Francisco Franco: Dictator of Spain (Tom Richey Tonight) TOM…

Francisco Franco: Dictator of Spain (Tom Richey Tonight) 

TOM RICHEY TONIGHT is a new format I’m trying where I interview scholars about topics that interest me that I know very little about.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Enrique Sanabria to discuss the career and legacy of General Francisco Franco. Dr. Sanabria is an Associate Professor of History at the University of New Mexico who specializes in Modern Spain. In our conversation, we discussed the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s relationship with Fascist parties, the conservative nature of Franco’s dictatorship and how it changed over time during the Cold War.

In discussing General Franco, Dr. Sanabria highlights the concept of two Spains: a liberal, progressive Spain and a conservative, Catholic Spain. Spain continues to grapple with the controversial legacy of a man who is still remembered fondly by some in the conservative, Catholic camp and reviled by those in the liberal, progressive camp.

This interview will be beneficial for teachers and students of European History who would like to learn about a topic that tends to lurk in the background of the narrative of twentieth century dictatorships and the World War II era.

By: Tom Richey.

The First Two Party System Tom Richey explains the dynamics of…

The First Two Party System 

Tom Richey explains the dynamics of the first two party system that materialized in the United States in the 1790s, starting with the debates between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton in Washington’s cabinet and escalating into the partisan elections of 1796 and 1800. In 1796, John Adams defeated Thomas Jefferson in a close race. The Jeffersonian Republican opposition was so fierce that the Federalist Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, making it a criminal offense to criticize the government. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison responded with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which condemned the Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in another close election that Jefferson dubbed the “Revolution of 1800.”

By: Tom Richey.

The Articles and the Constitution The Articles of Confederation…

The Articles and the Constitution 

The Articles of Confederation were drawn up during the American Revolution creating a glorified military alliance with a weak central government in order to minimize the chances of tyranny. After the Revolution, a bad economy and Shays’ Rebellion caused many elites to reconsider and advocate for a stronger central government. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to create the United States Constitution, which created a stronger central government with additional power, such as the power to regulate interstate commerce. The Constitution was ratified after a contentious process which ended with the addition of a Bill of Rights to appease the Antifederalists. In the state of New York, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote The Federalist Papers in order to answer objections to the proposed Constitution.

By: Tom Richey.

English Traditions of Government I discuss the legacy of…

English Traditions of Government 

I discuss the legacy of English traditions of government that influenced institutions of government in Colonial America and subsequently the United States. Topics included are the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and John Locke’s theories of government.

By: Tom Richey.

Parliament vs the Colonies I discuss the events leading to the…

Parliament vs the Colonies 

I discuss the events leading to the American Revolution, including the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, the Boston Massacre, the Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts.

By: Tom Richey.

The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence…

The Declaration of Independence 

The Declaration of Independence was signed fifteen months after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It took many colonists over a year to come around to believing that revolution was inevitable and that it was no use trying to reason any further with Parliament or the British Crown. The Declaration of Independence employs the ideas of John Locke, appealing to natural law and chronicling the “long train of abuses” that Jefferson lays at the feet of George III. After formally declaring independence, the United States were together able to make a full commitment to the American Revolution and were able to able to appeal to France and other nations for military and economic assistance.

The Declaration of Independence has become one of the most influential documents in history, with its language being employed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Seneca Falls Declaration, and the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence.

By: Tom Richey.

The Ego and the Western Tradition (Tea Talks – #1) Why is it…

The Ego and the Western Tradition (Tea Talks – #1)

Why is it that when people say that someone has a big ego that it is typically considered to be a bad thing?

I’m starting a new series called Tea Talks. These Tea Talks will be informal lectures without any notes or visual aids – just me talking about a topic related to history, philosophy, or current events. In the first of my Tea Talks, I discuss the Ego and the Western Tradition and the role that the classical and Christian traditions have had in shaping the our perception of ego.

By: Tom Richey.

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning (Bacon vs Aristotle -…

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning (Bacon vs Aristotle – Scientific Revolution)

In order to understand the Scientific Revolution, it is essential for students to understand the new ways of scientific thinking that surfaced during the 17th century. Deductive reasoning, which uses general premises to arrive at a certain conclusion, has been around since Aristotle. In his book Novum Organum, Sir Francis Bacon advanced a new way of philosophical inquiry known as inductive reasoning, in which the inquirer comes to a probable conclusion based on several specific observations.

While inductive reasoning is typically most closely associated with the scientific method, inductive reasoning has not lost its value. Rene Descartes famous phrase, “Cogito Ergo Sum,” is in itself a process of induction.

I present several examples of deductive and inductive reasoning, including Aristotle’s classic, “All men are mortal… Socrates is a man… Socrates is mortal.” I also explore the so-called “problem of induction” noted by critics such as David Hume. Although induction cannot lead to certain truth, it was never meant to lead to certain truth.

Although I designed this lecture for my AP European History students, it can also be useful for those studying philosophy, communication, logic, and the scientific method.

By: Tom Richey.

Enlightenment Rap Mr. Fritts challenged me to write a rap about…

Enlightenment Rap

Mr. Fritts challenged me to write a rap about the Enlightenment… so I did. This rap has appearances by Voltaire, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, and references to Diderot and Montesquieu.

By: Tom Richey.

Revolutions of 1848 in Britain and Russia / Concluding Remarks…

Revolutions of 1848 in Britain and Russia / Concluding Remarks (Revolutions of 1848: Part 5)

In the final segment of my lecture series on the Revolutions of 1848, I discuss why there was no violent revolutionary activity in Britain or Russia and also discuss the legacies of the Revolutions of 1848. In the mid-19th century, the British Parliament showed a modest openness to reform that was un-matched by the governments on the continent. Although the Chartist movement peaked in the 1840s, it never reached the point of threatening the viability of the government. Russia was another story. While the British held off revolution by passing modest reform legislation, Nicholas I of Russia so violently repressed the Decembrist Revolt in 1825 that the climate was not ripe for revolution even twenty years later. Russia would have its revolution in due time.

While the Revolutions of 1848 were short-term failures, they heavily influenced the unifications of Germany and Italy. Pragmatists took over these efforts and the so-called “Age of Metternich” yielded to the Age of Bismarck. Realpolitik – not consensus – would be the order of the day for European foreign policy in the late 19th century.

This is the last segment of my series on the Revolutions of 1848. Check out the whole thing here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfzs_X6OQBOxoltdJPdcw_vQlZqnDSwTl

By: Tom Richey.