Many Americans were surprised by the results of the presidential election last month. During the early morning hours of November 9, half of America celebrated the ascension of the man (and not the first woman) that championed the needs of Americans who felt betrayed by those in power. The other half feared the election of a man with no experience in government and a stated desire to dismantle much of President Obama’s legacy.
It feels like there’s a lot at stake in a world: a warming climate, nuclear weapons, terrorists, and too many people living in unsustainable conditions. But, some historians say these fears of existential threat are not new. We've come back from the brink of disaster before and become stronger for our conflict. We can do it again...with some effort.
This hour, we listen to a conversation between Colin and Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer Jon Meacham, which we recorded at Infinity Hall in Hartford in late 2016. It was part of the second annual Jack Chatfield Speaker Series presented by Watkinson School.
GUESTS:
- Jon Meacham - Presidential historian, contributing editor at TIME, Executive Editor at Random House, and the author of biographies on George H.W. Bush, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin and Winston, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography on Andrew Jackson, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
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Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired on December 2, 2016.
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