Cactus Jack Garner – “Not Worth a Bucket of Warm …”
John Nance Garner spent his entire adult life working his way up to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and then gave it...
Hell and Maria – The Story of Charles Dawes
Vice-President Charles G. Dawes is remembered for several reasons. He is the only Vice-President to win the Nobel Peace Prize (excluding Teddy Roosevelt who...
The Vice President – More Important Than We think?
The common wisdom is that the vice presidential candidate does not make much difference in the election. Newsweek ended its recent article about Senator...
The Washington Administration – Foreign Affairs
Foreign affairs reached a critical point almost immediately after Washington took office. The British and the French were in conflict all around the world,...
Third Parties – The Free Soil Party
There have been a large number of “third parties” in our political history. A third party is any party other than one of the...
The Great Commoner – William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was the youngest man ever to be nominated for president by a major party. He was also the only man to...
Presidential Feuds, Part 1
The United States Senate has been called “the most exclusive club in the world” but there is an even more exclusive club. Only forty-two...
The President’s Lady – Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson
Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson never got to be First Lady. She died in the period between her husband’s election as President and his inauguration....
Thanks, But No Thanks – Silas Wright
Silas Wright turned down more major offices than most politicians win in a lifetime of election campaigns. Before his career ended with his premature...
The Natick Cobbler – Henry Wilson, Part 1
The life of Henry Wilson, second Vice President under President U.S. Grant, was a real American success story. Born in poverty, he worked his...