As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. It’s hard to find the silver lining in the s**tshow that has been American politics in the last eight years, but this article in today’s online newspaper WY Daily reminds me of the truth of this adage. The silver lining is that I have become aware of a lot of very smart people who provide analysis and commentary on ongoing national political and social events. Many of these people are distinguished academics and public servants, and it still amazes me that I can learn from them through their essays and public appearances.
One of these individuals, historian John Meacham, has been named William and Mary’s 2024 Hunter B. Andrews Fellow in American Politics.
His first appearance on campus will be next Tuesday, April 30, at 7:30 pm in the auditorium of the student center. During his visit, which will extend into the next day, he will meet with student leaders and participate in class discussions.
William and Mary’s President Katherine A. Rowe said the following about Professor Meacham: “John Meacham applies the lessons of history to perfect our democracy and advance freedom . . . . His thoughtful patriotism and commitment to facts as a public good make him a terrific choice for this year’s Andrews Fellowship.”
The information about his upcoming lecture does not indicate that attendees need to register in advance or pay a fee to attend this event. I find this hard to believe – I think there will be a lot of interest in his presentation.
Professor Meacham has written prolifically on a variety of topics, including prize-winning biographies of Thomas Jefferson, George Herbert Walker Bush, John Lewis, and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, he has written about America’s current political crisis. His 2018 The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels is a calm yet urgent call to action for Americans who do not like the America that has emerged under the former President. In 2018 he also wrote a chapter about Andrew Johnson in a book about the impeachment efforts related to four presidents: Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, and #P01135809.
He regularly appears on cable news programs to provide historical context to what’s going on around us. His optimism and calm demeanor are a necessary antidote to the gloom and hysteria we see in various parts of the political world.
I saw a reference to one of Professor Meacham’s statements when I was scrolling social media sites today to get additional information about his ideas and his work. He was quoted as saying the following: “Even before the Republic was founded, Thomas Paine wrote that in America the law is king . . . . And if the law is not supreme, if no man is above the law, then we have a constitutional republic. And if any man can be above the law, then we don’t.”
I just finished teaching an Osher class about the years between 1865 and 1900, when the United States was trying to figure out what kind of country it would be in the wake of the Civil War. This debate focused on the rights and duties of citizens of a republic and referenced growing questions about whether large portions of the American population (African Americans, people of Chinese descent, immigrants, Native Americans, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans) were citizens – and if so, what did this mean?
It does not seem as if this problem was solved 120 years ago – it feels very immediate.
I don’t know what other obligations Professor Meacham’s new relationship with William and Mary entails, but I hope we’ll see him around occasionally.
I’ve been reading various historical books about CHQ in readiness for this summer’s celebration of the 150th anniversary (and a CLSC pin to allow bragging rights of having done so🙄). A key nugget that registered in my pea brain is that the Institution was founded by 2 different gentlemen engaged in similar pursuits in response to a post civil war nation in emergence and struggle. Just 10 years after the war, yet it probably felt a lifetime for some, and with several years of idea birthing and finally a per chance meeting of the gentlemen, Miller and Vincent found each other and began what has become a national treasure (for those who can afford it). In the course you taught recently, did CHQ come to mind at all as a significance within those years?
Woohoo! I'm going to try to elbow my way in!