William Hogeland

If we need real founding-era parallels to demonizing an opposition party as insurrectionist (we don't): "You could as soon scrub the blackamoor white, as to change the principles of a professed Democrat...he will leave nothing unattempted to overturn the Government of this Country." -- G. Washington

Lame and Useless US History Parallels I *wish* Trump were a king--and ICE were British troops in Boston.

Two posts, on failures in this crisis of appeals to our nation's founding that are interesting in part because "the writers are by no means stupid; they’re just bedazzled by sentiment."
On Ted Widmer: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/lame-and-u... ...

"Hi, William!" How We Trained Ourselves To Become the Largest of the Large Language Models (A Bad History)

Free preview:
williamhogeland.substack.com/p/hi-william

The Worst State of the Union Address? It's a high bar.

Get rid of the State pf the Union Address. williamhogeland.substack.com/p/the-worst-...

The Worst State of the Union Address? It's a high bar.

The State of the Union Address is a very bad institution. williamhogeland.substack.com/p/the-worst-...

The Worst State of the Union Address? It's a high bar.

Get rid of the State pf the Union Address. williamhogeland.substack.com/p/the-worst-...

"Hi, William!" How We Trained Ourselves To Become the Largest of the Large Language Models (A Bad History)

Free preview:
williamhogeland.substack.com/p/hi-william

It doesn't seem to occur to anybody, liberal or conservative, that the founders--and many of the rest of the important historical leaders--were as full of shit as any of the rest of us.

Hamilton's most effective piece of writing was the sleazebag letter from beyond the grave where he pretended he was going to waste his shot in the duel with Burr.

In Response to the ICE Killings, Another Bad Use of Our Founding History This is a kind of Part Two, following up my most recent post, “Lame and Useless US History Parallels.” That one was about Ted Widmer's faulty analogy between the Trump administration’s egregious abuse...

... and on Tyler Austin Harper (no paywall): williamhogeland.substack.com/p/in-respons...

Lame and Useless US History Parallels I *wish* Trump were a king--and ICE were British troops in Boston.

Two posts, on failures in this crisis of appeals to our nation's founding that are interesting in part because "the writers are by no means stupid; they’re just bedazzled by sentiment."
On Ted Widmer: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/lame-and-u... ...

In Response to the ICE Killings, Another Bad Use of Our Founding History This is a kind of Part Two, following up my most recent post, “Lame and Useless US History Parallels.” That one was about Ted Widmer's faulty analogy between the Trump administration’s egregious abuse...

Here I criticize Tyler Austin Harper's Second Amendment analysis of ICE's killing of Alex Pretti. open.substack.com/pub/williamh...

In Response to the ICE Killings, Another Bad Use of Our Founding History This is a kind of Part Two, following up my most recent post, “Lame and Useless US History Parallels.” That one was about Ted Widmer's faulty analogy between the Trump administration’s egregious abuse...

williamhogeland.substack.com/p/in-respons...

If we need real founding-era parallels to demonizing an opposition party as insurrectionist (we don't): "You could as soon scrub the blackamoor white, as to change the principles of a professed Democrat...he will leave nothing unattempted to overturn the Government of this Country." -- G. Washington

Updated the post to note that if we do need founding-era parallels to what's going on in MN--I think we don't--the real one would be the Federalist period, not 1770's Boston.

Lame and Useless US History Parallels I *wish* Trump were a king--and ICE were British troops in Boston.

Here I criticize Ted Widmer's recent attempt to link ICE, a lawless federal paramilitary, with the 1770s British Army in Boston and the MN protesters w. the likes of Samuel Adams (free preview): open.substack.com/pub/williamh...

Lame and Useless US History Parallels I *wish* Trump were a king--and ICE were British troops in Boston.

Free preview on BAD HISTORY: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/lame-and-u...

On American Authenticity: Ella Fitzgerald and Connee Boswell What does this have to do with awful current events and US history? Nothing, almost.

Free preview on BAD HISTORY: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/on-america...

Did the Iroquois Really Influence the Birth of the USA? (Part Three of Three) Now that the minor brouhaha over the Ken Burns “American Revolution” references to Iroquois influences on U.S.

A public post: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/did-the-ir...

The Taking of Fort Ticonderoga: A Comedy reading the American past into the American crisis--and vice versa

This one has a paywall. 5/mo. or 60/yr. gets you two BAD HISTORY posts per month and access to the archive, which has gotten big. "The Taking of Fort Ticonderoga: A Comedy"
williamhogeland.substack.com/p/the-taking...

John Adams, Shitposter I’ve written about John Adams a fair amount on this blog, and in my life, but the other day I realized that I’ve never focused on my favorite thing about him: the verve, inventiveness, and sheer facil...

Free preview on BAD HISTORY: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/john-adams...

John Adams, Shitposter I’ve written about John Adams a fair amount on this blog, and in my life, but the other day I realized that I’ve never focused on my favorite thing about him: the verve, inventiveness, and sheer facil...

Free preview on BAD HISTORY: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/john-adams...

Want to read a great artist, read Charlotte Bronte. Want to read a great artist ripping apart a lesser artist, read Charlotte Bronte on Jane Austen.

New prize for 2025: Best Article about Alice Monroe.

"This is a work of nonfiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When America Became Independent, May 1-July 4, 1776 (Simon & Schuster America Collection) Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When America Became Independent, May 1-July 4, 1776 (Simon & Schuster America Collection) [Hogeland, William] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When America Became Independent, May 1-July 4, 1776 (Simon & Schuster America Collection)

What made thirteen clocks strike at once? As John Adams knew, they didn't--and the process that made them seem to, which he had a big hand in, was secretive, bullying, illegal, and had nothing to do with persuasion. For the 250th,read about it: www.amazon.com/Declaration-...

Notes on the Fictional Nature of Nonfiction with reference to the Beatles, “Get Back,” and writing prose nonfiction about the past

Also this, which is related (and ultimately related to nonfiction in any form): williamhogeland.substack.com/p/notes-on-t...

Down the Memory Hole When Documentaries Un-document

In the context of an article in the Times by Alissa Wilkinson, on whether AI will make documentary films untrustworthy, I think the answer is No, since they're not trustworthy anyway--unlocking this, on that: williamhogeland.substack.com/p/down-the-m...

Did the Iroquois Really Influence the Birth of the USA? (Part Two) Maybe don't blame Benjamin Franklin's kooky, unworkable plan of union on Native America.

williamhogeland.substack.com/p/did-the-ir...

Did the Iroquois Really Influence the Birth of the USA? (Part Two) Maybe don't blame Benjamin Franklin's kooky, unworkable plan of union on Native America.

Part Two, a free post on BAD HISTORY:
williamhogeland.substack.com/p/did-the-ir...