Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
Who Wants to be President? – Video of Lecture Now Online
On February 18, 2016, my colleage, Dr. Michael Artime, and I delivered the second lecture out of six in the series "Who Will Win the White House?" Video online now: If you missed the lecture and want to try to make sense out of the 2016 presidential campaign, the...
Does the President’s Age Matter?
As the Founding Fathers labored over the negotiation and drafting of the Constitution in the sweltering heat and humidity of Philadelphia in 1787, they came to the important question of eligibility requirements for the president. In an era when the average...
Campaign Insults and Presidential Money Problems
In the last week, I was interviewed and quoted in two online articles about presidential history: Campaign Insults: The news service Reuters published an article on February 13, 2016 entitled "Loser! Jerk! Insults Fly on the Republican Campaign Trail" by Alana Wise. ...
Will Winners of Iowa Caucuses Get Nominated?
Over the last 40 years, the Iowa caucuses have been used as a bell weather of support for candidates vying for their party's presidential nomination, and a tool for winners to attract financial support to continue to be competitive in other caucuses and primaries. ...
Video of Lecture: “The Long Road to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue”
On January 21, 2016, my colleage, Dr. Michael Artime, and I delivered the first lecture out of six in the series "Who Will Win the White House?" Video online now: If you missed the lecture and want to try to make sense out of the 2016 presidential campaign, the video...
What is a “Brokered Convention”?
This July, the Republican and Democratic parties will convene their national conventions to nominate their candidates for president. With a dozen GOP hopefuls still chasing the nomination, there is an increasing possibility of the Republicans facing a "brokered" or...
How the 1912 Presidential Election Rocked the Nation
In the 1912 presidential election, former President Theodore Roosevelt was denied the Republican nomination for president, despite having won nine out of the twelve primary elections. But the power of the party bosses was still too strong in 1912 and they selected...
Who Will Win the White House? – Free Lecture Series
Political scientist Dr. Michael Artime and presidential historian Mike Purdy will offer a series of six free lectures at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington) on the 2016 presidential campaign and election. The lectures will include a contemporary...
The Shocking Fact That Woodrow Wilson’s Boyhood Home Got Wrong
Birth Date Controversy: Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856 in Staunton, Virginia. The actual date of his birth has been the subject of some controversy. According to the family Bible he was born 45 minutes into the new day on December 29, 1856, although he always...
Merry Christmas from the President (and me!)
President Barack Obama and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, have sent out their annual presidential Christmas card with the following text: "With gratitude and cheer, we send our warmest wishes for health and happiness this holiday season." Card description: It...
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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.