In his new book, Been There, Done That, Professor Greg Jackson argues that while today’s political climate may be dark, these aren’t as unprecedented times as we may think. Our nation’s past is full of massive upheaval, disagreement, and departures from the moral high ground. The political “gentlemanly conduct” of yesteryear is no more than a myth. But that reality never allowed our worst historical selves to defeat our better angels.
Join Prof. Jackson, host of the popular podcast History That Doesn’t Suck! , on Zoom for a look at some of the messier moments from our nation’s history. From the Founding Fathers’ hyperpartisan print war of the 1790s, to the caning of Senator Charles Sumner in 1856, to the thoroughly corrupt presidential election of 1876, and all the way through the yellow journalism and print war of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, you will recognize how familiar these stories are to our own supposedly unprecedented times.
By showing us the warts of our past with his characteristic humor, Prof. Jackson actually inspires hope for where we’re headed. Only by knowing that our country has been here before, and prevailed toward a more just future, can we find the strength to rebound once again.
About Professor Greg Jackson
Dr. Greg Jackson is best known as the creator and host of the top history podcast History That Doesn’t Suck! With Prof. Greg Jackson and the stage show The Unlikely Union, which has played to sold-out shows across 29 states and D.C. Jackson holds a PhD in history and is a tenured Associate Professor at Utah Valley University, where he is the America 250 Professor in the Center for Constitutional Studies and a Senior Fellow in the Center for National Security Studies. His forthcoming book, Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, will be published by Simon & Schuster in June 2026.
He is also a frequent commentator in HISTORY® Channel documentaries including History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, The Engineering That Built the World, The Toys That Built America, How Disney Built America, Dark Files, and still other shows, including the three-night event Abraham Lincoln Executive Produced by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin and featuring former President Barack Obama among other eminent figures and history scholars. Jackson has also appeared in the National Geographic Channel® series Secrets Declassified.
Old North Illuminated’s 2026 Speaker Series events are brought to you in part by Hub Town Tours.
