At a moment when political division feels like the defining feature of American life, historian and author Peter Shinkle takes us back to a time when leaders from opposing parties came together to confront an existential threat.
In his book Uniting America: How FDR and Henry Stimson Brought Democrats and Republicans Together to Win World War II, Shinkle tells the remarkable—and largely forgotten—story of the partnership between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Republican statesman Henry L. Stimson.
Drawing on newly uncovered correspondence and deep archival research, Shinkle shows how this unlikely alliance helped overcome isolationism, build public support for intervention, and ultimately mobilize the United States for victory in World War II. Their collaboration—joined by figures like Frank Knox and Wendell Willkie—demonstrates how crossing party lines was not a political liability, but a national necessity.
As Shinkle explains, this bipartisan effort didn’t emerge in calm times—it took shape amid fierce political conflict, public resistance to war, and deep uncertainty about America’s role in the world. Yet it proved decisive. The defeat of fascism, the creation of the United Nations, and the enduring idea that the United States must help defend democracy abroad all grew from this moment of cooperation .
This program explores how Roosevelt brought Republicans into his cabinet, and how they overcame isolationism before Pearl Harbor. But it wasn’t all easy, and bipartisanship did not guarantee moral clarity. But it did make possible one of the most consequential mobilizations in American history .
Join us for a conversation that connects past to present and asks a simple, enduring question: what does it take for Americans to act together when it matters most?
#WWIIHistory #FDR #HenryStimson #Bipartisanship #AmericanHistory #WorldWarII #Leadership #VeteransHistory #VBC #HistoryMatters
