In his new book, Been There, Done That, Professor Greg Jackson argues that while today’s political climate may be dark, these aren’t as unprecedented times as we may think. Our nation’s past is full of massive upheaval, disagreement, and departures from the moral high ground. The political “gentlemanly conduct” of yesteryear is no more than a myth. But that reality never allowed our worst historical selves to defeat our better angels.
Join Prof. Jackson, host of the popular podcast History That Doesn’t Suck!, on Zoom for a look at some of the messier moments from our nation’s history. From the Founding Fathers’ hyperpartisan print war of the 1790s, to the caning of Senator Charles Sumner in 1856, to the thoroughly corrupt presidential election of 1876, and all the way through the yellow journalism and print war of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, you will recognize how familiar these stories are to our own supposedly unprecedented times.
By showing us the warts of our past with his characteristic humor, Prof. Jackson actually inspires hope for where we’re headed. Only by knowing that our country has been here before, and prevailed toward a more just future, can we find the strength to rebound once again.
