Heather Cox Richardson with "Democracy Awakening"

From historian and author of the popular daily newsletter LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN, a vital narrative that explains how America, once a beacon of democracy, now teeters on the brink of autocracy -- and how we can turn back. In the midst of the impeachment crisis of 2019, Heather Cox Richardson launched a daily Facebook essay providing the historical background of the daily torrent of news. The essays soon turned into a newsletter and, spread by word of mouth, its readership ballooned to more than 2 million dedicated readers who rely on its plainspoken and informed take on the present and past in America. In Democracy Awakening, Richardson crafts a compelling and original narrative, explaining how, over the decades, a small group of wealthy people have made war on American ideals. By weaponizing language and promoting false history they have led us into authoritarianism -- creating a disaffected population and then promising to recreate an imagined past where those people could feel important again. She argues that taking our country back starts by remembering the elements of the nation’s true history that marginalized Americans have always upheld. Their dedication to the principles on which this nation was founded has enabled us to renew and expand our commitment to democracy in the past. Richardson sees this history as a roadmap for the nation’s future. Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She writes widely about Reconstruction, the Civil War, and the history of the Republican Party. The author of 'Democracy Awakening', her previous award-winning books include 'How the South Won the Civil War'. Adam Reilly is a politics reporter and the host of GBH’s Talking Politics. 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:00:24 - Welcome Remarks 0:02:57 - Discussion Start 0:38:41 - Audience Q&A 0:58:53 - Closing Remarks Discover more from our Partner Here: https://www.belmontbooks.com/ GBH Forum Network ~ Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas Like us:  / gbhforumnetwork   Tweet with us:   / gbhforumnetwork   See our complete archive here: http://forum-network.org