The Brion McClanahan Author & Historian Blog

Every now and then, an establishment historian gets something right without knowing it. It’s almost shocking. Take for example a new book by David Thomson, Bonds of War. Thomson has not sympathy for the South or for “Lost Cause mythology.” He is as establishment as it gets. Yet, Bonds of War surprisingly shows that the main objective of the War in 1861 was anything but …more

One common narrative from establishment hacks, I mean historians, involves the term “State’s rights.” You see, to these dopes, the South invented State’s rights as a convenient way to enforce “white supremacy.” They insist no one was talking about it before slavery became an issue in American political life. That would mean that the term was never uttered by anyone except proslavery and segregationist Southerners …more

The historical profession has a tendency to hide behind a supposed veil of objectivity. Kind of like Yankees have a treasury of virtue. Establishment hacks believe that a publication with a university press–“peer reviewed”–gives them a badge of trust. You see, these people believe this validates their work. Except it just means that they sent it to a few people in the field and asked …more

Saying “Conservatives don’t conserve anything” has become a cliche in modern American political discourse. The evidence is overwhelming. Much of this is the result of American conservatives believing the Republican Party has a spine or that as an organization is has any interest in fundamental American conservative principles. Judging by their actions, they might as well claim to be the 19th century progressives they champion. …more

Most American wars have been started based on a lie. James K. Polk lied that “American blood had been shed on American soil,” and the United States Congress declared war on Mexico. Abraham Lincoln lied that secession was illegal and that the Southern States were in “rebellion.” He called up 75,000 volunteers to “save the Union” and launched the bloodiest war in American history. Republicans …more

World War I is the gift that keeps on giving. Or is it World War II? Or perhaps the Cold War? Several “lawmakers” have urged President Biden to invoke “Cold War powers” to nationalize the economy and stop soaring energy prices. I’ve read the Constitution hundreds of times, and I have yet to find the “Cold War powers” clause in the document. Of course, these …more

If Hollywood is a problem for an accurate portrayal of the South, don’t count on “conservative” academics to save the day. Take Allen Guelzo for example. He was hired a Princeton a few years ago to “balance” the history department. In other words, Guelzo is the token “conservative” on staff. Except he agrees with his leftist colleagues on one fundamental point: the United States is …more

Hollywood never gets the South right. This is mostly because they have a conception of the South built by sensationalized television coverage and an establishment education system that has been openly hostile to the region for half a century, particularly in the universities. Or maybe it was just because of George Wallace. Take Forrest Gump, for example. If you watched that movie, you would think …more

You’ve probably seen this stupid argument before: The Confederacy was a proto-fascist society Moreover, John C. Calhoun was the precursor to Hitler. It’s not just leftist dopes who come up with this nonsense. Neoconservatives like to spout this stupidity and even some non-Straussian conservatives have been fooled into becoming American Nazis because they believe it, too. This is the problem with American education. It produces …more