Stephen Knott is the Thomas & Mabel Guy Professor of American History & Government at Ashland University, and an Emeritus Professor at the Naval War College.
The cover design for my forthcoming book.
I've spent my life grappling with JFK's legacy. He was the first president I remember; his library was my first employer. I examine Kennedy's presidency through the lens of 5 critical issues: civil rights, Vietnam, Cuba,
Sam Adams’ grave in Boston.
It’s across the street from a tavern in Boston, making it the only place in the world where you can drink a cold Sam Adams while looking at a cold Sam Adams.
A healthy reminder that Professional Military Education needs to emphasize the importance of constitutional safeguards and the rule of law rather than teaching Pentagon 101 or how to be a successful bureaucrat.
Just in: Joint Chiefs of Staff preparing rare message to entire force of reassurance: reminding them the job is to support & defend Constitution and reject extremism. Its a significant step. JCS have sought to stay out of politics. Statement due to gravity of events.
As of 12/31/22 I’ll be retiring after 40+ years of teaching/museum education at institutions as varied as the JFK Library, the Air Force Academy, UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, and the Naval War College. Looking forward to continuing to speak, lecture, research and write.
This is a promotional video made for my latest book. I am grateful to those who contributed various testimonials, including Maura Porter, former National Security Archivist at the JFK Library, historian John Dennehy, and Patricia Wade.
The verdict in the Giuliani case is an important milestone in combatting the stolen election myth. But there are most tests to come. 2024 could well determine if this nation remains committed to Lincoln's belief that the security of republican government rests on "reason, cold,
Unfortunately for Stephen Knott, author of “The Lost Soul of the American Presidency”,
@realDonaldTrump
is NOT “precisely the type of demagogue Hamilton and the other founders feared.” Joseph Bessette explains in the latest Claremont Review of Books.
This never gets old. I received my contract today from
@Kansas_Press
My book should be out this time next year. It's a look at JFK from 60 years out. It's by far the most personal book I've ever written -- my whole life was tangentially but in an odd way firmly connected to JFK.
Yesterday I spoke to high school students in New Hampshire who are taking a course on "The Foundations of Democracy." The topic was the evolution (or devolution) of the American presidency. These meetings with high school students always leave me with hope for the future.
During the last week of June I'll be teaching a class on the American Presidency from Andrew Johnson to the present. The course of American history would have been quite different if Hannibal Hamlin, a committed abolitionist, hadn't been replaced in 1864. One of the great
It unfortunate that George Washington's Farewell Address no longer garners the attention it once did.... It used to be required reading in most public school civics courses. His (and Hamilton's) warnings are as applicable now as they were in 1796:
This never gets old.
It's always an exciting feeling when you finally get to hold the finshed product of years of work. With thanks to all the great folks
@Kansas_Press
especially
@dwceditor
@kansasjoyce
@ddhelms
To be released in September/October. The similarities between the issues dealt with in this collection and those from the 20th/21st century are remarkable. I paid particular attention to the use of covert operations as a tool of American foreign policy long before there was a CIA
John F. Kennedy was born OTD 104 years ago. I’ve been working on a manuscript on the presidency of John F. Kennedy for almost longer than he was actually president, which was 2 years, 10 months, 2 days.
I was once firmly in the camp that Kennedy would have followed the same
One of the most disturbing revelations from the time in which we live is realizing that many of those who promote the Constitution and admire the framers are quick to endorse election deniers, or at best, remain silent.
As President Reagan noted in his inauguration in 1981, "the
the conflict with the Soviet Union and the arms race, and his interpretation of presidential power. There are over 40,000 books related to some aspect of JFK's life and times, but I believe this book offers a new and nuanced perspective on this brief but significant presidency.
A healthy reminder that Professional Military Education needs to emphasize the importance of constitutional safeguards and the rule of law rather than teaching Pentagon 101 or how to be a successful bureaucrat.
