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President Trump participates in a Medal of Honor Ceremony.
by Heidi Hatch, KUTV
Allegations of sex trafficking, riots, angry mobs, partisan media and viral misinformation can sound like a list of today's biggest complaints. According to Utah Valley University professor and historian Greg Jackson, none of it is new. (FILE photo)
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Allegations of sex trafficking, riots, angry mobs, partisan media and viral misinformation can sound like a list of today's biggest complaints.
According to Utah Valley University professor and historian Greg Jackson, none of it is new.
Jackson's new book, Been There Done That, looks at some of the most contentious moments in American history and argues that many of the challenges Americans face today have existed since the nation's founding.
"It was a blunder and Ben Franklin knew it; he felt it in his soul the moment he let go of the paper," Jackson said while reading from the book.
One of the first stories Jackson tells centers on Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father celebrated as a scientist, inventor and statesman. Jackson argues Franklin also participated in what many today would recognize as fake news.
"The story was horrific and it was pure fiction," Jackson said.
According to Jackson, Franklin printed an elaborate false story in hopes of gaining leverage during negotiations with Great Britain.
Rather than seeing misinformation as a modern problem, Jackson says it has been a constant feature of American history.
"We've had fake news constantly. It is incumbent upon the citizens and the republic to have to think and they have to learn and they have to study. You don't get government by the people without the people doing a lot of work," he said.
Jackson said political attacks and media battles were also common during the nation's earliest years.
"I can regale you with tales of this happening in the 1790s, with Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson doing their best to kill each other in the press. Under pseudonyms, basically like someone taking social media today and using bots or fake handle so that they can cover the tracks of what they're saying," Jackson said.
When asked whether former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was the first prominent political figure to use a pseudonym online, Jackson laughed.
"No, and if Alexander Hamilton were alive today, he'd been crushing it with the pseudonym," he replied.
Jackson challenges the idea that Americans are living through uniquely turbulent times. He points to fierce political rivalries throughout the country's history.
"I admire Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton all the more when I know that they're at each other's throats, both convinced that the other's political ideas will destroy the union," he said.
Despite those divisions, Jackson said leaders repeatedly found ways to move forward and preserve the country.
"I wanted to remind Americans how tough we really are, how enduring our institutions really are, and what our predecessors overcame to gift this amazing union to us. The fact that that happens to hit right as we're reflecting on 250 years, I mean, cherry on top," he said.
The book highlights moments ranging from political violence and tar-and-feathering to a presidential election of 1824 decided by Congress in February of 1825 instead of voters.
Jackson believes those examples offer perspective during today's political conflicts.
"So I know it can feel bloody right now, but the best ideas, I believe, if we continue to do what we have for 250 years, the best ideas of the present will rise to the top eventually, and the next generation will enjoy a still more perfect union," he said.
Jackson is also known for hosting the podcast History That Doesn't Suck. After a summer book tour, he will return to teaching at UVU this fall.
Jackson launched his national book tour in Lehi, Utah June 13th at the Lehi City Library.
Heidi Hatch hosted a conversation with Jackson about the book and how Utahns can get involved in their own American story.
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2026 Sinclair, Inc.
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