Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
What Would You Say If You Met the President?
For nearly three years, many Americans have held their collective breath watching the unfolding instability erupting from the White House. As we witness the shattering of longstanding political and societal norms, we wonder if the next verbal attack or crisis will...
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The Value of Teaching History
The Plodding Through the Presidents blog recently sponsored a writing contest asking people to describe the value of teaching history. While I didn't win, I did receive an honorable mention recognition. The following is what I wrote: Why Teach History? In our modern...
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New Andrew Johnson Documents Discovered
Guest Blog Post: I’m pleased to publish this guest blog post written by Kendra Hinkle. Kendra is a Museum Specialist and Cultural Resource Manager at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, Tennessee where she has been employed for 23 years. She is a...
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Donald Trump is No James Monroe
When the vice-presidential candidates squared off against each other in the 1988 debate, Lloyd Bentsen delivered one of the sharpest political blows ever landed on an opponent. Republican Dan Quayle was proudly touting his years of experience and equating them with...
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Two Tense Transitions
One of the hallmarks of our democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another, reaching back to March 4, 1797 when George Washington turned over the reigns of power to John Adams. And while the inauguration of a new president has always been...
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A Voter’s Guide to Evaluating Presidential Candidates
The first Democratic debates raise the question of what voters should be looking for in evaluating candidates. Rather than merely supporting a candidate because of their promises (often unrealistic) and how closely their policy positions pass the litmus test of party...
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History Matters
"History is drama. History is human interactions. And I think we as a society and as a country are poorer if we do not know it, and if we don't in fact learn from it." This is part of what I said in my interview by The Clio Foundation. I was interviewed by them in...
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How the Specter of Andrew Johnson Haunts Donald Trump
A drama of monumental proportions and historic significance is unfolding every day in Washington, DC. There are endless predictions and speculation by politicians, pundits, and the people about whether Donald Trump will join the ranks of Andrew Johnson and Bill...
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Book Reviews and Radio Interviews
My new book 101 Presidential Insults: What They Really Thought About Each Other - and What It Means to Us was released by the publisher on June 7, 2019. It is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble (although it may be temporarily out-of-stock there), or...
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A Civility Lesson from John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
I wrote an article that was published on History News Network on June 9, 2019 entitled "What the Feud and Reconciliation between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Teaches Us About Civility." Click here to read the article My New Book: The article draws from some of my...
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About Mike
Mike Purdy is a presidential historian and author living in Seattle, Washington. As an expert in presidential history, Mike runs PresidentialHistory.com as a public resource.