This America

Nationalism is a dirty word, but maybe it doesn’t have to be—at least, that’s what acclaimed historian Jill Lepore argues in This America (2019). In this episode, we break down Lepore’s passionate “case for the nation” and her argument that we can, in fact, create a liberal nationalism. If you liked our discussion of Richard Rorty’s Achieving Our Country, we build on that conversation and consider which perspective holds more value for progressive activists, historians, and thinkers. Show Notes Read Daniel Immerwahr’s critique of Lepore in The Nation here. Read Mary Church Terrell’s speech,“What It Means to Be Colored in the Capital of the United States,” here. Credits Theme music by our youngest brother Tate. Cover art by Arthur Santoro. Editing by Martin Fischer. Audio production by Nate Nakshian Ward. Get full access to The History Onion at historyonion.substack.com/subscribe