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Podcast: History Unplugged Podcast
Episode: A Time of Perfect American National Unity is a Myth, But Some US Origin Stories Are Better Than Others
Description: The cherished idea of United States as a unified country has been long believed. But today’s guest Colin Woodard argues that this is an invented tradition. He has argued for the existence of 11 separate stateless nations within the United States, where rival cultures explain the history, identity, and voting behaviors of the United States. At least 5 explanations for American ideology have existed, from Manifest Destiny to Frederick Douglas's civic nationalism. However, there is a vision of American that can bring us all together. In his new book “Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United Stat...