Sign up

Letters from an American

Not verified No WebSub updates No webmention support Not yet validated

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

Webmaster
Generator
Substack
Rights
Heather Cox Richardson
Public lists
davewiner/blogroll
Fetched

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Politics Chat, September 8, 2026

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 8, 2026

September 8, 2026

On Sunday, Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (Alternativ für Deutschland, or AfD) party won 43.8% of the vote in a legislative election in the small state of Saxony-Anhalt, formerly part of Soviet-dominated East Germany.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Trump’s Frantic Pace

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 7, 2026

September 7, 2026

Since yesterday, President Donald J.

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 6, 2026

Storm clouds over the horizon looked like mountains last week as I came in from a late afternoon paddle in the kayak.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

In a Nutshell

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

Week Fifteen in 250 to 250

Week Fifteen in 250 to 250

Last week was the fifteenth week of videos from the 250 to 250 Project that we’re producing to honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 5, 2026

September 5, 2026

Events of Friday, September 4, showed the Trump administration in a nutshell.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Labor Day

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 4, 2026

September 4, 2026

On September 5, 1882, workers in New York City celebrated the first Labor Day holiday with a parade.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

What Will the Midterms Bring?

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 3, 2026

September 3, 2026

Election analyst Charlie Cook told Republicans today to “brace themselves” for the midterms.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Politics Chat, September 3, 2026

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

Politics Chat, September 3, 2026

Politics Chat, September 3, 2026

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Nothing You Can Do Can Stop Us

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 2, 2026

September 2, 2026

A number of pundits, especially Republican pundits, interpreted Trump’s win in 2024 as a permanent political realignment proving that post–World War II liberalism was dead.

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

Kim Rogers, Founder of State + Local Election Alliance (SLEA) | American Conversations

 Kim Rogers, Founder of State + Local Election Alliance (SLEA) | American Conversations

State+Local Election Alliance

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

A Betrayal of Our Constitution

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

September 1, 2026

September 1, 2026

Yesterday, by a vote of 5–4, the United States Supreme Court allowed Trump to continue to build his ballroom.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Politics Chat, September 1, 2026

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

Politics Chat, September 1, 2026

Politics Chat, September 1, 2026

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Military Leadership is Concerned

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

August 31, 2026

August 31, 2026

Alex Horton and Tara Copp of the Washington Post reported on Sunday, August 30, that military leaders are warning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that a plan to continue large-scale operations in Iran is unsustainable and is weakening their ability to protect U.S.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

Truth Telling

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

August 30, 2026

August 30, 2026

One of our founding myths is that of George Washington and the cherry tree.

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

Week Fourteen in 250 to 250

Week Fourteen in 250 to 250

Last week was the fourteenth week of videos from the 250 to 250 Project that we’re producing to honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

The Right to Run for Office

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

August 29, 2026

August 29, 2026

On Thursday, August 27, Tolouse Olorunnipa reported on the attempts of Republican lawmakers to restrict the ability of naturalized and dual citizens to run for office.

Letters from an American
Audio • Heather Cox Richardson

The Need to Defend the Vote

Letters from an American
Text • Heather Cox Richardson

August 28, 2026

August 28, 2026

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that took place on August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C., is remembered today primarily because it was the occasion when the final speaker, the Reverend Dr.