Sorry to intrude, but the mention of D'Souza--whom I really have not followed--making contentions about van Buren, reminded me of the Novel fragment written by Virginia's Judge Tucker, about 1836, which both predicted the coming war--although pictured in 1849, and skewered van Buren, pictured as having won a fourth term in 1848.
The point of my butting in, however, really goes to the very interesting reflection of Virginian attitudes in the 1830s. If interested: The Partisan Leader.
There are scenes in the novel, which offer a very different picture of pre-war life in the Old Dominion, than some have tried to rewrite into a make believe smear narrative.
thanks— will check out the novel. And explore the use as a smear.
More of the same “judging the past on the basis of the current considered “norms”? Such a stupid thing to do. What is so often missing is first hand (like in family) accounts. there not being contrived videos available from the times. Hollyweird has made up for that by fictionalizing falsehoods, known falsehoods.