American History Hotline: "A Washington & Lincoln Birthday Special!"

Host: Bob Crawford
Guests: Alexis Koh (presidential historian), Julian Zelizer (historian, author)
Release Date: February 16, 2026

Overview

This President's Day special celebrates the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln by dispelling long-standing myths about Washington and examining party realignment through Lincoln’s legacy. Host Bob Crawford is joined first by historian Alexis Koh for a lively debunking of Washington legends. Afterward, historian Julian Zelizer offers insights on what party Lincoln would belong to today and the fluid evolution of America’s political parties.

I. Debunking the George Washington Myths

Guest: Alexis Koh, presidential historian & author
Segment: 00:03–17:45

Key Points & Insights

• Cherry Tree & Wooden Teeth: Total Myths

  • Cherry tree story: Entirely made up by Parson Weems, Washington’s first popular biographer, as a mythological example of his supposed honesty (00:52–03:25).
    • Alexis Koh: “It is by far the greatest fan fiction ever invented. Because it was a lie. And I'm sorry to tell you, so were the wooden teeth.” (00:52)
  • Wooden teeth: Washington’s dentures were made from ivory, hippopotamus, and most uncomfortably, enslaved people’s teeth—not wood (13:56–17:45).
    • Alexis Koh: “We also know that Washington's teeth were not made of wood… That's the real story that people still don't want to tell.” (14:01)
    • The show addresses the historical reluctance to tell the true story, noting that Washington bought human teeth from the people he enslaved.

• Parson Weems: Mythmaker Extraordinaire

  • Created and propagated most of the early myths about Washington, seeing a cultural need for a superhuman founding father (03:25–08:55).
    • Alexis Koh: “History is written by the first responders. And Parson Weems realizes, okay, this country is desperate to know who they are.” (07:01)
    • Weems’ tales were designed to unify a young, uncertain nation and make Washington relatable and morally exemplary.

• Washington’s Personality—More Than Marble

  • Biographers often described Washington as almost superhuman—especially focusing on his physicality (his "manly thighs" and jawline) and supposed virtues (09:44–13:46).
    • Alexis Koh: “It's as if everyone took an oath... everyone starts out the same way, they say he's too marble to be real.” (09:44)
    • Discussion of Washington’s sterility (due to smallpox), his marriage to Martha, and his paternal feelings toward her children.

• Washington as a Spymaster & Deist

  • The “never told a lie” myth ignores his wartime espionage and reality as a political actor (00:52–02:39).
    • Alexis Koh: “George Washington... one of the great passions of his life... was spying. He was a spymaster during the war and he loved it.” (01:24)
  • Valley Forge prayer painting debunked—Washington was a deist, unlikely to be depicted piously praying as shown in popular art (03:25–05:40).

Notable Quotes

• Alexis Koh, on Parson Weems:
  “He's already started. And then Washington dies. And he's like, fantastic. Because the nation doesn't know what to do without Washington. He is the great unifier...” (05:43)
• Alexis Koh, on the dentures:
  “We know from his ledgers and from his diaries that he paid people who he enslaved for their teeth, and he paid them under market value... and then they went into his dentures. And that is a story that there is still obviously a lot of resistance [to telling].” (15:56)

Memorable Moment

• The humorous aside about a Venn diagram connecting Sir Mix-a-Lot and Washington (“could never tell a lie” vs. “I like big butts”) (00:52).

II. Would Abraham Lincoln Be a Republican Today?

Guest: Julian Zelizer, historian & author
Segment: 19:53–56:31

Key Points & Insights

• Party Ideologies: Then vs. Now

  • Republican Party today: Anti-government, resistant to social justice initiatives, skeptical of international alliances (20:20).
  • Democratic Party today: Pro-government, committed to international alliances, supporter of 1960s social reforms, pragmatism in governance.

