Gene Procknow

Helping Readers Assess Revolutionary Controversies Ellis, Joseph J. The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2025. First Glance On the publication date of Revolutionary Era historian Joseph Ellis…

A first glance at a controversial history debate. Why looking at the author’s footnotes first helps with assessing their arguments. researchingtheamericanrevolution.com/2025/10/29/h...

Thought provoking presentation at the Society of the Cincinnati last evening.

Unmasked: 13 Russian officers who led ‘war crime’ troops in Bucha It was the bloodiest civilian massacre of the Ukraine war. Pictured for the first time, these officers commanded soldiers accused of rape, torture and execution

Horrific beyond words | www.thetimes.com/world/russia...

U.K. fires its ambassador to Washington over emails to Jeffrey Epstein In one email, Peter Mandelson wrote to Jeffrey Epstein, "I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened." In another note, he called Epstein his "best pal."

The UK fires its ambassador over the Epstein birthday book, while the US continues to support a similar participant as president. Power is more important to Americans than accountability.

www.npr.org/2025/09/11/n...

A Revolutionary End to a Partnership of Liberal Goals, Conservative Means Book Review

British politicians Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox were not perfect. Still, in the face of powerful adversaries, they demonstrated courage in their convictions—an admirable trait that offers timeless lessons. open.substack.com/pub/geneproc...

Learn the difference between lessons of history and misusing history.

Keep Troops Off the Beat: A Conservative’s Warning As President Donald J. Trump sends National Guard troops to help reduce crime in the nation’s cities, lessons from Edmund Burke, a prominent conservative politician in Britain during the 18th-ce

In a speech to Parliament, Burke issued a timeless political rights warning, stating, “If you take away the Civil Execution of justice, you maim and mangle the whole constitutional Polity of England.” Read more about Burke's lessons of history: www.realclearhistory.com/articles/202...

Great advice. It’s hard to think of anything more helpful as the new year begins than reading history, spying out the moments of dignity and grace, seizing them and trying to pull them into the future. | We Need to Know History, Especially Now by @Peggynoonannyc

Will historians really be replaced by AI? They remain skeptical. A recent Microsoft study sent shockwaves with its rankings of threatened jobs. But some historians dismiss the idea, offering lessons for others.

Historians should use AI as an assistant, but with extreme care. My recent experience with ChatGPT confused Samuel with John Adams. As Todd Frankel states in this article, AI can help with recalling dates but not interpret context, connections, or motivations. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Fighting for Philadelphia - Journal of the American Revolution BOOK REVIEW: Fighting for Philadelphia: Forts Mercer and Mifflin, the Battle of Whitemarsh, and the Road to Valley Forge, October 5-December 19, 1777 by Michael C. Harris (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas B...

Well rounded leadership assessments, novel interpretations and myth busting make excellent histories. Here’s an example. allthingsliberty.com/2025/08/figh...

Opinion | When America found its first great leader George Washington’s first major test of the Revolutionary War came in August 1775.

Did you know that Washington chose a Blue and buff uniform, as it was the colors of the British Whig opposition to King George III? That, and more, in an insightful article on George Washington.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/int...

“All men are created equal” except in DC where we are a
Second class citizens. Does the Declaration of Independence apply to all or do you prostitute your principles for politics. We demand equal rights!

Another politician misreading their constituents!

Cards, Oaths, and Consequences: Unraveling Allegiances in the American Revolution Book Review Davis, Michael A. Treason: The Trial of Abraham Hunt. Denver, CO: Independently Published, 2025. Typically, history books describe people of the Revolutionary Era as either Patriots or …

Interested in loyalty and the Revolutionary War? A Trenton merchant's treason trial is riveting courtroom drama. Check out my book review! researchingtheamericanrevolution.com/2025/08/02/c...

An essential component of a healthy democracy

Country Over Party: Rethinking John Adams’s Presidency Book Review Chervinsky, Lindsay M. Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2024. Over the past thirty years, a bevy of…

researchingtheamericanrevolution.com/2025/07/29/c...

I guess that is why it is so hard!

‘John Hancock’ Review: A Signature Founding Father A wealthy merchant with a penchant for luxury, the Founder with a famous signature contributed more to the revolution than his critics allowed.

I'm still unsure what Williard Sterne Randall's new book adds to our understanding of John Hancock. In any event, readers will learn that there is more to Hancock than his famous signature!
www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

Okay, #history buffs, what is wrong with this Lake Champlain, #VT marker?

Does the separation of church and state require religious institutions to be non-political? #history

Found: A Lost George Washington Battlefield

Courage comes in many forms! Found: A Lost George Washington Battlefield www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/a...

The History Stacks: Eugene Procknow, the American Revolution, and the Founding of Our Nation - BookSpeak Network A foremost authority on the American Revolution, Eugene Procknow is the author of a series of scholarly articles for the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Revolution. Speaking with Sunbury Pr...

The History Stacks: Eugene Procknow, the American Revolution, and the Founding of Our Nation
www.buzzsprout.com/2424694/epis...

Veteran Kurt Russell discovers his surprising Revolutionary War ties On July Fourth, actor Kurt Russell visited a small museum in Massachusetts dedicated to his ancestor, who was killed by British soldiers 250 years ago.

Kurt Russell's amazing story of his 8th grandfather, who gave his life to defend his house and family during the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

www.militarytimes.com/veterans/mil...

Startling New Insights into Ending the Great Depression Book Review

I recommend approaching George Selgin's False Dawn with an open, inquisitive mind.
open.substack.com/pub/geneproc...

From John Maynard Keynes to FDR in 1938 , “It is a mistake to think they (business leaders) are more immoral than politicians.”

An excellent book! Highly recommend

Traitor or hero? Statue of George Washington stirs mixed reaction in London. A statue of the first U.S. president stands prominently in London’s Trafalgar Square, but some Britons find it strange to honor a rebellious general alongside English kings.

A hero in two countries or a reminder that two countries need selfless leaders?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Tarring and feathering was a brutal form of coercion in the Revolutionary Era. It was not our finest hour then, and certainly not now.

"[Gavin Newsom] he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that." Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House.

"The true Patriot is civis boni publici studiosus, one that is more zealously concerned with the public weal and prosperity than for any private good of his own." Quote by Philopatrie on page one of the November 2, 1775 New York Journal newspaper.

Unfortunately, the inability to spell check is indicative of the quality of AT&T's customer service. It's extraordinarily hard to end service on one line. Check out the uninformative cancelation [sic] notice.