Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
The Fine Art of Bloviation
Foreshadowing what many would later say about the nation's 29th president, Warren G. Harding's propensity to use too many meaningless words, Abraham Lincoln once wrote about someone with whom he differed on issues as follows: "He can compress more words into fewer...
2016 Presidential Election Resources
With the 2016 Presidential election gearing up more and more, I've been following the campaign and noting similarities and differences with previous Presidential campaigns and elections. I've created a "2016 Election" tab on my website...
Lincoln’s Body – In Life and in Death
Abraham Lincoln, ranked by most historians and citizens as our greatest president, is the subject of a book published in February 2015. Written by Richard Wightman Fox, a history professor at the University of Southern California, Lincoln's Body: A Cultural History...
Review of New Book on the White House and the Presidency
"Under This Roof: The White House and the Presidency" is a delightful, well-written, and well-researched collection of stories about the White House and our Presidents. The book is highly readable and I strongly recommend it. White House and American History: Author...
Twitter Chat on Presidential History
On Monday, August 24, 2015, I moderated a one hour Twitter chat on presidential history with social studies and history teachers from across the country (primarily middle school and high school). It was a fun opportunity to interact with these dedicated teachers on...
DNA Proves Harding Affair
President Warren G. Harding has a number of claims to fame (or infamy): He consistently ranks at the very bottom for presidential performance His administration was racked with the infamous Teapot Dome scandal that sent a cabinet secretary to jail He was known for his...
Who Are These 5 Presidents? The Answers!
In response to my blog last week, here are the answers to identifying these 5 presidents when they were younger. The beardless photos of Hayes and Garfield are tough to figure out, aren't they? How well did you do?
Write Something Patriotic This Weekend!
Don't forget about my contest to write a 272 word response or reflection on Abraham Lincoln's 272 word Gettysburg Address! Free Book: The best entry will receive a free copy of the recently published book Gettysburg Replies, a compilation of 100 reflections by...
Can You Identify These Presidents?
Here are pictures of five presidents when they were younger. How many can you identify? I will publish the answers in a few days.
Presidential History Roundup #10
Will the friendship of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton survive 2016? What happened to Washington’s love letters? What did FDR chide Eleanor about? How tall is the new Reagan statue? And more highlights of presidential history.
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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.