Reason TV: Historian Thaddeus Russell on the Renegades Who Helped Make America Free

Who is responsible for America's culture of freedom?

Much credit is given to the Founding Fathers who crafted the Constitution, but what about the drunkards who threw horse manure at British soldiers?

Historian Thaddeus Russell explores the taboo side of America's fight for freedom in his new book, A Renegade History of the United States . Russell's list of heroes of freedom includes pub owners, prostitutes, and sexually liberated pirates. 

"People who existed and operated purely for their own pleasures and interests expanded freedoms for all of us, says Russell. "They broke open American culture in ways that most of us—not all of us—value if not cherish today."

Approximately 10:00 minutes.

Interview by Ted Balaker. Shot by Zach Weissmueller, Alex Manning and Paul Detrick. Edited by Detrick.

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