Letters from an American

September 19, 2026350 years ago, on September 19, 1676, Nathaniel Bacon and his followers burned Jamestown - the capital of the Virginia Colony, Virginia lawmakers would respond by making sure poor men would not again make common cause by passing laws to divide them along racial lines, A year before Bacon's Rebellion, raids by both the Virginia militia and the Susquehannocks inflamed a power struggle in the colony, Since the colony’s beginning, there had been a clear line between men with land and power and those who worked for them, Enslaved people and indentured white workers worked and socialized together, and as their community grew, they migrated west, They resented the eastern government that seemed to ignore their interests, Nathaniel Bacon created a powerful coalition that marched on Jamestown, protesting taxes and corruption, They held Jamestown for several  months before they were forced to retreat, When they tried to recapture the town they ended up burning it, The rebellion fell apart after Bacon's death a month later, and the crisis convinced the wealthy elite of Virginia to drive wedges between Black slaves and white servants to avoid anything like it from happening, They gave legal rights and protections to white servants and made it costly for white and Black Virginians to socialize, Black Americans were bound more tightly into slavery while white Virginians were convinced that they were independent. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 18, 2026Diesel has hit its highest recorded average price, An advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader said Iran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Trump and Netanyahu are removed from power, The economic pain of this moment appears to be turning the media against Trump, Trump responded by announcing he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House after scoops by these outlets, The US appears to have come close to starting a war with China based on a report generated by AI, A shipment of F-35 fighters disappeared, possibly falling into China’s hands, At least four more US service members have died in the Middle East than the Department of Defense has announced, A Fox News poll shows people trust the Democrats more than  Republicans on inflation and prices, Trump’s tariffs are being hailed by Republicans in public, but in private they are looking for ways to work around them for their districts, Trump’s PAC is putting money into campaigns in districts that had elected Trump by huge margins in 2024, Prominent Republicans are speaking out against Trump’s actions and the actions of Trump supporters, Republican leaders are endorsing Democrats like James Talarico in Texas, Jon Ossoff in Georgia, and Adam Hamilton in Kansas,  Vice President Vance has asked voters for “another chance."Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 17, 2026In 1776, Benjamin Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence and in 1787, he urged his colleagues at the Constitutional Convention to rally behind the new plan of government they had written, The framers of the new constitution hoped it would fix the problems of the first attempt to create a new nation, A "firm league of friendship," the Articles of Confederation had given the federal government few duties, Within a decade the nation seemed on the verge of tearing itself apart, Leaders called for a reworking of the new government centered not on the states but on the people of the nation represented by a national government, The Constitution established a representative democracy, a republic, with three branches of government, the legislative branch - the Congress, the executive branch - the president, and the judicial branch - the courts, The Constitution declares that the laws made under the authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land, Franklin urged his colleagues to put their names to the Constitution, even with any perceived faults, and that any of them who still had objections “doubt a little of his infallibility - and to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this instrument," And on September 17, 1787, they did.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 16, 2026A US District Judge refused to perist the Kennedy Center board to return Trump’s name to the building’s facade, The board promptly appealed, and voted to close the venue for two years, Rep. Joyce Beatty of Florida, an ex-officio member of the board, confroted Trump, Panic is spreading over oil prices, Revelations about the Iran War continue to be published, from reports of extensive damage to US bases in the Middle East to the cost of the war, Thomas Massie introduced eight counts of impeachement against Defense Secretary Hegseth, Trump expressed anger that his three hand-picked appointees to the Supreme Court did not support his rule to allow the USPS to screen mail-in ballots.       Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson                                             Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 15, 2026Seven years ago, I wrote a Facebook post that was the start of Letters from an American, I wrote about how things at the White House looked to me, I wrote that a dictator was on the rise, using the power of his office to amass power, The patterns I saw seven years ago are slicing to the heard of both the mechanics and the soul of the US, In that first letter, I warned of rising authoritarianism, I encouraged people to make noise, take up oxygen, defend what is great about this nation and its people, And we have made noise, and taken up oxygen, I write these letters because I love America, To those who read these letters, I thank you for bringing me along on this wild, unexpected, exhausting, and exhilarating journey.  Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 14, 2026News broke about a Russian oligarch spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, The inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security released a report detailing violations of standards at the now-closed detention camp in the Florida Everglades, But it has been suggested that the conditions were even worse than reported and that the report is part of a cover up, A whistleblower has alleged that inspectors under the direction of top Homeland Security leadership may have broken state laws in their zeal to find noncitizens on voter rolls, These actions all add up to an attempt to establish an authoritarian government, Stocks in AI companies and companies that produce chips fell after warnings about AI, Trump posted frantically on social media, Oil executives are warning that the US and the world are in for a fuel crisis, The Supreme Court refused to allow Trump to put his new orders for the USPS to screen mail-in ballots in place.Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 13, 2026Dario Amodel, the CEO of Anthropic expressed concern that AI models are advancing faster than engineers can understand them, He warned that a swarm of programs could take over the internet and called for AI companies to establish safety standards and limit their rate of progress, He expressed the opinion that the government and public need to have a stake in the development of the technology and that there should be regulation to limit what private companies can do, An Anthropic researcher who recently resigned has expressed concerns about the dangers of unrestrained AI, Employees as well as CEOs of AI companies have posted their support for slowing down the pace of AI improvements, In 2023, President Biden issued an executive order, calling for responsible behavior in the development of AI, Trump revoked this executive order on the day he was inaugurated, Trump and his family have invested heavily in companies tied to the AI boom, Trump has hailed AI data centers although the majority of Americans are against their construction, The Trump administration insists it can overcome rising deficits, through growth, but productivity is slowing, Trump's administration may be thinking that AI is its solution. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 12, 2026Judge J. Michael Luttig published a warning about how Republicans could refuse to seat elected Democrats after the midterm elections, Speaker Mike Johnson has the power to replace the current House clerk with a MAGA loyalist who will refuse to list Democrats on the roll of those elected to the 120th Congress, In this scenario, Democrats will have to go to the courts, perhaps eventually the Supreme Court, which would take weeks, leaving the country vulnerable, Trump’s plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mailed-in votes is being tested in Florida, and shows what will likely happen if the Supreme Court lifts its injunction blocking the USPS from implementing new rules, The DOJ under Trump is threatening, without cause, election workers, using harassment and intimidation to force them to put Trump’s election changes into effect, Luttig urged Republicans to decide not to betray their oaths of office and the country, and  wrote that the Republican Party must “loose the chains of its political and moral enslavement to Donald Trump and separate itself from the MAGA political party cult."Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

