From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” I doubt … Continue reading Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and the Watergate Scandal: An Brief, Annotated History of Campaign Finance
Author: James Finck
Dr. James W. Finck was raised in the shadows of history in the great state of Virginia. Growing up it was difficult to travel too far without running into a monument or battlefield from the Revolutionary or Civil War. In this environment, Finck developed a love for studying the past and from his youth knew that he wanted to make it his life’s work. Finck received a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He then studied under James I. Robertson and William C. Davis at Virginia Tech, while earning a Master’s degree. Finally, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas, under the direction of Daniel Sutherland. For five years, Finck taught at the University of Texas-Pan American before accepting his current position as American Historian at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 2011. At a small liberal arts institution, Finck considers himself a generalist in history, but his specialties are the Civil War and American Politics. Finck has established himself in Oklahoma with the creation of the Oklahoma Civil War Symposium, which has brought in leading Civil War scholars for the past eight years, and he has spoken at many venues around Oklahoma, especially working with the Honey Spring Battlefield. Finck is the author of Divided Loyalties: Kentucky’s Struggle for Armed Neutrality in the Civil War, as well as Images of America: Chickasha. Finck is also the author of the syndicated newspaper column “Historically Speaking.”
Palestinian Leadership
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. In grad school one of the hardest parts in studying the Israel/Palestine issue was trying to understand who led the Palestinians. It reminds me of the scene from Monty Python’s The Life of Brian when members of the People's Front of Judea talked about how much they … Continue reading Palestinian Leadership
History of American Political Parties, History of Politics Part VIII: The Politics of Slavery
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. By the 1850s America was in the middle of the Second American Party System of Democrats and Whigs. The two equally strong parties had members in every corner of the country. While there was plenty to argue about – banks, tariffs, and internal improvements – these issues … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, History of Politics Part VIII: The Politics of Slavery
The Loss of Innocence
There are certain days in our nation’s history that are simply more important than others. These days tend to be ones that have changed our nation for better or worse. These are turning point days and generation-defining dates. For my generation, Gen X, that date is Sept. 11, 2001, as we were in high school … Continue reading The Loss of Innocence
History of American Political Parties, Part VII: Birth of the Second American Party System
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. Love him or hate him, Andrew Jackson is undoubtably one of the most influential and important presidents in American history. Jackson’s presidential victory in 1828 ushered in several major political parties shifts including the creation of a new party and the birth of the Second American Party … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, Part VII: Birth of the Second American Party System
Selecting Speakers and Turbulent Times
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. If you have followed my column over the years you may have noticed a theme. My belief is that there is really nothing new, that in some way or another we have seen everything before. Most of my writing is comparing modern events to the past. Yet, … Continue reading Selecting Speakers and Turbulent Times
History of American Political Parties, Part VI: The Rise of Jackson
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. The election of 1824 brought a massive change to how parties functioned in the U.S. The Jacksonian Age is highlighted by the growth of democracy. Whereas before only property-owning men could vote, by 1824 most states had dropped property requirements allowing all white men the vote. (Most … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, Part VI: The Rise of Jackson
Hamas: A History of Violence
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. On the morning of Oct 7, the nation of Israel was attacked by rocket fire coming from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel. The missile attacks acted as a screen as thousands of Hamas militants viciously attacked towns and cities in southern Israel killing more than 1,000 … Continue reading Hamas: A History of Violence
History of American Political Parties, Part V: An Era of Good Feelings
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. Over the years I have written about the election of 1800 many times in my columns; it is my favorite election because it is the most important. Suffice to say it was the first time the nation had a change at the top, from Federalist to Jeffersonian … Continue reading History of American Political Parties, Part V: An Era of Good Feelings
Standing in a picket line may not makeBiden the most pro-union president
By James Finck, Ph.D. While the writers’ strike in Hollywood has captured the nation’s attention out of fear that our favorite shows might be delayed, a potentially more important strike is the one in Michigan with the United Auto Workers striking against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. While losing our favorite shows is hard, shutting … Continue reading Standing in a picket line may not makeBiden the most pro-union president
Historically Speaking 