Ep. 82: Tad Stoermer on the Resistance History of the United States

<p><em>“I think the Constitution is fatally flawed. And I think that the kind of reconstruction that’s required needs to get back to the kind of things that the radical Republicans couldn’t finish.”</em></p><p>Historian Tad Stoermer returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/808100/a-resistance-history-of-the-united-states-by-tad-stoermer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><em>A Resistance History of the United States</em></a>. We talk about the audience Tad had in mind for his book, the conversations he’s had about his work, and what a resistance history might offer a hypothetical member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). We also discuss questions of political culture versus political structure, the Confederacy and Reconstruction as a “hot topic,” the need for a democratic constitution, the late historian Gordon S. Wood, and why Tad thinks that “containment is complete.” Tad mentions David Waldstreicher’s <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/211543/gordon-s-wood-shaped-idea-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reflection</a> on Wood’s life and work. <a href="https://democraticconstitutionblog.substack.com/p/david-waldstreicher-on-slaverys-constitution-0c7?utm_source=publication-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">We spoke with David</a> about slavery and the Constitution. Tad was <a href="https://democraticconstitutionblog.substack.com/p/tad-stoermer-on-public-history-political?utm_source=publication-search" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">last on the show</a> to discuss public history and political myths, among other topics. The image used for this episode is a map of the Underground Railroad. </p>