
1620: A Critical Response to the 1619 Project by Wood, Peter W.
Peter Wood argues against the flawed interpretation of history found in the New York Times' 1619 Project and asserts that the true origins of American self-government were enshrined in the Mayflower Compact in 1620. "1620 is a dispassionate, clear reminder that the best in America's past is still America's best future." --Amity Shlaes, chair, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation"Peter Wood's pushback against the 1619 Project is at once sharp, illuminating, entertaining, and profound." --Stanley Kurtz, senior fellow, Ethics and Public Policy CenterWhen and where was America founded? Was it in Virginia in 1619, when a pirate ship landed a group of captive Africans at Jamestown? So asserted the New York Times in August 2019 when it announced its 1619 Project. The Times set out to transform history by tracing American institutions, culture, and prosperity to that pirate ship and the exploitation of African Americans that followed. A controversy erupted, with historians pushing back agai