Andrew Porwancher
Historian and professor of history at Arizona State University, author of American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews and The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, and winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Book Prize.
Best podcasts with Andrew Porwancher
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Dec 28, 2025 • 31min
Andrew Porwancher, "American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Andrew Porwancher, a historian and professor at Arizona State University, explores Theodore Roosevelt's surprising connections with the Jewish community. He discusses Roosevelt's admiration for Jewish valor, drawing parallels between his childhood struggles and the immigrant experience. Porwancher reveals Roosevelt's contradictory attitudes towards Jews, citing instances of both support and prejudice. The conversation delves into Roosevelt's response to Jewish crises abroad and how his legacy is more complex than commonly understood.
Dec 28, 2025 • 31min
Andrew Porwancher, "American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Andrew Porwancher, a historian and professor at Arizona State University, dives into Theodore Roosevelt's complex relationship with the Jewish community. He reveals how Roosevelt rallied for reform of sweatshops while simultaneously grappling with antisemitic attitudes. Porwancher discusses Roosevelt's fascination with Maccabee heroism and his attempts to navigate global Jewish issues during a time of rising persecution. Drawing on fresh research, he complicates Roosevelt's legacy, highlighting both his empathy and contradictions.
