22
December 2011
Past Event
Osawatomie: Then and Now

Osawatomie: Then and Now

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
December 22, 2011
Default Event Image
22
December 2011
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
William Schambra,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director, Bradley Center for Philanthropy & Civic Renewal

E.J. Dionne Jr.,

Columnist for the Washington Post

James Ceaser,

Harry F. Byrd Professor of Politics, University of Virginia

John Halpin,

Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress

Sidney Milkis,

White Burkett Miller Professor of Politics, University of Virginia

Matthew Spalding,

Vice President of American Studies, The Heritage Foundation

"In 1910, Teddy Roosevelt came here, to Osawatomie, and laid out his vision for what he called a New Nationalism. 'Our country,' he said, '...means nothing unless it means the triumph of a real democracy...of an economic system under which each man shall be guaranteed the opportunity to show the best that there is in him.' For this, Roosevelt was called a radical, a socialist, even a communist. But today, we are a richer nation and a stronger democracy because of what he fought for in his last campaign: an eight-hour work day and a minimum wage for women; insurance for the unemployed, the elderly, and those with disabilities; political reform and a progressive income tax."

So spoke President Barack Obama on a visit to Osawatomie, Kansas, earlier this month, in a speech that many believe was intended to lay the philosophical groundwork for his re-election campaign in 2012. (Osawatomie already had deep historical significance in Roosevelt's time, as the site of a battle between Kansas "free staters" led by abolitionist John Brown and pro-slavery raiders.

Why did President Obama choose to link his political fate to the Osawatomie tradition? How did his speech, in form and content, stack up against the Rooseveltian original? What can we learn about the enduring themes of American politics from this comparison?

Six prominent scholars and writers — all knowledgeable about the Progressive Era as well as the contemporary political scene — discussed this question on Thursday, December 22nd.

Required Reading

President Theodore Roosevelt's Osawatomie speech

President Barack Obama's Osawatomie speech

E.J. Dionne Jr., Obama's Osawatomie Offensive, Washington Post, December 6, 2011

Related Events
14
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Next Steps in US-China Great Power Competition with the House Republican Policy Committee
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Kevin Hern
Congressman Troy Downing
Congressman Joe Wilson
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
Getty Images
14
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Next Steps in US-China Great Power Competition with the House Republican Policy Committee

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik for a panel discussion with key members of the House Republican Policy Committee.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Kevin Hern
Congressman Troy Downing
Congressman Joe Wilson
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
15
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Iranian Regime Under Pressure: What’s Next?
Featured Speakers:
Mariam Memarsadeghi
Dr. Ladan Boroumand
Moderator:
Zineb Riboua
Getty Images
15
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
The Iranian Regime Under Pressure: What’s Next?

Join Zineb Riboua, research fellow and program manager at Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, for a conversation with Mariam Memarsadeghi, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and Dr. Ladan Boroumand, cofounder of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Mariam Memarsadeghi
Dr. Ladan Boroumand
Moderator:
Zineb Riboua
15
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Drone Warfare and Securing America’s Military Against Emerging Threats with Senator John Boozman
Featured Speakers:
Senator John Boozman
Thomas H. Shugart
Timothy A. Walton
DVIDS
15
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Drone Warfare and Securing America’s Military Against Emerging Threats with Senator John Boozman

Senator John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, will join Senior Fellow Timothy A. Walton for a conversation on how the US can mitigate these risks and accelerate the fielding of forces and infrastructure to retain US advantage.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Senator John Boozman
Thomas H. Shugart
Timothy A. Walton
15
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Countering Communist Cyborgs: China’s Dystopian AI Ambitions and the Robotics Race
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Bill Huizenga
Martijn Rasser
Divyansh Kaushik
Bill Drexel
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik
Getty Images
15
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Countering Communist Cyborgs: China’s Dystopian AI Ambitions and the Robotics Race

Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik will host an event to introduce his new white paper featuring policy recommendations for the Trump administration and Capitol Hill to help secure America’s innovation advantage.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Bill Huizenga
Martijn Rasser
Divyansh Kaushik
Bill Drexel
Moderator:
Michael Sobolik