I’m an Albany, New York, writer who likes to explore history, culture, and politics. I’ve written profiles, news and travel stories, essays, humor, and magazine pieces for publications such as the New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and Mother Jones, as well as for the companion websites to the PBS TV shows Antiques Roadshow and American Experience. History has always been a passion, …
(ilovelibraries.org, an initiative of the American Library Association) I love libraries because they expect little but give much. They don’t come with a curriculum and textbooks, but open stacks. There are no teachers to tell us what to read, just librarians who lie low unless asked for an opinion… Continue reading
(History News Network) Those looking for guidance on how to chisel the federal debt today might re-examine how Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican party tackled the issue. Jefferson, who fought personal debt all his days, made the erasure of the federal debt his number one priority after his first election in 1800. He believed debt … Continue reading
(Albany Times-Union) Dear Republican friends: I know Mitt Romney is your party nominee, but from what I’ve seen, it’s not clear he would govern as a true Republican if he’s elected. As someone who has spent a good deal of time studying modern Republican presidents, I think you may have a viable alternative with a record … Continue reading
(History News Network) Obama is often compared to JFK or FDR or even Abraham Lincoln, but the president he may most resemble in tone and substance the Republican moderate Dwight D. Eisenhower. Continue reading
(History Channel) Just in time for Presidents’ Day, guest contributor Dennis Gaffney, co-author of “The Seven-Day Scholar: The Presidents,” offers a list of five presidents who triumphed over major personal hurdles on their way to winning the highest office in the country. 1. George Washington’s Aggressive Nature “Had he been born in the forests,” said Gilbert … Continue reading
(Antiques Roadshow) At the Pittsburgh ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in August 2011, a woman named Dulcie came in with a pair of Deringer pistols her father had purchased 30-odd years ago, and which she suspected were from the Civil War… Continue reading
(History Channel Magazine) The raid Harriet Tubman led to free slaves during the Civil War, the night Lincoln was shot at—and almost killed—nearly two years before he was assassinated, and eight other intriguing Civil War stories that were never taught in your high school history class. Continue reading
Dennis Gaffney 