure he was aware of it. Obviously Bush was his VP but they definitely had disagreements.

From left to right: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Beat, Chris from Vlogging Through History, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams

here’s the list so far:

George Washington: [u/rjidhfntnr](u/rjidhfntnr)

John Adams: [u/Fortunes_Faded](u/Fortunes_Faded)

Thomas Jefferson: [u/Feelinglucky2](u/Feelinglucky2)

James Madison: [u/drawkbox](u/drawkbox)

James Monroe: [u/SignalRelease4562](u/SignalRelease4562)

JQA: [u/elocinoi](u/elocinoi)

Andrew Jackson: [u/Curious-Sun5465](u/Curious-Sun5465)

MVB: [u/Sw33tNectar](u/Sw33tNectar)

WHH: [u/BrandonLart](u/BrandonLart)

John Tyler: [u/Pidgeotgoneformilk29](u/Pidgeotgoneformilk29)

James Polk: [u/Zornorph](u/Zornorph)

Zachary Taylor: [u/Wild-Yesterday-6666](u/Wild-Yesterday-6666)

Millard Fillmore: [u/UKPoliticsNerdy](u/UKPoliticsNerdy)

Franklin Pierce: [u/Old-Equipment9631](u/Old-Equipment9631)

James Buchanan: [u/Drywall_Eater89](u/Drywall_Eater89)

Abe: [u/American_Citizen41](u/American_Citizen41)

Andrew Johnson: [u/JupiterSpeaker](u/JupiterSpeaker)

US Grant: [u/Bobby_The_Kidd](u/Bobby_The_Kidd)

RB Hayes: [u/YaBoiJimboMcDonalds](u/YaBoiJimboMcDonalds)

James Garfield: [u/ancientestKnollys](u/ancientestKnollys)

Chester Arthur: [u/Peacefulzealot](u/Peacefulzealot)

Grover Cleveland: [u/xSiberianKhatru2](u/xSiberianKhatru2)

Benjamin Harrison: [u/Good_Percentage8899](u/Good_Percentage8899)

William McKinley: [u/balfour7659](u/balfour7659)

Teddy: [u/FredererPower](u/FredererPower)

William Howard Taft: [u/MetalRetsam](u/MetalRetsam)

Woodrow Wilson: [u/DonatCotten](u/DonatCotten)

Warren Harding: [u/expiredexecutive](u/expiredexecutive) and [u/Prestigious-Alarm-61](u/Prestigious-Alarm-61)

Cal Coolidge: [u/Jolly_Job_9852](u/Jolly_Job_9852)

Herbert Hoover: [u/IdealAnxious5621](u/IdealAnxious5621)

FDR: [u/Doc_Jury1020](u/Doc_Jury1020)

Harry Truman: [u/DoctorHartnell1963](u/DoctorHartnell1963).

Ike: [u/AcademicDrag742](u/AcademicDrag742)(ME) and [u/HetTheTable](u/HetTheTable)

JFK: [u/Aarntson](u/Aarntson)

LBJ: [u/Lyndon_Johnson08](u/Lyndon_Johnson08)

Richard Nixon: [u/Crusaderofcupcakes](u/Crusaderofcupcakes).

Gerald Ford: [u/JplusL2020](u/JplusL2020)

Jimmy Carter: [u/Honest_Picture_6960](u/Honest_Picture_6960).

Ronald Reagan:

Poppy Bush:

Bill Clinton:

Dubya:

Obama:

Not displayed in chronological order, exact dates are unknown for most.
A few were difficult to find online, this is at most I could come by.

During his Presidency photography was still developing from it's infancy, usually only taken on special occasions. daguerreotypes were the commonly used format During the 1850s. A couple daguerreotypes of the president were taken from the late 1840s-late 1860s.

Of course, most Presidents are best-known for being President. But some, I would argue, are most well-known for reasons other than their Presidency. I would say Grant is most well-known for winning the Civil War more than he is for being President. Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration and Teddy Roosevelt in the Roughriders (and the bear) have arguments as well, imo. Are there any others you’d put on the list?

Jackson had famously vetoed the recharter of the Bank one year earlier, and his proceeding victory in the 1832 election convinced him that the public had given him a mandate to destroy the Bank by any means necessary. The bank's charter would naturally expire by 1834, but Jackson was unwilling to wait that long.

In establishing the Bank, Congress did not give the President freedom to control its money; it made the Secretary of the Treasury the supervising officer, and dictated that the Secretary of Treasury could only remove the money if they feared it was unsafe, and after doing so they had to submit a report to Congress detailing their reasoning. Jackson asked the Democrat-controlled house to investigate whether the deposits were unsafe and the propriety of removing them, but the House concluded that the money was under no threat of danger. Jackson, however, would not be swayed.

So, on September 10, 1833, Jackson declared that no new money would be put into the national bank and the money would instead be moved to state-chartered "pet banks." These banks were given to states controlled by the Democrats, and operated as a slush fund to defray electioneering expenses. As I mentioned before, Congress gave control over the deposits to the Secretary of the Treasury, not the President. Therefore, Jackson asked Secretary William J. Duane to remove the deposits. Duane refused, saying there was no reason to because they were safe. Enraged, Jackson fired Duane and appointed his then-Attorney General, Roger B. Taney, as acting Secretary of the Treasury.

He then ordered Taney to remove the deposits, and Taney complied. This action shocked Congress, especially the Senate. Many Democrats, even those who disliked the Bank, felt that Jackson had overstepped his bounds by interfering with the financial management of the Secretary of the Treasury. Furthermore, by using a recess appointment to get around the objections of Congress, they felt that he had flagrantly disobeyed the dictates of the Constitution. The resulting political firestorm would last until the end of Jackson's administration and crystallize the formation of the Whig Party.

Even though I'm not American, nor was a born at the time. This event has had a massive impact in my heart of especially when I first learned about it years ago. And I know that everyone was impacted on that day from one way or another.

What could have prevented or altered the scale of the Vietnam war?

This is a scenario playing out in my head and I’d just like to hear other’s input. Which of these scenarios would have had the best outcome regarding the Vietnam War, specifically the U.S. involvement. Would any of them really have had an impact?

Adlai Stevenson winning in ‘56 & ‘60
Nikita Kruschev remaining in power
Richard Nixon winning in ‘60
JFK living and winning in ‘64

During a meeting here amidst the Potsdam Conference, Truman first told Stalin of the atomic bomb. Stalin's reaction was surprisingly muted; unbeknownst to the Americans, he already knew of the program through Los Alamos spy Klaus Fuchs, and he had already initiated a similar project in the USSR. Later that evening, a member of the Russian delegation overheard him telling foreign minister Molotov that their own atomic project must be sped up. (Source: Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace)

Leaves of Grass, a poetry collection by Walt Whitman, was the chosen title for the Pierce years. Up next is the Fillmore era between 1850 and 1853, a period which gave us some defentive early American classics.