'America's Founding Son' documents John Quincy Adams' influential post-presidency

From revolution to recession, scandal to triumph, America’s presidents have shaped the nation’s story in ways both inspiring and contentious. In Confronting the Presidents, journalists Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard pull back the curtain on the personal struggles and political gambits of every US president—revealing the human flaws and fierce convictions behind the Oval Office.

Our guide to Confronting the Presidents focuses on ten presidents that O’Reilly and Dugard suggest were particularly influential or controversial: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. These presidents come from different eras of American history, representing a broad overview of the nation’s biggest challenges and the leaders who navigated them. Through our commentary, we’ll provide additional context around their decisions and legacies.

In this comprehensive biography, journalist Ron Chernow describes the life and influence of Alexander Hamilton, arguing that Hamilton has been unfairly overlooked compared to other Founding Fathers. Though he never served as president, he had a profound impact on the structure of the American government and its economy. While Hamilton’s life ended in scandal and a fatal duel, Chernow believes that America today is the realization of Hamilton’s vision, far more so than that of his political rivals like Thomas Jefferson.

This guide will consider Hamilton’s life and legacy, including his unlikely ascension from a poor student from the Caribbean to a trusted advisor of George Washington and leader of one of the US’s earliest political parties. We’ll also discuss additional historical context for the 18th century, how the events of Hamilton’s life have influenced America today, historians’ responses to Chernow’s work, and the book’s adaptation into a hit 2015 musical.

Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in American history: He was the 16th president of the United States, the “Great Emancipator,” and the man who led the US through the Civil War. In And There Was Light, historian and biographer Jon Meacham breaks down the myths and legends that have surrounded Abraham Lincoln, arguing that Lincoln had good intentions, and accomplished great things, but was still as flawed and prone to mistakes as anyone else.

In this guide, we’ll present Lincoln’s remarkable life in chronological order, from his birth in rural Kentucky to his assassination in Washington, D.C. We give particular attention to Lincoln’s political career, especially his actions as president during the Civil War.

In our commentary, we’ll add context for Lincoln’s life and the major events in it, especially the historical and economic motivations behind slavery and the Civil War. We’ll also explore where Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s life differs from other accounts.

The Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of federal agents to Minneapolis in December 2025—part of a large-scale immigration enforcement operation—has sparked months of protests and legal battles, placing four key Bill of Rights protections under scrutiny. Learn how the operation is testing whether Americans can freely protest, carry legal firearms, avoid warrantless searches—and whether states can maintain power over their own affairs when federal operations challenge their authority.

Conventional accounts of American history tend to focus on the people at the top—presidents, generals, CEOs, and other influential figures and their struggles, ambitions, hopes, and dreams. But what about average people? The ones who had to live with the consequences of elite decisions, and who often struggled in obscurity? In A People’s History of the United States, historian Howard Zinn aims to tell their story, providing a bottom-up view of American history focusing on Indigenous people, Black Americans, women, laborers, and activists.

Our guide outlines Zinn’s interpretation of significant events, themes, and historical trends in American history. Through our commentary, we’ll provide alternative opinions on the motivations behind and consequences of historical events. We’ll also further explain Zinn’s approach to history and provide additional context for his arguments as well as his perspective on events that happened after the book’s publication.

Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in American history: He was the 16th president of the United States, the “Great Emancipator,” and the man who led the US through the Civil War. In And There Was Light, historian and biographer Jon Meacham breaks down the myths and legends that have surrounded Abraham Lincoln, arguing that Lincoln had good intentions, and accomplished great things, but was still as flawed and prone to mistakes as anyone else.

In this guide, we’ll present Lincoln’s remarkable life in chronological order, from his birth in rural Kentucky to his assassination in Washington, D.C. We give particular attention to Lincoln’s political career, especially his actions as president during the Civil War.

