The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft
“If you love American history, as I do, you’ll love Professor Schweikart’s provocative profiles… A great book.”
—David Limbaugh, New York Times bestselling author

Larry Schweikart, a retired history professor, is ready to set the record straight on the American presidents. He goes through each of the first 26 presidents from Washington to Taft and debunks myths, lies, and fake news made fact by the uninformed.

Discover why George Washington favored American isolationism; James Madison supported states' rights; what Lincoln promised to Southerners about fugitive slaves; and why nineteenth-century presidents were the last to understand the true role of government.

So what made these presidents so much better than the ones America has now? Schweikart argues that recent commanders-in-chief have welcomed crises to advance their own partisan agenda, defied the separation of powers the Founders carefully constructed to preserve the Republic, and given us every reason to doubt they take the country’s interests to heart.
1123559035
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft
“If you love American history, as I do, you’ll love Professor Schweikart’s provocative profiles… A great book.”
—David Limbaugh, New York Times bestselling author

Larry Schweikart, a retired history professor, is ready to set the record straight on the American presidents. He goes through each of the first 26 presidents from Washington to Taft and debunks myths, lies, and fake news made fact by the uninformed.

Discover why George Washington favored American isolationism; James Madison supported states' rights; what Lincoln promised to Southerners about fugitive slaves; and why nineteenth-century presidents were the last to understand the true role of government.

So what made these presidents so much better than the ones America has now? Schweikart argues that recent commanders-in-chief have welcomed crises to advance their own partisan agenda, defied the separation of powers the Founders carefully constructed to preserve the Republic, and given us every reason to doubt they take the country’s interests to heart.
21.99 In Stock
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft

by Larry Schweikart
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1: From Washington to Taft

by Larry Schweikart

Paperback

(Not eligible for purchase using B&N Audiobooks Subscription credits)
$21.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 6-10 days.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

“If you love American history, as I do, you’ll love Professor Schweikart’s provocative profiles… A great book.”
—David Limbaugh, New York Times bestselling author

Larry Schweikart, a retired history professor, is ready to set the record straight on the American presidents. He goes through each of the first 26 presidents from Washington to Taft and debunks myths, lies, and fake news made fact by the uninformed.

Discover why George Washington favored American isolationism; James Madison supported states' rights; what Lincoln promised to Southerners about fugitive slaves; and why nineteenth-century presidents were the last to understand the true role of government.

So what made these presidents so much better than the ones America has now? Schweikart argues that recent commanders-in-chief have welcomed crises to advance their own partisan agenda, defied the separation of powers the Founders carefully constructed to preserve the Republic, and given us every reason to doubt they take the country’s interests to heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781621575245
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date: 01/09/2017
Series: The Politically Incorrect Guides
Pages: 336
Product dimensions: 6.90(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Larry Schweikart is a retired professor of history at the University of Dayton and the coauthor of A Patriot's History of the United States, a #1 New York Times bestseller. He is also the author of Seven Events That Made America America and 48 Liberal Lies about American History. He is also the coauthor of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the American Revolution. Schweikart lives in Chandler, AZ with his wife Dee and three dogs.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What Did the Founders Have in Mind? xi

Before the Devolution xi

How to Expand the Presidency in Three Easy Steps xv

Chapter 1 George Washington, 1789-1797 1

A Man Who Didn't Need the Job 2

A Christian Believer and a Whig President 4

Creating the Nation's First Cabinet 6

In for a Penny 9

More Precedents 12

Rejecting America's First Business Bailout 13

"First in War…" 15

A Fight between Our Friends 18

"Damn John Jay and Damn John Jay's Treaty" 22

America's First Reelection 24

Farewell 26

The Indispensable Man 29

Washington and the Constitution 30

Chapter 2 John Adams, 1797-1801 33

Crowning Achievement 34

The Quasi-War with France 36

The Alien and Sedition Acts 40

Adams's Place in Presidential History 42

Chapter 3 Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809 45

The Most Critical of All American Elections 47

Green Acres 49

The Biggest of Big Government Projects 50

Deal of the Century 52

America's First War on Terror 55

The Clock Strikes Midnight on the Midnight Judges 57

No Free Lunch 58

The Wolf by the Ear 59

Grading Jefferson on His Faithfulness to the Constitution 60

Chapter 4 James Madison, 1809-1817 63

Father of the Constitution 64

An Awkward Situation 67

Not a Shining Leader 69

"We Fired Our Guns and the British Kept A-Comin'" 70

"The Public Good May Require Them" 75

Madison's Constitutional Grade 77

Chapter 5 James Monroe, 1817-1825 81

Panic and Depression 86

"A Question So Menacing to the Tranquility…of Our Union" 90

The Monroe Doctrine 93

James Monroe, Constitutionalist 95

Chapter 6 John Quincy Adams, 1821-1825 97

"The American System" 98

The Handwriting on the Wall 100

The "Slave Power" 100

Grading John Quincy Adams 102

Chapter 7 Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837 105

"Stealing from the Many to the Few" 107

"I Will Kill It" 117

Grading Old Hickory on a Constitutional Scale 120

Chapter 8 Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841 123

Martin Van Buren, Constitutionalist with an Asterisk 128

Chapter 9 William Henry Harrison, March 1841-April 1841 129

Tickin' Away 130

Not Grading Harrison 131

Chapter 10 John Tyler, April 1841-1844 133

Grading Tyler's Constitutional. Scorecard 141

Chapter 11 James K. Polk, 1845-1849 143

Grading President Polk 149

Chapter 12 Zachary Taylor, 1849-July 9, 1850 151

The California Compromise 154

Taylor: Barely Avoiding the Incomplete 158

Chapter 13 Millard Fillmore, July 1850-1853 161

Millard Fillmore and the Constitution 165

Chapter 14 Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857 167

Bleeding Kansas, Bleeding Congress 175

Assessing Pierce 175

Chapter 15 James Buchanan, 1857-1861 177

Buchanan's Sorry Record 183

Chapter 16 Abraham Lincoln, 1861-April 15, 1865 185

Rotation in Officers 191

Expanding the Government on the "Homefront" 197

Lincoln, a President for All Seasons 199

Chapter 17 Andrew Johnson, April 15, 1865-1869 201

The Failed Presidential Reconstruction 204

On to Impeachment! 208

Andrew Johnson, R.I.P. 209

Chapter 18 Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877 211

Reforming the Reformers 220

Grant's Constitutionalism 225

Chapter 19 Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877-1881 227

His Fraudulency 232

Hayes's Legacy 235

Chapter 20 James A. Garfield, March 1881-September 19, 1881 237

The Verdict of History 241

Chapter 21 Chester A. Arthur, September 19, 1881-1885 243

A, B, C, D, Can You Build a Ship for Me? 248

Chester Arthur's Solid Term 249

Chapter 22 Grover Cleveland, 1885-1889, 1893-1897 251

The Union Label 256

Hard Money 258

Cleveland's Legacy 262

Chapter 23 Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893 263

Harrison's Legacy 265

Chapter 24 William McKinley, 1897-September 14, 1901 267

An Empire? No Thanks 270

Grading McKinley 275

Chapter 25 Theodore Roosevelt Jr., September 19, 1901-1909 277

The Trustbuster 279

Who Was Teddy Roosevelt? 283

Chapter 26 William Howard Taft, 1909-1913 285

Taft's Legacy 289

Conclusion: The First Twenty-Six 291

Selected Bibliography 295

Index 299

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews