National Policy Archives - KDA Keeping Democracy Alive Podcast & Radio Show · Burt Cohen

One Nation Indivisible: Oh Really?

June 20, 2023·1 hr·5 clips

Colin Woodard argues America's founders were 11 rival cultures, not a single nation from the start.

This episode features host Bert Cohen interviewing historian and journalist Colin Woodard about his book "American Nations," which argues North America comprises eleven distinct regional cultures. Woodard contends these rival cultures, not states, define the continent's political and social landscape. Woodard explains the American Revolution was a loose alliance of six regional cultures against British centralization, with New Netherlands (New York City) remaining loyalist and the Midlands attempting neutrality. He describes Yankeedom's culture, originating with Puritan settlers, as prioritizing community freedom and moral conformity over individual liberty. In contrast, the Appalachian region, settled by Scots-Irish borderlanders, champions extreme individual sovereignty and distrust of government. The Left Coast culture is a hybrid, fusing Yankee utopianism with Appalachian individualism, evident in its tech industry. Woodard notes Tidewater was founded by English gentry to recreate a manorial, aristocratic society. He details how the Deep South, modeled on West Indies slave societies, seceded primarily to preserve slavery, while other regions like Appalachia were ambivalent. The attack on Fort Sumter unified non-Deep South regions against the Confederacy. A surprising insight is that Yankeedom nearly seceded during the War of 1812 over fears of losing national dominance. Woodard claims the Civil War's Reconstruction period, not the antebellum era, actually created the unified "Solid South." He observes that Tidewater culture is now eroding due to federal government influence in Washington D.C. and Norfolk. Woodard notes cultural boundaries often ignore state lines, citing California's coastal affinity with the Pacific Northwest over its own interior. He reveals New York City's commercial, pluralistic character directly descends from its Dutch founders' values. The conversation highlights how these enduring cultural differences make the concept of "one nation indivisible" a historical challenge. The tone is conversational and educational, with the host engaging the guest's historical analysis through questions and personal reflections. The style is expository, using historical examples and regional comparisons to build a thesis. Listeners interested in U.S. history, political culture, and regional identity will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a straightforward, unifying narrative of American history might find its emphasis on persistent division less appealing.

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Woodard's regional-culture thesis gives the episode its sharpest edge.

The episode leans on Colin Woodard's argument that the United States is shaped by rival regional cultures. Bert Cohen starts from the old promise of one nation indivisible, then moves through Tidewater, early New England, and other regions with different settlers, social…

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