Annette Gordon-Reed
@agordonreed.bsky.social
Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard, Author of, among other books, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings:An American Controversy,The Hemingses of Monticello,, Vernon Can Read: A Memoir with Vernon Jordan, On Juneteenth
Glad The Times put the obit on the front page, along with Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown).
November 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Glad The Times put the obit on the front page, along with Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown).
Jimmy Cliff, Singer Who Helped Bring Reggae to Global Audience, Dies at 81 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/a...
Jimmy Cliff, Singer Who Helped Bring Reggae to Global Audience, Dies at 81
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Jimmy Cliff, Singer Who Helped Bring Reggae to Global Audience, Dies at 81 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/a...
One of the greats!
🫶🏾
Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae singer, actor and cultural icon, dies aged 81
November 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
One of the greats!
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, Black Power Activist Known as H. Rap Brown, Dies at 82 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, Black Power Activist Known as H. Rap Brown, Dies at 82
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, Black Power Activist Known as H. Rap Brown, Dies at 82 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
The Canadians who bring Christmas trees down to Manhattan every year and set up shop across the street from my apartment building arrived last week. Christmas before Thanksgiving!
November 23, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The Canadians who bring Christmas trees down to Manhattan every year and set up shop across the street from my apartment building arrived last week. Christmas before Thanksgiving!
I’ve seen so many posts claiming that the Burns documentary said the founding generation got the idea of union from the Iroquois confederacy. I didn’t see that at all. But just mentioning the IC in the same breadth as Union made some people go ballistic.
November 23, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I’ve seen so many posts claiming that the Burns documentary said the founding generation got the idea of union from the Iroquois confederacy. I didn’t see that at all. But just mentioning the IC in the same breadth as Union made some people go ballistic.
Restaurant recommendation: CALÓ KITCHEN + TEQUILA in El Segundo, about 10 minutes from LAX.
November 23, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Restaurant recommendation: CALÓ KITCHEN + TEQUILA in El Segundo, about 10 minutes from LAX.
I didn’t have a bad experience. I was saying that it is great that there is free Wi-Fi for Delta awards members. I’m in the air now.
November 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I didn’t have a bad experience. I was saying that it is great that there is free Wi-Fi for Delta awards members. I’m in the air now.
@deltaairline.bsky.social Free wi-fi for Awards members!! @americanair.bsky.social take note.
November 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
@deltaairline.bsky.social Free wi-fi for Awards members!! @americanair.bsky.social take note.
Reposted by Annette Gordon-Reed
For those of you looking to follow up Ken Burn's documentary about the American Revolution with a good read, check out Richard Bell's new book. It's fantastic. 🗃️ www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/752265...
The American Revolution and the Fate of the World by Richard Bell: 9780593719510 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
“American history as if from a barstool, not a lecture podium. Giddy, rollicking, and bold.” —Ilyon Woo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Master Slave Husband Wife "Accessible and impassioned...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:45 PM
For those of you looking to follow up Ken Burn's documentary about the American Revolution with a good read, check out Richard Bell's new book. It's fantastic. 🗃️ www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/752265...
Are “mainstream” news outlets reporting this?
November 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Are “mainstream” news outlets reporting this?
Reposted by Annette Gordon-Reed
My “Death by Lightning” ep. 3 commentary will have to wait until I gather my resources on Wednesday. It’s time to look at how the spoils system worked and who was agin’ it.
In the meantime, once again:
• Fun!
• Enough with all the F-bombs.
• Roscoe Conkling, described as “princely,” was 6’ 3”.
In the meantime, once again:
• Fun!
• Enough with all the F-bombs.
• Roscoe Conkling, described as “princely,” was 6’ 3”.
November 19, 2025 at 6:56 AM
My “Death by Lightning” ep. 3 commentary will have to wait until I gather my resources on Wednesday. It’s time to look at how the spoils system worked and who was agin’ it.
In the meantime, once again:
• Fun!
• Enough with all the F-bombs.
• Roscoe Conkling, described as “princely,” was 6’ 3”.
