--- title: "4 American history Quotes By H. W. Brands" description: "4 American history quotes by H. W. Brands. Plus more from H. W. Brands and more American history sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg" --- > [With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-my-subject-because-i-know-when/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/h-w-brands-5491_american_with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-m_524776.jpg) > [People who teach American history survey classes have a lot of ground to cover and tend to focus on landmarks. You get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/people-who-teach-american-history-survey-classes-have-a-lot-of-ground/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/h-w-brands-5491_age_people-who-teach-american-history-survey_2612490.jpg) > [I've been writing American history for a long time, and I've had a hard time finding strong, interesting female characters. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-ve-been-writing-american-history-for-a-long-time-and-i-ve-had-a/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/h-w-brands-5491_american_i-ve-been-writing-american-history-for-a_2721839.jpg) > [Politics is not something most people have to do every day. Their daily lives are much more influenced by job opportunities, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/politics-is-not-something-most-people-have-to-do-every-day-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfe/h-w-brands-5491_american-history_politics-is-not-something-most-people-ha_3183173.jpg) ## Other authors on American history - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b003/author-captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba-11378.jpg) Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba 15 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-tanehisi-coates-88839.jpg) Ta-Nehisi Coates 14 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/ta-nehisi-coates/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barack-obama-16275.jpg) Barack Obama 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/barack-obama/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-noam-chomsky-71799.jpg) Noam Chomsky 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/noam-chomsky/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-rush-limbaugh-81741.jpg) Rush Limbaugh 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/rush-limbaugh/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-newt-gingrich-70900.jpg) Newt Gingrich 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/newt-gingrich/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b012/author-james-wyatt-46861.jpg) Jay Grewal 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/jay-grewal/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-james-t-patterson-3417.jpg) James T. Patterson 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/james-t-patterson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b011/author-henry-louis-gates-41603.jpg) Henry Louis Gates 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/henry-louis-gates/) ## More by H. W. Brands > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Republican Party has moved substantially to the right of where Reagan was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-republican-party-has-moved-substantially-to-the-right-of-where/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Reagan gave essentially the same speech from the beginning to the end of his political career, which was always, 'The American people are great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/reagan-gave-essentially-the-same-speech-from-the-beginning-to-the-end/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Presidents are evaluated not by what they did by the stroke of their own pen; it's what they persuade Congress to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/presidents-are-evaluated-not-by-what-they-did-by-the-stroke-of-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [In the business arena, the standard rules of morality don't apply. What we're really looking for is efficiency. It doesn't do anyone any good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/in-the-business-arena-the-standard-rules-of-morality-don-t-apply-what/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [There is a certain kind of sobering, civilizing effect that being president imposes on people. There is a certain kind of dignity with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/there-is-a-certain-kind-of-sobering-civilizing-effect-that-being/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Founders were anything but demigods to themselves and their contemporaries, who recognized full well that the experiment in self-government had only begun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-founders-were-anything-but-demigods-to-themselves-and-their/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The American political system is based on the president taking the initiative and Congress responding. With President Trump, it's been the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-american-political-system-is-based-on-the-president-taking-the/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The president was not the most important political player in the 19th century. Besides Jefferson at the beginning, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-president-was-not-the-most-important-political-player-in-the-19th/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The Reagan Revolution has had no second act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-reagan-revolution-has-had-no-second-act/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The shelf life of a seventh-year State of the Union address is about five minutes. Presidents can propose stuff. They're probably not likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-shelf-life-of-a-seventh-year-state-of-the-union-address-is-about/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [When you look at the development of the American presidency, you see that the presidents who have had the greatest impact are the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/when-you-look-at-the-development-of-the-american-presidency-you-see/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/with-my-students-i-always-have-to-sell-my-subject-because-i-know-when/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [I'm the farthest thing from a bibliophile. I purge my collection regularly: If I haven't read a book in a couple of years, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-m-the-farthest-thing-from-a-bibliophile-i-purge-my-collection/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [If you wanted to, you could write history in Haiku.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/if-you-wanted-to-you-could-write-history-in-haiku/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/h-w-brands/#itemlist", "name": "4 American history Quotes By H. W. Brands", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With my students, I always have to sell my subject because I know when you're 19, 20 years old, you've got other things on your mind besides American history. What I have to do is make this as compelling as possible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. W. 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