27 Comments

OK! I was already a “fan girl” of both Katyal and Richardson, and now a thank you is due....for all that you both share and, specifically, this discussion of Dred Scott. I have a much better understanding of this awful chapter in American history.

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Ms. Richardson always sources the key points of her posts … it’s amazing.

Her Letters from an American should be taught in all high school US History classes …

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I totally enjoyed this ! I've been a long time subscriber to Professor Richardson. So very informative! Especially the "Dred to Dobbs" similarities and discussion.

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OMG!!!!!!!!! My favorite historian!! Thank you 🥰

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I just listened to this again. So much data packed in that I hit the 15 sec back button multiple times. It will be very interesting to see what happens with the new map Alabama put out that still does not have 2 majority black districts. It seems being unlawful to gerrymander based on race is the last dangling thread we have that prohibits the south from returning back the to 1930’s or even earlier when black people were simply not allowed to vote at all. The damage the Robert’s SCOTUS has caused is pretty hard to believe if it weren’t happening right in front of us.

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Well said.

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Long time fan of you both. This podcast was fabulous. Neal, you owe Prof Richardson a commission, I’m subscribing to Courtside now.

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I’ve always been a fan of yours, Neal, from your TV appearances, but it was Heather in this podcast who brought me into your courtside fold.

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Yes, and he also owes a commission to a whole bunch of people at MSNBC who frequently give us opportunities to hear him make sense of all the legal stuff. But, it goes both ways. I have been reading Ms. Richardson's Letters sporadically for a long time, but now that I have heard het talk, I want to hear every one of her podcasts.

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If you haven’t watched her interview of President Biden, Google it. It’s a remarkable interview, just the two of them.

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Thanks. I had not heard about that.

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Thank you for the tip. I just watched it. They were both brilliant! I'm glad that they emphasized the importance of the recent changes in health care coverage.

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het = her

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Thank you so much for this podcast. I did not know the complex background of the Dred Scott decision and having that knowledge helps to more thoroughly understand the decision. If you have not already subscribed to Letters from an American you really should. It's so important to put today's events in historical perspective. This is the only podcast that I subscribe to because I'm pretty solidly a visual person, not an audio person. However, you are very easy for me to listen to, your enunciation, pace and emphasis as well as explanations are easy to follow so I don't get lost on a side thought as you're speaking. Heather Cox Richardson is similarly well suited to speaking (and it goes without saying that her writing is also excellent) and her insights are invaluable.

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Quite true.

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Thanks, a terrific podcast, learned so much

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Great explanation of the Dred Scott decision!

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Two brilliant minds for a fascinating discussion!

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I subscribed to Courtside to hear this entire interview. Thank you Neal Katyal! I consider Heather Cox Richardson to be my History teacher. If only I had learned less whitewashed history when I was in school! Thank god I am learning it finally!

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I was stunned when you said you had a final question, thinking only about a third of the interview had aired. Mesmerizing. And so relevant. You two should think about teaching. :)

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I have a question and I’m not sure the best place to ask: In the podcast today with Courtside, Heather made the comment that the then president (Pierce) put “enormous pressure on congress” to pass the Kanas-Nebraska Act. Other than veto power, what measures did Pierce use to get this legislation passed. I have the sense these days that one side or the other (democrats and Republicans) just blow off whatever a president has to say.

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Political capital and the influence of Presidents to use effectively is a great conversation to start! I like to share Lincoln, the movie, with US History students to showcase governing systems - separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, etc. and the use of political capital by a President to impact the Constitution.

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Really insightful and historical podcast Neal. As bad as Trump was as a president, unlike President Buchanan he did not use inside info of a SCOTUS decision, like the Dred Scott decision, before it is announced in 1857, to advance a political agenda, like the pro slavery movement. It appears to be a conspiracy between Buchanan and SCOTUS in 1857...!

🇺🇸

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I wish there were a button fir subscribers to jump to the rest of the program.

This is all excellent. Thank you!

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I am subscribed, My reader says listening, but I get no sound or continued. Close captions. This is so frustrating, do ?????

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Somewhere near the blue circle with the white sideways triangle that you click to play, you'll see a button that says "Open in player", click that and you'll get different options that will allow you to listen. I use the Overcast app so I clicked the "copy link" button and then opened the Overcast app and pasted the link in the add URL section. Once the link is added to your podcast listening app of choice the entire paid catalog should populate.

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