In the meantime, once again:
• Fun!
• Enough with all the F-bombs.
• Roscoe Conkling, described as “princely,” was 6’ 3”.
Reposted by Annette Gordon-Reed
Here's the last little bit of that article. My point in including the whole thing is to show how there was a serious intellectual defense of patronage. It supported Black politicians in the South when racist terror stopped Black voting. Civil-service reform was good, but still complicated.
14/14
14/14
November 19, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Here's the last little bit of that article. My point in including the whole thing is to show how there was a serious intellectual defense of patronage. It supported Black politicians in the South when racist terror stopped Black voting. Civil-service reform was good, but still complicated.
14/14
14/14
Reposted by Annette Gordon-Reed
As I comment on each episode, I’m reminded of how political historians have often focused on & valorized presidents who concentrated power in their own hands. But in the 19th century we located power in parties & Congress. Both machine politicians AND reformers constrained executive patronage power.
"Death by Lightning," Episode 3 reaction thread:
• Praise for the series
• Major players: What's right/wrong/missing
• What was machine politics? How did the spoils system work? Why do they keep talking about the New York Custom House?
Let's get wonky!
1/14
• Praise for the series
• Major players: What's right/wrong/missing
• What was machine politics? How did the spoils system work? Why do they keep talking about the New York Custom House?
Let's get wonky!
1/14
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
As I comment on each episode, I’m reminded of how political historians have often focused on & valorized presidents who concentrated power in their own hands. But in the 19th century we located power in parties & Congress. Both machine politicians AND reformers constrained executive patronage power.
Hayato Sumino was superb last night at Carnegie Hall. He played several encores, including Swanee, which I was NOT expecting, and an ingenious variation on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. A classical pianist with a gift for improvisation, he’s also a trained engineer. Be on the lookout for him.
November 19, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Hayato Sumino was superb last night at Carnegie Hall. He played several encores, including Swanee, which I was NOT expecting, and an ingenious variation on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. A classical pianist with a gift for improvisation, he’s also a trained engineer. Be on the lookout for him.
I mean consultants —management experts, who come in and tell businesses how to improve.
November 19, 2025 at 2:02 AM
I mean consultants —management experts, who come in and tell businesses how to improve.
It may be that books are the better medium for it. That is it may be the better medium for historians, who have expectations and knowledge that members of the general public do not have.
November 18, 2025 at 11:45 PM
It may be that books are the better medium for it. That is it may be the better medium for historians, who have expectations and knowledge that members of the general public do not have.
How would that be done? And is there one consensus/traditional narrative? I think there are multiple ways to describe the c/narrative, with people citing different elements. That’s why some look at this & see a desecrated c/t narrative & others see an essentially undisturbed c/t narrative.
November 18, 2025 at 2:34 PM
How would that be done? And is there one consensus/traditional narrative? I think there are multiple ways to describe the c/narrative, with people citing different elements. That’s why some look at this & see a desecrated c/t narrative & others see an essentially undisturbed c/t narrative.
Will check it out.
November 18, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Will check it out.
Excellent! Thanks for posting. I had not heard this.
November 18, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Excellent! Thanks for posting. I had not heard this.
Some people are going off on the documentary because it includes these voices. For them it can’t be a traditional narrative if those perspectives are present.
November 18, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Some people are going off on the documentary because it includes these voices. For them it can’t be a traditional narrative if those perspectives are present.
I suspect that was the message consultants imparted. Back in the 1990s, I spent much time in this same hospital when my mother was there. The nurses and other staff were fearsome & dismissive.The doctors ranged in their presentations. It made a difficult circumstance even worse.
November 18, 2025 at 12:34 PM
I suspect that was the message consultants imparted. Back in the 1990s, I spent much time in this same hospital when my mother was there. The nurses and other staff were fearsome & dismissive.The doctors ranged in their presentations. It made a difficult circumstance even worse.
All is OK. Thanks.
November 18, 2025 at 3:48 AM
All is OK. Thanks.