Presidential History
Story Stream
Limits on Presidential Power from FDR to Trump March 05, 2025
What does history tell us about presidents who have tried to push the limits of the system?...
The Legacy of Presidential Portraits January 03, 2025
Complete collections of presidential portraits are found in the White House and on public display in the National Portrait Gallery....
7 Campaign Gimmicks Used by Presidential Candidates August 15, 2024
From songs to toys to cigarette packs, presidential candidates throughout U.S. history have found creative ways to reach the public....
History Disfavors Harris August 02, 2024
If history is any judge, the slope between Harris and the presidency is steep – and would be even if Harris were not Harris....
The Parallels Between Biden and LBJ July 25, 2024
Is American history repeating itself? The parallels between President Joe Biden and Lyndon B. Johnson....
The Lesson of Lady Bird's Role in LBJ's Decision Not to Run July 18, 2024
President Johnson shocked the nation when he announced he would not run for a second full term—but the First Lady had seen the decision coming for years....
US Vice Presidents Who Went on to Become President July 12, 2024
While the vice presidency may seem like a prime launching pad, only 15 U.S. VPs have advanced to the highest office....
What Is a Brokered Convention? July 10, 2024
The history of U.S. presidential elections is filled with political conventions that were anything but predictable....
American Authoritarianism Has a Long History July 03, 2024
Trump and the movement behind him is both new and old. Times are unprecedented but also, to historians of America, frighteningly familiar. Nick Bryant’s book excavates that history....
Auctioneer Finds Stolen Piece of US Presidential History July 02, 2024
A pocket watch that belonged to Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was returned to his New York home this week after it was stolen decades ago and later showed up at an auction, according to the FBI and the National Park Service....
Camp David: Backdrop to History, Vacation Spot June 26, 2024
Did you know that Camp David’s most celebrated moment came in 1978?...
Presidential Debates in History That Moved the Needle June 25, 2024
From Kennedy v. Nixon to Bush v. Gore, here are some of the most important presidential debates in history....
First Debate Has a History Tripping Up Incumbents June 25, 2024
Joe Biden was on cleanup duty. The day was October 4, 2012, the morning after Barack Obama had turned in a debate performance so bad even Obama himself would come to judge it a “stinker.”...
The Evolution of Presidential Election Polls June 14, 2024
The notion of predicting the outcome of a presidential election by using a public survey is centuries old, but the procedures employed have advanced over time.Today, “elections and polling are so intertwined that it is hard to imagine one without the...
How a Sex Scandal Helped Grover Cleveland May 29, 2024
It was, most people agreed, a fatal scandal for a presidential campaign. The only mystery seemed to be how the candidate had kept this skeleton crammed in his closet for so long. Oblique talk of “woman trouble” had swirled in his wake for a while.But...