Some thoughts re scholars who prior to Trump gave a wink and nod to his demagogic predecessors:
A credible rejection of Trumpism requires an unconditional denunciation of presidential demagoguery across the board, including those presidents who happen to appeal to our
219 years ago tomorrow Alexander Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr in Weehawken, NJ. Over the centuries various authors have attempted to rehabilitate Burr and downplay the consensus that existed among a disparate group of Burr’s contemporaries who believed he was an unprincipled
My book was released 2 years ago this week. It argued for a restoration of elements of the presidency found in the early republic, some of which would serve us well today.
I was Zooming with an elementary school class and a student asked me why I had a ‘doll’ on my bookshelf. It’s not a doll, it’s an Alexander Hamilton ‘action figure’ I huffily exclaimed.
OTD in 1963 JFK delivers his ‘Ich Bin Ein Berliner’ speech.’ An urban myth would emerge claiming that Kennedy had proclaimed that he was a jelly donut. The original source was a work of fiction. It’s yet another remarkable example of the persistence of myths….
OTD in 1814.
James Madison's mismanagement of the War of 1812 was one for the ages. While most American presidents would claim that the best way to protect American interests was through policies grounded in “peace through strength,” the Madisonian understanding of national
This is the transcript of an oral history interview I did in 2006 with former Vice President Walter Mondale. It was clear that even at this advanced date the wounds from the Kennedy challenge in 1980 were still raw.
Happy Alexander Hamilton's Birthday
This watercolor by the Irish painter Walter Robertson is my favorite portrait of Hamilton, completed circa 1794/1795.
Last week I delivered the commencement speech at the Naval War College. I spoke about some troubling trends in the United States and the importance of the rule of law. My talk begins around the eight minute mark.
@Lollardfish
John Quincy Adams — From observing the Battle of Bunker Hill to collapsing on the floor of the House in 1848. The closing scene would show Abraham Lincoln serving as an honorary pallbearer.
I strongly recommend this book by
@KevinGutzman
. It is packed with challenging insights that led me to reconsider my take on the Jeffersonians.... I don't always see eye to eye with the author, but this is a well-written, impressively researched work of history. It is a must have
The American presidency is not what it once was. Nor, I contend, what it was meant to be. This book retraces the road we traveled from the neutral, unifying office envisioned by the framers of the Constitution into the demagogic, partisan entity of our day.
Ronald Reagan was shot 40 years ago today. I ran the Reagan Oral History Project for UVA's Miller Center, and one of our most memorable interviews was with Max Friedersdorf, who served as Reagan's congressional liaison. Friedersdorf was in the hospital room when
When I was young I could not read enough books on John F. Kennedy. As a consequence my Dad did this woodcarving of JFK for me… He would have been thrilled to read my forthcoming book.
Justice long overdue.
This was the most disgraceful day in the history of the American presidency. . . and the fact that the perpetrator of the events of that day is the frontrunner for his party's nomination in 2024 adds to the disgrace.
I think I’ll pass on what forensic experts Alec Baldwin and Rob Reiner have to say about the JFK assassination.
Who Killed JFK? Alec Baldwin and Rob Reiner Have Been Asking That Question for Decades | Vanity Fair
To clarify: there were deep ideological divisions that separated Reagan from O'Neill and sometimes their disputes took an ugly turn. But there were certain norms of civility that both abided by more often than not.They both saw the humanity in each other. That seems lost.
Robert Kennedy was shot OTD 55 years ago. He died the next day. The Senator's body was flown from Los Angeles back to New York City for his funeral in St. Patrick's Cathedral. On that flight, Ethel Kennedy was joined by Jacqueline Kennedy and Coretta Scott King. The three widows
20 years ago this week
@Kansas_Press
published my book on the Hamilton image in the American mind. This was long before Hamilton became a Broadway celebrity. In fact, at the time, I often had to explain who Hamilton was... Ron Chernow and others would go on to cite it at length.
My mother's uncle James M. Beatty was killed at the Second Battle of the Marne, July 28, 1918. He was assisting the wounded when he was killed by artillery fire. He had just turned 25. I have his medals.
Beatty Square in Worcester, MA, is named in his honor.
