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Founding Fathers

It's Anti-American To Care About The President's Religion

Craig Considine | Posted 01.05.2013 | Religion
Craig Considine

Whether Obama is Muslim or not is beside the point. The president's religious background shouldn't matter in a presidential election -- or any American election for that matter.

Defending the Electoral College

Carl Creasman | Posted 12.25.2012 | College
Carl Creasman

The Founders NEVER saw the president as someone that represented the citizens or stood in their places as a representative. Instead, to the Founders, the president was supposed to be someone slightly detached from the passions and zealotry of "the masses."

National Ignorance

William E. White | Posted 12.09.2012 | Home
William E. White

American ideas are important, an essential element for charting our future. Unfortunately, we may be losing our ability to discern quality debate.

The Magic Mormon

Ariel Gonzalez | Posted 11.25.2012 | Politics
Ariel Gonzalez

In the now-infamous secret video, what stands out to me is the way his radio announcer voice rises when he utters the word "entitled." This is no act; he really is outraged.

When Politics Gets Trumped by Religion

David Macaray | Posted 11.18.2012 | Politics
David Macaray

Our history is filled with paradoxes. Although we regularly hear people refer with pride to our Founding Fathers, it's unclear whether they're familiar with the relevant dates.

Constitution Day Honored In Philadelphia

AP | Posted 09.18.2012 | Politics

PHILADELPHIA -- The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is putting six original drafts and copies of the Constitution of the United States on display i...

It's Constitution Day! Time to Teach Obedience or History?

Bill Bigelow | Posted 11.14.2012 | Home
Bill Bigelow

Students deserve a more critical and nuanced exploration of the Constitution -- one that is alert to the race and class issues at the heart of our governing document.

Conservatives Seek to Celebrate the Constitution by Undermining It

Doug Kendall | Posted 11.12.2012 | Politics
Doug Kendall

As long as conservatives believe they can win elections by changing the ground rules, the battle over voting rights will continue. And as long as conservatives are weaponizing the Constitution for political purposes, progressives must aggressively tell our own story about the Constitution.

Individualism or Independence?

Peter Cannavo | Posted 11.10.2012 | College
Peter Cannavo

When conservatives celebrate the small, self-made business owner or invoke the views of the American Founders, they are really appealing to independence, not individualism.

Was There A Miracle At Philadelphia?

Kevin Belmonte | Posted 11.01.2012 | Religion
Kevin Belmonte

James Madison marveled over what unfolded at Philadelphia all those years ago. If not a miracle, then it was a consummation devoutly to be wished. To paraphrase Franklin: We will do well if we keep faith with it.

What the Founding Fathers Would Have Done About Gun Violence in America

Sanjay Sanghoee | Posted 10.31.2012 | Politics
Sanjay Sanghoee

The right to bear arms should be preserved, but in the context of stricter gun laws that enable law enforcement to control and track weapons, and to provide adequate disincentive for the abuse of firearms.

Did the Founding Fathers Really Want Two Parties?

Willard Sterne Randall | Posted 10.31.2012 | Politics
Willard Sterne Randall

One of the enduring American myths we cherish is the two-party system. We must have two parties! To have three parties or more is impossible; to have only one, unthinkable.

Book Claiming To Expose Liberal 'Lies' About Thomas Jefferson Exposed As Inaccurate

The Huffington Post | Meredith Bennett-Smith | Posted 08.11.2012 | Religion

Following widespread criticism from a diverse group of scholars, as well as the threat of a boycott by Cincinnati pastors and church leaders, publishe...

Are You Smarter Than an 18th Century 10-Year-Old?

Nicholas Ferroni | Posted 10.02.2012 | Home
Nicholas Ferroni

John Adams learned Latin at the age most of us today are still learning the difference between "their" and "there." He entered Harvard at sixteen and was practicing law by his early twenties.

The Idea of America in the Age of Empire

Michael Hughes | Posted 10.01.2012 | Books
Michael Hughes

At the outset of The Idea of America is an intellectually-stimulating comparison of two schools of thought on the causes of the Revolution.

Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom: One-Sided Politics Will Not Save Us From Politics

Trevor Burrus | Posted 09.25.2012 | Politics
Trevor Burrus

If he wants to portray smart, honest, hard-working people turning journalism back into an antacid for our partisan-induced ulcers, then he should make more of an effort to be a non-partisan researcher.

We Have No Right to Bear Arms

Sarah O'Leary | Posted 09.21.2012 | Politics
Sarah O'Leary

Our Constitution's key assurance, the inalienable right of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and the right to carry a firearm cannot successfully co-exist. How would Thomas Jefferson have known about an AK47 with a 100-round magazine?

The Greatest Breakup Letter in History

Nicholas Ferroni | Posted 09.11.2012 | Comedy
Nicholas Ferroni

As someone who's received many "breakup" letters, emails and even texts, I do consider myself somewhat of an expert. It wasn't until my historical studies at Rutgers that I realized that America was founded on the ultimate breakup letter in history: the Declaration of Independence.

The Day After the Fourth of July

Mike Lux | Posted 09.04.2012 | Politics
Mike Lux

The incredible courage of our founding fathers remains a wonder to those of us living today. But what matters even more is what they did the day after they took the vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence, and every day after.

Life, Liberty and Message Encryption

Chris Johnson | Posted 09.04.2012 | Technology
Chris Johnson

Thomas Jefferson was serving as Secretary of State under George Washington when he became bothered by his reliance on unsecure messages and messengers. So he built the so-called "wheel cipher," which was sort of a mechanical Burn Note.

Religious Freedom In The Country’s Founding Moments

Michael Meyerson | Posted 09.03.2012 | Religion
Michael Meyerson

Those who founded our nation feared divisiveness, sectarian violence and intolerance, yet they also believed that religion could help unify a diverse nation.

What Would George Do?

Julie Gutman Dickinson | Posted 09.02.2012 | World
Julie Gutman Dickinson

As we celebrate liberty and democracy on July 4th, let us ask what our founding fathers would have had to say about the current torture debate.

The Tea Party's 1776 Shtick: History Mangled

Sam Pizzigati | Posted 09.02.2012 | Politics
Sam Pizzigati

The patriots of 1776 didn't stage a revolution to keep government small. They revolted to keep their America relatively equal.

Were Our Founding Fathers Faithful?

Posted 07.03.2012 | Divorce

Every Fourth of July, we celebrate the United States' independence and our Founding Fathers' dedication to our country. But were they as dedicated ...

A 1776 Feast: The Foods Our Founding Fathers Ate

Kitchen Daily | Posted 08.31.2012 | Taste

The City Tavern, built in 1773 and located in Philadelphia, is one of the oldest taverns in the United States and was an important meeting point for h...