History

This week marks the 150th anniversary of two pivotal Union victories during the American Civil War: Gettysburg and Vicksburg. The Battle of Gettysburg is widely known. Sparked by Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of northern territory, where he hoped to put the Union on the defensive, the three-day clash…

There’s a lot wrong in the world, and, here in the United States, where government is expanding its rights-violating activities, lovers of liberty can easily become pessimistic. But, with a series of 30 charts, Rob Wile of Business Insider promises to “restore your faith in humanity.” The good news he…

In honor of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, here’s a subtle yet powerful tribute to him (and men of his kind) from Ayn Rand: In Atlas Shrugged, I discussed the “pyramid of ability” in the realm of economics. There is another kind of social pyramid. The genius who fights “every form of…

Two great Britons died this week. One, Margaret Thatcher, is well known, and her passing has been widely noted. The other, Robert Edwards, is a brilliant physiologist whose work lead to the first successful human conception, and subsequent birth, through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). His passing has been relatively unnoticed, and…

One need not agree with everything Margaret Thatcher said or did to recognize her as among the most important political leaders of the 20th century—the Iron Lady of British politics—a champion of freer markets, and a stern critic and dogged opponent of socialism. She is best remembered by some of…

Joseph Kellard reviews The Island at the Center of the World, by Russell Shorto.

Unlike so many ersatz advocates of liberty, Martin Luther King Jr. revered both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Daniel Wahl reviews The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy, by William J. Dobson.

In last night’s pathetic debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, three sentences from Obama stood out to me: I believe that the free enterprise system is the greatest engine of prosperity the world's ever known. I believe in self-reliance and individual initiative and risk takers being rewarded. But I…

Barack Obama apparently failed to see the irony in criticizing the Republicans for promoting antiquated ideas, for Obama’s politics rehash those off FDR. Obama emoted: Despite all the challenges that we face in this new century, what [Republicans] offered [during their convention] was more often than not an agenda that…