In our commentary, we’ll add context for Lincoln’s life and the major events in it, especially the historical and economic motivations behind slavery and the Civil War. We’ll also explore where Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s life differs from other accounts.

Many consider Abraham Lincoln the greatest US president of all time. He held the presidency from 1861 to 1865, and during that time, guided the Union to victory in the American Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that began the process of ending chattel slavery in America. But, in Lincoln on Leadership, author Donald T. Phillips doesn’t just focus on what Lincoln did—he also focuses on how he did it.

In our guide to Lincoln on Leadership, we’ll explore the main components of Lincoln’s leadership style that Phillips identifies in the book: how he communicated, acted ethically, and made his decisions. We’ll also provide historical context and alternative perspectives on Lincoln and leadership through our commentary.

From revolution to recession, scandal to triumph, America’s presidents have shaped the nation’s story in ways both inspiring and contentious. In Confronting the Presidents, journalists Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard pull back the curtain on the personal struggles and political gambits of every US president—revealing the human flaws and fierce convictions behind the Oval Office.

Our guide to Confronting the Presidents focuses on ten presidents that O’Reilly and Dugard suggest were particularly influential or controversial: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. These presidents come from different eras of American history, representing a broad overview of the nation’s biggest challenges and the leaders who navigated them. Through our commentary, we’ll provide additional context around their decisions and legacies.

Conventional accounts of American history tend to focus on the people at the top—presidents, generals, CEOs, and other influential figures and their struggles, ambitions, hopes, and dreams. But what about average people? The ones who had to live with the consequences of elite decisions, and who often struggled in obscurity? In A People’s History of the United States, historian Howard Zinn aims to tell their story, providing a bottom-up view of American history focusing on Indigenous people, Black Americans, women, laborers, and activists.

Our guide outlines Zinn’s interpretation of significant events, themes, and historical trends in American history. Through our commentary, we’ll provide alternative opinions on the motivations behind and consequences of historical events. We’ll also further explain Zinn’s approach to history and provide additional context for his arguments as well as his perspective on events that happened after the book’s publication.

Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in American history: He was the 16th president of the United States, the “Great Emancipator,” and the man who led the US through the Civil War. In And There Was Light, historian and biographer Jon Meacham breaks down the myths and legends that have surrounded Abraham Lincoln, arguing that Lincoln had good intentions, and accomplished great things, but was still as flawed and prone to mistakes as anyone else.

In this guide, we’ll present Lincoln’s remarkable life in chronological order, from his birth in rural Kentucky to his assassination in Washington, D.C. We give particular attention to Lincoln’s political career, especially his actions as president during the Civil War.

In our commentary, we’ll add context for Lincoln’s life and the major events in it, especially the historical and economic motivations behind slavery and the Civil War. We’ll also explore where Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s life differs from other accounts.

From revolution to recession, scandal to triumph, America’s presidents have shaped the nation’s story in ways both inspiring and contentious. In Confronting the Presidents, journalists Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard pull back the curtain on the personal struggles and political gambits of every US president—revealing the human flaws and fierce convictions behind the Oval Office.

Our guide to Confronting the Presidents focuses on ten presidents that O’Reilly and Dugard suggest were particularly influential or controversial: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. These presidents come from different eras of American history, representing a broad overview of the nation’s biggest challenges and the leaders who navigated them. Through our commentary, we’ll provide additional context around their decisions and legacies.

Many consider Abraham Lincoln the greatest US president of all time. He held the presidency from 1861 to 1865, and during that time, guided the Union to victory in the American Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that began the process of ending chattel slavery in America. But, in Lincoln on Leadership, author Donald T. Phillips doesn’t just focus on what Lincoln did—he also focuses on how he did it.

In our guide to Lincoln on Leadership, we’ll explore the main components of Lincoln’s leadership style that Phillips identifies in the book: how he communicated, acted ethically, and made his decisions. We’ll also provide historical context and alternative perspectives on Lincoln and leadership through our commentary.