• How the Parties Switched—The Southern Strategy

  • Nixon’s Southern Strategy realigned the parties, appealing to white Southern Democrats upset by civil rights reforms; emphasis on “law and order” and coded language around race (21:59–24:11).
    • Julian Zelizer: “Republicans started to see that [white Southern] alliance was fruitful… ultimately a way to take over the electorate of the south.” (21:59)

• Further Shifts: Free Trade to Tariffs

  • Republican party’s support of free trade lasted until recently; the embrace of tariffs under Trump represents a dramatic and abrupt shift (34:00–37:44).
    • Julian Zelizer: “Republicans have moved from staunchly being a free trade party… to where we are today, and part of that is Trump.” (34:41)

• Lincoln’s Republican Party

  • In Lincoln’s era: committed to union, abolition of slavery, and Reconstruction. The party was a Northern party, opposed to the Southern slave regime (27:07).
  • The Democratic Party, conversely, was then the party of the South and the status quo slave economy, though it included varying Northern urban factions (28:46).

• How Parties Change

  • Party realignment occurs both gradually (e.g., changing voter coalitions, evolving issue stances) and suddenly (tariffs, “America First”) (38:30–41:31).
    • Julian Zelizer: “Parties constantly evolve. They will. Again, these are not static creatures.” (38:30)
  • Changes are driven both by leaders (like Trump or Reagan) and evolving coalitions/voters (41:50).

• Lincoln in 2026: Democrat or Republican?

  • If Lincoln ran today, Zelizer believes he’d be more comfortable as a Democrat, given the present GOP's distance from Lincoln’s policies and priorities (55:16).
    • Julian Zelizer: “If he was running today... he would fit much more comfortably in where the Democratic Party is than the Republican Party and certainly the Republican Party of Trump.” (55:16)

• George Washington’s Warnings About Parties & Power

  • Washington’s Farewell Address warned against the dangers of factionalism and centralized power; ironically, parties formed almost immediately anyway (51:17).
    • Julian Zelizer: “He was warning against the potential for centralized, unchecked power in our system… by giving up power at the very start.” (52:40)

• 2024 Election Reflections

  • Despite media narratives, Democrats are not in existential crisis; 2024 loss was not a landslide and Democrats retain core strengths (47:54–50:52).

Notable Quotes

• Julian Zelizer, on party change:
  “You can't have [change] from one direction only. When the big changes happen, the leaders match up and sync up with changing electoral preferences.” (42:06)
• Julian Zelizer, on code words and race:
  “Lee Atwater… talks really explicitly how Republicans figured out ways to talk about race in code words. States rights… was a way to talk about it without talking about it.” (43:43)
• Julian Zelizer, on Washington’s Farewell Address:
  “The founders… were fearful of parties. He warns against what these kinds of divisions will do to the country… But the warning still matters. It's aspirational, and that's still relevant.” (51:17)

Memorable Moment

• Zelizer’s candid speculation on whether Trump might seek a third term—“If he says he's going to do something, I believe he's going to do it…” (53:47)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Washington Myths & Parson Weems: 00:03–08:55
• Washington’s Persona & Biographers: 09:21–13:46
• Truth About Washington’s Teeth: 13:46–17:45
• Lincoln: Party Realignment & Ideology: 19:53–28:46
• Evolving Party Coalitions & Tariffs: 34:00–37:44
• Lincoln’s Modern Political Identity: 54:55–56:09
• Washington’s Warning On Parties: 50:52–53:39

Language, Tone, & Style

The conversations are lively, humorous in places, and straightforwardly honest—especially regarding uncomfortable truths about the founders. Both Alexis Koh and Julian Zelizer blend historical expertise with modern political awareness, resisting hagiography in favor of nuanced, fact-based analysis. Where necessary, they confront listeners with challenging aspects of the American story.

Summary Takeaways

• Stories about Washington’s honesty and wooden teeth are cultural myths, not historical truths; real history is messier and more fascinating.
• American political parties have changed radically—sometimes slowly, sometimes overnight. Their identities, demographics, policies, and reputations have all evolved, often swapping stances on major issues like civil rights and free trade.
• If Abraham Lincoln were alive today, he’d likely find little in common with the current Republican Party and might be more at home with the modern Democrats.
• Washington’s Farewell Address still matters—for its warnings about factionalism and unchecked power, even if history immediately bucked his advice.
• Parties are both flexible and resilient—capable of absorbing great change without disappearing, though never immune from the push-and-pull of tradition versus transformation.

For further questions or feedback, listeners are encouraged to email americanhistoryhotline@gmail.com or contact Bob Crawford on social media.