#Worcester
wink and a nod to his demagogic predecessors. Far too many Americans, academics and otherwise, believe that demagoguery in defense of their agenda is no vice.
Happy 4th of July!
My father carved this for me decades ago out of a block of wood. It is both a cherished keepsake and a friendly reminder that I inherited none of his talent.
I'm teaching a class on the American Presidency from Andrew Johnson to the present. . . How different the course of American history might have been if Hannibal Hamlin, a committed abolitionist, hadn't been replaced in 1864.
One of the great "what-ifs" in American history.
Happy Lincoln's Birthday. There were many positive qualities that Abraham Lincoln brought to the American presidency -- a magnanimous soul being first and foremost.
This portrait is by the artist Anna Rose Bain and it depicts Lincoln drafting his second inaugural address.
Words for our time from Alexander Hamilton:
"When a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper . . . despotic in his ordinary demeanor — known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby
Running a symposium this weekend on Alexander Hamilton in Alexandria, VA, and our group paid a visit to Mount Vernon. Great visit capped off with a trip to the bookstore which has a remarkable selection of books on GW…One volume in particular stood out.
Today is the bicentennial of Ulysses S. Grant's birth. This is the best book on Grant's presidency, a topic distorted for decades by devotees of the 'Lost Cause.' Charles W. Calhoun's volume is a terrific example of a well-written, thoroughly researched, biography
@Kansas_Press
Led a seminar yesterday at Valley Forge on the first three presidents. I’m getting soft in my old age — I had a few kind things to say about Thomas Jefferson.
"History will teach us . . . that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants."
-Federalist
#1
A casualty of the pandemic. I just received this today even though it was awarded in April 2020. Damn I’m old.
Six years at the JFK Library (NARA)
Seven years at the Air Force Academy Twelve plus years at the Naval War College
When I was 12 I showed my father a painting that I admired in a book on the American Revolution. It depicted combat between British Regulars and the Minutemen at Concord on April 19, 1775. He was a talented amateur artist — he gave me this painting which now hangs in my office.
A future book project of mine will focus on the anti-slavery stance of key Federalists including John Jay, Theodore Sedgwick, Gouverneur Morris, Timothy Pickering, Rufus King, Thomas Fitzsimons, John Adams.
A bona fide expert performs a remarkable public service and receives an unwarranted amount of snark in return. This place is exhausting and demoralizing at times.
Dr. Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755 on lots o’ platforms)
Folks. I’m a historian. I tweeted the history behind the show. Many people enjoyed it. Lin retweeted it.
The end.
The great thing about twitter? If you don’t like something, don’t read it.
Tomorrow is Lincoln's birthday.
When I was a young boy I couldn't read enough about the Civil War and was fascinated by Abraham Lincoln.
#Lincoln
My father did this woodcarving for me decades ago and I'm fortunate enough to still have it....
My first appearance on C-Span, 20 years ago. If only I’d foreseen the marketability of a hip/hop musical focused on the first Secretary of the Treasury. H/T
@gooberkn
One of the benefits of teaching at the Naval War College is the opportunity to teach officers from around the globe, including officers from Ukraine. My thoughts this day are with these students, past and present, and their families.
ideological predilections. Praising presidents who appeal to the lowest public passions is something one should not expect to see scholars, of all people, endorsing.President’s may believe they are marshalling the “masses” for great deeds by employing demagoguery, but as
political opponents as un-American or simply evil, a tactic employed by Presidents as varied as Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump. The latter is in a league of his own, but his path to power was enabled by those presidential scholars who gave a
I was a Professor at the United States Naval War College for over fifteen years, where I taught American military officers who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States. Professional military education continues to fall short when it comes to teaching about the
I've always been struck by the sizable percentage of American academics with advanced political science degrees whose knowledge of American history is superficial at best. This is especially pronounced among political scientists whose concentration is political philosophy,
A sampling of some fan mail I received after speaking to a group of elementary school students about the American Revolution. They were especially interested in what people ate and how they made money. But the biggest hit of all was a discussion of spies and spy craft…