Heather Cox Richardson's wildly popular Substack newsletter, Letters from an American, achieves what historical studies do at their best: shed light on the politics of the moment by telling parallel stories from the past. As often as the word "unprecedented" comes up in modern political discussions, the comparisons it conjures are usually limited to living memory—which historians know to look beyond.

The newsletter is drawn from Richardson's work as a professor of 19th century American history at Boston College. She's also the author of six books including, most recently, To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party.

In this conversation, Richardson talks with Michael and Felicia about today’s polarization, the last time antidemocratic forces threatened to take hold of Congress, and the origins of the American public's susceptibility to conspiracy theories.

Presented by the Roosevelt Institute, The New Republic, and PRX. Generous funding for this podcast was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Omidyar Network. Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of its funders.

You can find transcripts and related resources for every episode at howtosaveacountry.org.