Filming. Also, if youre wondering what all the equipment is in the back of the room, its cspan, so make show your nicest smile, brush your hair, get ready, just in case you get a cameo. And when we get to the q a part, there is a microphone in the back of the room, and well let you know when its time for that, and well ask you to line up this to ask your questions. In a politically restive time, its always worthwhile revisiting the documents that set us apart from british rule and created the framework for our government. Tonight, our guest speaker, kermit roosevelt, explores these documents and shares his interpretation of their meaning and relevance. Professor roosevelt teaches constitutional law at the university of pennsylvania law school. He was born and raised in d. C. And attended Harvard University and yale law. Before joining the penn faculty, he served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice David souter. His book, the myth of judicial activism, making sense of Supreme Court
Hello welcome to the Atlanta History Center for the author talk series and your post tonight i and talking with Claudio Saunt his book on were the republic. You can purchase the book directly from the link in the chat on your screen. Please let your questions on the q a feature at the bottom of your screen and i will try to get to as many as time allows. Professor of American History code director for ritual history associate director at university of georgia and three previous books a native American History. Rest of the revolution, black white and indian and a new order of things. Thank you to the atlanta history sent on center for sponsoring this event. So many histories at the explosive of the negative ability. You cover a lot the political and economic motivation. And two thirds of what became mississippi and its not just how much land it was the most valuable Agricultural Land in the world at the time. And removal is part of the southern story but the indian people in the north a
I think the perceptionce that many people in the United States and also around the worldhi that this is an extraordinary unusual time in a sense where we are out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that wonderment. And he gets kind of an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any other time in history . As a historian. Im interested in that. We have a cognitive tendency. In the same way im the kind of person that seems like this and family members. Our need for familiarity. For most of my career as a historian. What time is this like. It is an easy story to write. I think theres a whole crop of president ial biographers who go out on talk shows. I generally find them to be not i in this era. Its actually a way to kind of contain the chaos. It is a way to avoid what is truly strange about this. What do we mean when we talk about American History. How are we to reckon with the fact that our present day is so p
So little perspective on this moment, its quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and of course also around the world have that this is an extraordinary unusual time something we are the time out of time, will be curiosity in the future people will look back and wonder about that very wonderment i think its an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any period in history . Jill lepore as a historian im interested in analogies we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to find d one thing to be like another all the time. Just in the same way and the kind of person that sees likenesses and family members, and look at a new baby and say, that looks just like great grandma someone so. Have the same time, even as they say i recognize a lot of that is minded perception, my need for familiarity. I think there has been for most of my career as a historian the question to ask historians is what time is this like.
And i said if you cant distinguish at harvard between honest dissent and overt acts of treason, come on down to alabama because well teach you some law down there because yall dont know. Both National Parties in the last number of years cowtowed to every group of anarchists that roamed the streets of San Francisco and los angeles and throughout the country. And now theyve created themselves a frankenstein monster and the chickens are cominhome to roost all over this country. I love you, too, i sure do. Oh, i thought you were a she, youre a he, oh my goodness. When he was in california, a group of anarchists laid himself in front of them and threatened his personal safety, the United States president. If you elect me, the president might go to california, all come home to our kids on some of them lie down in front of my automobile, it will be the lasting of or want to do to lie down in front of. And now were joined here in the Governors Mansion, in front of the Governors Mansion in mont