Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
Presidential History Roundup #6
Presidential History Roundup #6: Assassins, Sports, Performance, Impeachment, Nomination Process, JFK Quiz. Interesting news about Presidential history: How Much Do You Know About JFK? Take this short, multiple choice quiz with just 10 questions plus one bonus...
An Extraordinary Presidential Statement About an Extraordinary President
Unlike Theodore Roosevelt, who called Thomas Jefferson "perhaps the most incapable Executive that ever filled the presidential chair," President John F. Kennedy had a highly exalted view of the nation's third president, recognizing him for his incredible intellect and...
Presidential History Roundup #5
Presidential History Roundup #5: Interesting news about Presidential history: Presidents Who Knew Babe Ruth: Fascinating article by presidential historian Michael Beschloss on baseball great Babe Ruth's connections with various presidents and one future president...
26 Words That Moved Grown Men to Tears and Saved America From A Military Takeover
The year was 1783. British General Lord Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown in 1781. George Washington had held together the rag-tag army of continental soldiers for eight long years, hoping against hope, and in the end had miraculously defeated the world's...
Presidential History Roundup #4
Presidential History Roundup #4: Interesting news about Presidential history: 1st President to pay income tax: On March 14, 1923, President Warren G. Harding became the first President to file an income tax return. He filed his return for 1922 and paid $17,990 in...
Seminar: Lessons Learned from the White House Reconstruction Project
Seminar: Barely Avoiding Disaster: Lessons Learned from the White House Reconstruction Project During Harry Truman's Presidency When and Where: April 21, 2015 (3:00 pm to 4:30 pm Seattle, WA (Bell Harbor International Conference Center) Sponsored by Puget Sound...
Presidential History Roundup #3
Presidential History Roundup #3 - Interesting news about Presidential history: Top 10 Presidential traits: Click here to read article about speech by Presidential historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin on March 26, 2015 at Virginia Tech. Air Force One: Why does...
JFK’s Religion as Reflected in His Inaugural Address
John F. Kennedy’s watershed 1960 election as the first Roman Catholic president was a source of concern for many Protestant Americans. Others, such as former President Harry Truman, were less concerned about the influence of the Vatican on a JFK presidency. Truman at...
Presidential History Roundup #2
Presidential History Roundup #2 - Interesting news about Presidential history: Presidential Greatness: New survey of Presidential greatness is predictable but also offers some surprises. Check out the following links: Washington Post article from February 16, 2015...
Which Presidents Who Died in Office Had the Potential to be Great?
In our nation's history, close to 20% of our presidents have died in office, either through assassination or death. Some of their terms were very short, thus making it difficult for historians to assess their performance during their brief tenure. But two presidents...
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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.