Real America’s Voice – War Room with Stephen K. Bannon

Episode: November 27, 2025 (Ep. 4957)
Host: Steve Bannon
Featured Guest: Dr. Larry Schweikart (Co-author, A Patriot’s History of the United States)
Theme: Thanksgiving, American History, and the Roots of Exceptionalism

Episode Overview

This Thanksgiving special of “War Room” with Steve Bannon centers on the origins and enduring meaning of Thanksgiving in America, diving into the founding values of the nation. Steve Bannon is joined by historian Dr. Larry Schweikart for a lively, story-rich discussion, emphasizing the Pilgrims, Jamestown, Plymouth, Native American encounters, and the foundational pillars that shaped American exceptionalism. The conversation tackles the myths, realities, and debates over America’s beginnings, reflecting the role of providence, self-governance, and religious liberty, while contextualizing America’s ongoing narrative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Dr. Larry Schweikart’s “A Patriot’s History of the United States”

• Inspiration for the Book:
  • Schweikart and Mike Allen were frustrated as history teachers by liberal trends in textbooks, leading them to write their own narrative-centered, conservative-leaning history book.
    • “By the early 1990s, Mike and I couldn’t find anything to teach from. … So we said, why don’t we write our own?” (Schweikart, 07:30)
• Book’s Success and Influence:
  • The book’s popularity soared after Glenn Beck spotlighted it, seeing huge sales and a 45th printing.
  • Schweikart offers a free update to anyone who emails him, covering history through Biden’s term and into Trump’s second.

B. Interconnectedness of American History (“American Biography” project)

• Schweikart’s upcoming book will trace the chain of American leaders from John Smith to Donald Trump, emphasizing that the story of the U.S. is deeply biographical, with influential figures’ lives overlapping and shaping one another.
  • “We really are all tied together by less than six degrees of separation, quite honestly.” (Schweikart, 13:08)

C. Thanksgiving: Origins and Legacy

• Debate Over the "First" Thanksgiving:
  • Bannon recalls family debates over whether Thanksgiving began in Virginia or Massachusetts.
  • Schweikart places the roots of American exceptionalism in Plymouth, not Jamestown.
    • “Massachusetts, especially Plymouth, was the site of American exceptionalism and not Jamestown. … It was only Plymouth that had those first two elements.” (Schweikart, 24:40)

The “Four Pillars” of American Exceptionalism:

1. Christian, Mostly Protestant Religious Tradition
   • Not theological dogma, but congregational, bottom-up church governance in opposition to monarchy-driven or top-down control.
2. Common Law
   • Law is seen as coming from God and residing in the people’s hearts, as opposed to rulers.
3. Private Property with Written Titles and Deeds
   • Crucial for economic growth; unique compared to much of the world.
     • “If you want to grow your business … you’re going to have to have written titles and deeds. … Still, there are parts of the world struggling with this.” (Schweikart, 58:13)
4. Free Market Economy
   • Early seeds of capitalism, starting as communal and moving rapidly toward individually owned enterprise.

Why American Thanksgiving Is Unique:

• Bannon: “Is any other nation on earth really segregated out a time of year or a day to actually give thanks to God, to give thanks to divine providence for the blessings of the nation?” (Bannon, 14:03)
• Schweikart explains that Plymouth’s Thanksgiving was the first government-proclaimed day to thank God—not just to share bounty with Native Americans.

D. The Pilgrims: Reality vs. Legend

Jamestown vs. Plymouth

• Jamestown:
  • Formed by entrepreneurs seeking profit, facing starvation and severe hardship.
  • Noted for near-collapse, only saved by an incredibly timely arrival of a relief ship:
    • “If they’d left a half an hour earlier, they would have missed them.” (Schweikart, 39:53)
• Plymouth:
  • Despite adversity, the Pilgrims were determined to build a ‘city on a hill,’ embodying purpose beyond survival.
• Survival:
  • “Their mission was to set up a city on a hill, a godly colony ... hardship was just a part of that. They weren’t going to leave no matter what.” (Schweikart, 39:53)