Yesterday, Trump’s midterm convention had its second night, The audience was sparse, but Trump got the loyalty he demanded from the crowd that showed up, He promised, again, to pay all adult US citizens $5,000 if the Republicans hold control of the House and the Senate, Meanwhile, along with the Strait of Hormuz being under the control of Iranian forces, Iran backed Houthi militants expanded their control of the area around the Bab el-Mandeb strait which has become an alternative route for Saudi Arabian oil to be shipped to the west, Although the Houthis do not control both sides of the strait, they threaten shipping through the passage, Iran appears to be retaliating for Trump’s threats to strangle the Iranian economy by further slowing the transport, Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Trump did not attend the commemoration at Ground Zero, but delivered a speech at the Pentagon, tying the war on Iran to the attacks of 9/11, All four former presidents and first ladies attended the ceremony, As a famous issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, published in November, 2001, explained, the heroes of 9/11 were ordinary people, who were made extraordinary “by acts of compassion, and courage, and terrible sacrifice."Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

September 10, 2026Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants have taken control of an area near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, the Bab el-Mandeb has become very important for global shipping, The Iran-backed Houthis have been in a struggle against the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government, The attacks on Saudi targets started fires at oil facilities and wounded more than 70, Reports indicated that Iran had planned an economic “nuclear option” closing the Bab e-Mandeb, The price of oil jumped to $109 a barrel, The average price of diesel hit $6.00 for the first time ever, The new record will be painful, especially if diesel prices continue to climb, Trump spent the day at the Dallas rally that is intended to fire up his base before the midterms. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe