On this episode, we talk with Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, the author of the wildly popular "Letters from an American: A Newsletter About the History Behind Today's Politics," which is seen by over a million people every night. We not only discuss history, but why it is important to be historically literate as we try to understand what has become a firehose of news. She explains how she writes her daily "Letters" and why the project has gone on for much longer than she first predicted. Dr. Richardson explains why she believes understanding the history of American democracy is the key to saving it, and how today's battle over the right to vote echoes previous instances in American history when the system was "blinking red." We also discuss how she hopes her letters will inform future generations about, "The Greatest Story Ever Told," which is how she describes the effort by Donald Trump to win reelection and then keep power despite losing.

Dr. Richardson's newsletter can be found at: heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

Her Facebook page is at: facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson

Support our show at patreon.com/axelbankhistory

**A portion of every contribution will be given to a charity for children's literacy**

"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at

twitter.com/axelbankhistory

instagram.com/axelbankhistory

facebook.com/axelbankhistory