Communal to Private Economy

• Both colonies initially implemented communal (“socialist”) systems; both quickly pivoted to private property and individual responsibility after near-failure.
  • “John Smith in Virginia said, ‘That’s it. He who won’t work, won’t eat.’” (Schweikart, 42:17)
  • “In Plymouth, Governor Carver … gave out seed to everybody, gave out land to everybody, and says, you’re on your own.” (Schweikart, 42:17)

The First Thanksgiving – The Real Story

• Squanto’s Role:
  • Squanto, who spoke English due to being kidnapped, sold, brought to Europe, and ultimately returning, was pivotal in Pilgrims’ success.
  • “The first Indian goes, ‘Hello, Englishman.’ That would be like … arriving on some other planet ...” (Schweikart, 44:33)
• Indian Politics:
  • Native tribes were complex: frequently at war, forming alliances for their own benefit, which colored their interaction with the settlers.
• The Feasting & Giving Thanks:
  • It was a religious act: “This is the first official government proclaimed Thanksgiving to God, and not like what the public school teachers teach. They weren’t thanking the Indians, they were thanking God.” (Schweikart, 47:35)
  • Over 80 Native Americans attended the feast.

E. Myths and Hauntings: Roanoke and the “Lost Colony”

• Bannon and Schweikart discuss the earlier Roanoke settlement—first English child Virginia Dare, mysterious disappearance, and the word “Croatoan” still debated by historians.

F. Private Property: “Written Titles and Deeds”

• Schweikart argues written deeds were critical to the American economic model and differentiates America from nations where property law is unwritten or confused.
  • “As you move further west … everything had finally been surveyed by the time they got out west.” (Schweikart, 61:48)
• Land Ordinance of 1785 described as “the most important law in American history, even before the Constitution,” for opening up ownership and settlement.

G. Foundational Documents: The Mayflower Compact

• Bannon and Schweikart agree its late drafting was due to the dangers of democracy at sea. Schweikart calls it a foundational, profound document, promising to discuss more in the next hour.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Schweikart on Pilgrims’ Motivation:

  • "They were being actively persecuted. … Their physical safety was in question. And then when they left Leyden, they said, we’ve got to go really far away here. Let’s get to America.” (28:06)

• On Squanto’s Return:

  • “He was sold to a group of priests who taught him English and the Bible … and he became fluent in it. … He goes all the way around the world … and comes back to America.” (44:55)

• Bannon on Gratitude and Patriotism:

  • “We stand on the shoulders of giants, right? Because I wouldn’t last too long in that environment, Larry.” (31:31)

• Schweikart on American Exceptionalism and Modern Comparisons:

  • “They don’t have the pillars of American exceptionalism … this twofold bottom up resistance against top down government. … That’s why Canada and Australia locked down so hard [in Covid].” (30:00)

Key Timestamps for Essential Segments

• 07:30 — Schweikart explains origins of A Patriot’s History and the mission to counter left-leaning textbooks.
• 13:08 — Introduction of the “American Biography” project; linking American figures across the centuries.
• 24:40 — The case for Plymouth’s exceptional status—discussion of the Four Pillars.
• 31:31 — Bannon on the hardship and heroism of early settlers.
• 39:53 — The providential rescue of Jamestown.
• 42:17 — The Pilgrims’ economic shift from communal to private property.
• 44:55 — The extraordinary tale of Squanto.
• 47:35 — Thanksgiving as thanks to God, not Native Americans.
• 58:13 — The practical importance of written property deeds.
• 62:59 — Founding, structure, and significance of the Mayflower Compact.

Flow & Tone

• Warm, conversational, and occasionally humorous:
  • The hosts and guest joke about “rat puree” and “Jimmy Durante-shaped rocks.”
• Deeply reverential:
  • Repeated references to providence, gratitude, the “shoulders of giants,” and the ongoing arc of American history.

Summary for Listeners

This episode provides a thorough, nuanced, and often passionate retelling of Thanksgiving’s American roots through the eyes of historians who believe in the uniqueness of the U.S. experiment. Instead of the sanitized, schoolbook version, listeners get the gritty realities, key characters, providential coincidences, and defining features (private property, self-rule, religious liberty) that forged an enduring tradition of gratitude and national purpose.

Whether you tuned in for the detailed history or just to feel the spirit of Thanksgiving, this episode connects the past with present values, making a case not just for remembering the myth—but for understanding the extraordinary people, principles, and faith that built the nation.