The Apollo Documents the Making (and Breaking) of Many an Entertainer
Harlem’s famous incubator of black performers gets a closer look on HBO.
History
The Medal of Honor Recipient vs. The Historian, and the Right of Publicity
"The more research Mr. Rigg did for the book, the more discrepancies appeared."
Justice Story on Originalism and Judicial Independence
An old argument against "flexible and changeable interpretation."
The Creek Nation and the Culture of Consent
Under threat from the United States, Creek people replaced consent with coercion. Then they lost everything.
HBO's Catherine The Great Is All Glamour, Little Substance
Screenwriter Nigel Williams seems to have thought he was working on Fast Times At Moscow High.
The Possibly Pending Death of a Legendary Radio Station
Friday A/V Club: When Timothy Leary, Ayn Rand, and Big Mama Thornton shared a microphone
Trump Does Not Need Alligators in Moats for a Draconian Anti-Immigration Crackdown—He's Already Outdoing Ike's Harsh 'Operation Wetback'
Trump admires one of the darkest chapters in America's deportation history.
Occult Features of Anarchism
An anthropologist examines secret societies, revolutionary movements, and esoteric ideas.
Abortion Bans Failed in the 19th Century. They'll Also Fail in the 21st.
History provides a window into how abortion bans will play out if re-instituted.
Ken Burns Delves into the Hardscrabble History of Country Music
You don’t have to enjoy the genre to find this 16-hour PBS docuseries fascinating.
Teen Witnesses to 9/11 Reminisce About the Horrors They Saw That Day
New HBO documentary is moving … until it wanders into our current politics.
The Peace-Loving Military Robots' Plot
Friday A/V Club: That time NBC broadcast a radical Philip K. Dick fable to a 1950s audience
The 80th Anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet Pact
Today is the anniversary of perhaps the most awful international agreement in all of world history.
The Founders Were Flawed. The Nation Is Imperfect. The Constitution Is Still a 'Glorious Liberty Document.'
As part of its ambitious “1619” inquiry into the legacy of slavery, The New York Times revives false 19th century revisionist history about the American founding.
My Review of an Important New Book on the Supreme Court's Impact on American Federalism
The book by political scientist Michael Dichio argues that the Court has done more to promote centralization than protect states, and is the most thorough analysis to date, of this longstanding issue..
New Woodstock Documentary Should Make Boomers Question Their Accomplishments
If a chaotic concert that nearly failed "defined a generation," what does that actually mean?
Neighborhood Activists Would Rather Preserve Tom's Diner Than Let Its Owner Retire in Peace
Denver NIMBYs are using historic preservation laws to stop a restaurant owner from selling his diner to a developer so he can retire.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls Court Packing a 'Bad Idea'
The liberal jurist puts judicial integrity before partisan politics.
The Horror of War and the Thrill of Horror
A new book explores the First World War's role in creating the horror genre.
Paul Krassner: The Lost Interview
A previously unpublished conversation with “investigative satirist” Paul Krassner, who just died at age 87.
Politics, Bar Brawls, and the Law of the Past
What makes history constitutionally relevant?
The Apollo Missions Were Cool, But Private Enterprise Has Been Better for Innovation
People are happier, healthier, and wealthier because freer markets have opened the floodgates of innovation, research, and development.
Renegade University's Thaddeus Russell Wants To Blow Your Mind
This historian and online-education entrepreneur says runaway slaves, ladies of the evening, bootleggers, and other dropouts and discontents made America free.
Marianne Williamson Wants To Win the Presidency With the Power of Love and Miracles
The long American spiritual tradition that gave us Marianne Williamson—and Donald Trump
'Killer' Walkman, 'Insane' Bicycles, and Novels Will Rot Your Brain: Pessimist Archive's Jason Feifer on 'Why We Resist New Things'
Jason Feifer's podcast explores "why we resist new things" and tells great stories about panics over the novel, the elevator, the waltz, margarine, and more.
The Case Against the Case Against the American Revolution
Some on both left and right argue that the American Revolution was a mistake that ultimately caused more harm than good. Here's why they're wrong.
The Universalist Principles of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence advocates a polity based on universal principles of liberty and equality, not ethnic nationalism. We would do well to remember those principles today.
It's Donald Trump's America, We Just Live in It. Or Is It?
The president's seeming ability to always get what he wants masks the reality that anything is possible in today's political and cultural landscape.
H.L. Mencken on Independence Day: 'We Have Borne Rascality Since 1776, and We Continue To Survive'
The sage of Baltimore on impeachment, the press, and the people
Celebrate Limited Government on the Fourth of July
Remember that the Declaration of Independence stands for inalienable rights.
Betsy Ross Is Canceled
Plus: Conditions in migrant detention centers "worse than we ever could have imagined" say Democratic lawmakers, Vox discovers anarchist gun owners, and more...
When They See Us Is Compelling Storytelling, but Not All Rings True
A meticulous re-enactment of the misbegotten prosecution of the Central Park Five gets a lot right.
It's Time to Celebrate Juneteenth, America's Other Independence Day
Though Juneteenth is first and foremost a celebration of the end of slavery, the day has evolved in the 21st century.
We're at the 'Concentration Camp Semantics' Stage of 2019 Now
Plus: crackdown on emotional support animals, the difference between "platforms" and "publishers," and more...
Philadelphia Politicians Want to Ban Bay Windows
The supposed symbol of gentrification has become the target of city politicians.
A Round-Up of Posts in the Volokh Conspiracy Symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a New National Narrative"
A listing with links to all the posts in the series.
Originalism and the Law of the Past
Steve Sachs and I defend originalism against charges of "law office history."
The Declension Narrative
The sixth post in the Volokh Conspiracy symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a Shared National Narrative" (ed. by Joshua Claybourn).
Introducing the Volokh Conspiracy Symposium on "Our American Story: The Search for a New National Narrative"
The symposium will include posts by contributors to this new book on what makes America and its history distinctive.
Xenophobia and Pseudoscience Shaped U.S. Immigration Policy
Historian Daniel Okrent looks back at the bigoted "intellectual justification" for anti-immigration policies.
The Heartbreaking, Lifesaving Practice of Welcoming 'Unaccompanied' Child Migrants
A history lesson for Americans
Today's Anti-Immigration Script Was Written 100 Years Ago by America's Elite
Historian Daniel Okrent's new book, The Guarded Gate, recounts the history of bigotry, eugenics, and the "intellectual justification" of anti-immigration policies.
