James M. Bradley

Wear that medal every day!

Hudson Valley/Capital Region people: I'll be speaking tomorrow at the Chatham (N.Y.) Public Library, 1:30 pm, about the great political backstory behind the Erie Canal, whose bicentennial we'll be celebrating next month. Hope to see you there ...

7/ He was a fascinating man who led a fascinating life full of sweep and drama and, of course, many startling turns. I'm calling the book THE GREAT APOSTATE. If all goes as planned, it will be published in the fall of 2027.

6/ He advocated nullification after the 1828 tariff law. He wrote prolifically on trade and tariffs, economic theory, politics, and history. He pushed for a militant South. In many ways he was the intellectual godfather of secession.

5/ In 1820 he joined the faculty at South Carolina College. There he entered the most fateful period of his life. The former abolitionist was now an enslaver himself and unabashed defender of the institution.

4/ Jefferson, who thought he was "the greatest man in America," wanted him president of his new institution, the University of Virginia. Once again the state's religious leaders objected, dooming his dream job

3/ He settled in Pennsylvania and became a land commissioner and judge before his battles with organized religion led to his removal. He then entered academia, teaching chemistry at Dickinson College

2/ who, fearing arrest in UK, fled to the US in 1794. But this bitter critic of John Adams was arrested and tried for sedition here and imprisoned in 1800, making him a martyr and hero to Jeffersonians, including Jefferson himself

1/ an English-born radical, supporter of the French Revolution, and fervent opponent of slavery; a brilliant Oxford-educated polymath ...

I'm thrilled to announce that my next book, a biography of Thomas Cooper (1759-1839), has been accepted by LSU Press as part of its distinguished Southern Biography Series. Cooper was ...

An absolute classic! Thanks for keeping this great band alive on your page

Good to know, Dave, but I’m a different James Bradley.

It's flattering to see that the Sex and the City people think that middle-aged historians look like this shirtless:

#182: James Bradley - Podcast Episode · Axelbank Reports History and Today · 07/29/2025 · 49m

I really enjoyed being a guest on Evan Axelbank's excellent history podcast, though I revealed a few embarrassing childhood stories about presidential figurines and American Heritage books: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1... @evanaxelbank.bsky.social

And I was thrilled to be a guest!

I forgot to give my location: Chatham, NY!

Some placards from today’s protests #nokings

When the Left Was Laissez-Faire A primer on politics and organized labor in the 1830s

The only piece you'll ever read about unions, Martin Van Buren, Jerry Brown, Christopher Hitchens and Milton Friedman: jamesbradley.substack.com/p/when-the-l...

Sorry, different James Bradley!

The Wikipedia entry on the presidential election of 1796 refers to John Adams as "Lucifer" and his wife as "Lilith," the "first human woman in existence, and the Queen of Hell." Need a laugh? Read this ...

My World—and Welcome to It What Walter Mitty has taught me about work habits

On most days my role model is not another historian or writer but a fictional character. My new Substack post. jamesbradley.substack.com/p/my-worldan...

I only coveted one of those honors. Not saying which.

My Little Book Tour On being a "best-selling author" and a celebrity for a day (or two)

In my latest Substack I write about being a "best-selling author" and hitting the road to talk Van Buren: substack.com/inbox/post/1...

I’m very eager to read this. Congratulations.

Cynthia Van Buren Lecture Series YouTube video by CumberlandU

Self-promotion feels a bit unseemly these days, but we must get on with our lives, of course.

I'll be speaking at Cumberland tonight, on MVB's 1848 run for president on the Free Soil ticket. You can watch on YouTube, 7pm CST, 8pm, EST. www.youtube.com/live/7WGyzFp...

What neighborhood?

A new MVB biography was released a few weeks ago. The subtitle's illiterate and the text (from the sample I saw) isn't much better. The cover image looks nothing like him.

If this is what I suspect it is, I thought Amazon was cracking down on AI books?

and Charlie Haden!

Matt Chorley - Nick chat, Paddy facts, wash your pan at home? - BBC Sounds Nick Robinson joins Matt, plus Paddy O'Connell goes to PMQs.

Had a fun time chatting with Matt Chorley of the BBC this morning. He's the first interviewer to ask for my take on Trump and today's party system. Q&A is about 8 minutes. I come on at the 50:30 mark. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Radio 5 Live - Listen Live - BBC Sounds Listen live to BBC Radio 5 Live on BBC Sounds

Calling all Van Buren fans in the UK ... My book is now out in your country. MVB was a committed Anglophile, and I wrote a great deal about his time in London.

Also, I'll be interviewed on Matt Chorley's BBC show tomorrow morning, 9:30 EST. Here's the link: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...