President Bill Clinton writes about Theodore Roosevelt and a presidency defined by conservation, worker protections, civil service reform and checks on concentrated power. Roosevelt expanded the role of government and the meaning of “We the People,” while leaving much of that work unfinished.

Michelle Gullion writes about Ida McKinley, the only First Lady to serve while living with epilepsy. Before entering the White House, Ida and William McKinley lost both of their daughters—one in infancy, the other at age three.

Karl Rove writes about William McKinley and the political work of unifying a country that had spent three decades stuck in gridlock. McKinley entered a Gilded Age defined by contested elections, purged congressional seats, and unresolved Civil War divisions.

Folks: Tomorrow night (7/23) at 7 pm ET, I'll be talking with historians Christopher J. Leahy and Sharon Williams Leahy about their new book, "Presidentess: The Life of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler" for @inpursuitusa.bsky.social I learned a lot and you will too! www.youtube.com/live/wtfTfzh...

Presidentess: First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler with Christopher & Sharon Leahy

YouTube video by In Pursuit USA

youtube.com

Nancy Kegan Smith writes about Caroline Harrison and the kind of leadership that happens through stewardship. Caroline arrived at a White House overrun by rats and disrepair, and left it a functioning institution with a documented history.

Evan Thomas writes about Benjamin Harrison and the case for competence over charisma. Harrison is remembered, if at all, as a cold and unmemorable figure, but his administration shaped the country in real ways.

Andrew Mangino writes about Frances Folsom Cleveland and the strange new power that arrived when America learned how to mass-produce a famous face. Married in the White House at 21, Frances found her likeness on soap wrappers, candy tins, and playing cards across the country, none of it authorized.

Troy Senik writes about Grover Cleveland and a career built on the idea that integrity itself was a political force. Cleveland rose from obscurity to the White House in three years, driven by a reputation for refusing favors, cutting waste, and taking public duty literally.

1/ Lonnie G. Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, considers the role of Martin Van Buren in building the modern American political system in this short by @retroreport.org, based on @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, for @pbs.org.

1/ Documentary filmmaker @kenlburns.bsky.social reflects on Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership during historical challenges like the Great Depression and WWII in this short by Retro Report, based on @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, for @pbs.org.

H.W. Brands writes about Chester Arthur and a presidency that began with almost no public confidence. Arthur entered office after Garfield’s assassination, known mostly as a New York machine politician and defender of the spoils system.

C.W. Goodyear (@cwgoodyear) writes about James Garfield, a president remembered for his assassination but shaped by a more interesting political instinct. Garfield was ambitious, principled, and serious about power, but he worked hard not to let politics turn opponents into enemies.

1/ William Henry Harrison served the shortest presidency in U.S. history, yet his warnings about political parties and factionalism resonate today. Author Sharon McMahon examines Harrison’s legacy in this short by @retroreport.org, based on @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, for @pbs.org.

Stephen Skowronek writes about Rutherford B. Hayes and a presidency built from one of the weakest mandates in American history. Hayes entered office after the disputed election of 1876, with his party divided, Reconstruction faltering, and public trust in the presidency badly damaged.

1/ What can the life of George Washington teach us about American leadership? The co-chair of @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, Mark Updegrove, reflects on Washington’s legacy in this short by @retroreport.org, based on @inpursuitusa.bsky.social, for @pbs.org.

Yuval Levin writes about Julia Grant and the work of reconciliation after the Civil War. Raised in Missouri and shaped by a border-state world, Julia brought a distinct perspective to a postwar Washington trying to figure out what peace would actually look like in practice.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal writes about Ulysses S. Grant and the harder test that comes after victory. Grant's leadership is usually told through the Civil War, but this essay turns to the years when the battlefield was gone and the stakes were institutional.

Annette Gordon-Reed (@agordonreed.bsky.social) writes about Andrew Johnson and the moment he inherited. With the Civil War ending and slavery destroyed, the country faced a narrow window to rebuild the Union and define what freedom would mean in practice.

Lois Romano writes about Mary Todd Lincoln and what resilience looked like under constant public scrutiny, personal loss, and political attack.

President Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) writes about Abraham Lincoln and what held the Union together when everything was working to pull it apart.

David Blight writes about Franklin Pierce as a president with deep experience who still misread the country he was trying to lead.

Steve Israel (@repsteveisrael.bsky.social) writes about Millard Fillmore and the political calculation behind the Compromise of 1850. After Zachary Taylor's sudden death, Fillmore inherited the crisis over slavery in the new territories and helped steer the compromise into law.

Amy Greenberg writes about Sarah Polk and the reality of power in a democracy that didn't let women vote, hold office, or own property. The essay traces how Sarah used education, wealth, and political instinct to operate as her husband's closest strategist.

Matthew Costello writes about James K. Polk and a one-term presidency that reshaped the map and destabilized the country in roughly equal measure.

How did Martha Washington create an office before women could hold one? In the newest episode of In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan, @kawulf.bsky.social tells us about the first First Lady and the struggle to throw off monarchy in the new republic. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Martha Washington's First Steps

Podcast Episode · In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan · April 21 · 28m

podcasts.apple.com

Christopher Leahy writes about John Tyler and the moment that set a lasting precedent. When Harrison died after one month in office, Tyler moved quickly to take the oath and assert that he was not an “acting” president, but the president, with the full powers and responsibilities of the office.

For In Pursuit, Sharon McMahon writes about William Henry Harrison and an inaugural address that nearly outlasted the presidency it opened.

Lonnie G. Bunch III writes about Martin Van Buren as the architect behind a system most people take for granted. Often remembered more for nicknames than accomplishments, Van Buren helped normalize the idea of political parties as an engine of national unity, not just a threat to it.

Jon Meacham writes about Andrew Jackson as a figure who resists easy summary. Soldier, duelist, and political operator, Jackson rewrote the presidency around popular democracy while navigating crises through a mix of public theater and private calculation.

Our inaugural Pluralism in Practice workshop brought Badgers together to learn, discuss and engage around viewpoint diversity. So many insights shared, including from former U.S. Archivist & @inpursuitusa.bsky.social CEO Colleen Shogan. Thanks to all who participated! news.wisc.edu/practicing-w...

Practicing what we preach on viewpoint diversity

At the Pluralism in Practice Workshop, participants learned from leading experts and modeled ways to promote civil dialogue on campus.

news.wisc.edu