416 | Tad Stoermer | A Resistance History of the United States

The Greatness Machine

Darius Mirshahzadeh

Education, Entrepreneurship, Business

5.0 • 135 Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What happens when the past starts sounding uncomfortably like the present? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with historian Tad Stoermer to explore the recurring cycle of power, resistance, and transformation in American history. Tad traces his journey from the military and Democratic politics into historical scholarship, explaining why moments of resistance often emerge when authority overreaches. Drawing from his forthcoming book, “A Resistance History of the United States,” releasing June 2, 2026, he connects today’s unrest to earlier chapters of the American story. This conversation challenges conventional political thinking and invites listeners to examine current events through a longer historical lens, exploring generational memory, shifting values, and what tends to rise when societies reach a breaking point. In this episode, Darius and Tad will discuss: (00:00) Introduction to Tad Stoermer and His Work (02:53) Tad's Journey to Becoming a Historian (05:40) Understanding Resistance in American History (08:33) The Role of Values in Politics (11:40) The Dynamics of Resistance and Authority (14:12) Political Parties and Their Disconnect with Values (17:02) The Need for Change in Political Systems (20:06) The Founders' Vision and Its Flaws (27:08) The Dynamics of American History (32:19) The Evolution of Republics in the U.S. (37:33) Generational Memory and Historical Context (42:42) Youth Perspectives on Power and Authority (47:18) Resistance Dynamics: A Values-Agnostic Framework Tad Stoermer is a public historian and author of “A Resistance History of the United States”. One of the most widely followed public historians in the world, he reaches millions each month with work focused on the American Revolution and the enduring myths that shape American identity. A former U.S. Army Reconnaissance Scout and veteran of a decade in Democratic politics, Stoermer holds a PhD in History from the University of Virginia and is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins and Harvard. He has taught public history at Harvard, held major fellowships at Brown, Yale, and Monticello, and currently serves as a Lecturer at Johns Hopkins, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern Denmark, and Film and Digital Media Editor of The Public Historian. He splits his time between Denmark and Cape Cod. Connect with Tad: Website: https://www.tadstoermer.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Tad.Stoermer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tad.stoermer/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tadstoermer/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Resistance-History-United-States/dp/158642436X Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Write a review for The Greatness Machine using this link: https://ratethispodcast.com/spreadinggreatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode of The Greatness Machine is powered by six incredible partners, helping entrepreneurs and leaders like you win.
0:05.5	Strawberry.me, are you where you want to be in your career?
0:08.6	Or do you know you're capable of more, but not sure how to get there?
0:11.8	Strawberry.combe career coaching helps you gain clarity, build a strategy, and take action towards your goals.
0:17.7	Whether you're looking to land a new job, grow your current role, or transition into a
0:21.7	field you love, having the right coach can make all the difference. Go to strawberry.m.m.e slash
0:27.6	greatness and get 50% off your first coaching session. That's strawberry.m.E. slash greatness. It's like
0:34.1	therapy for your career. Indeed. If growing your team feels slow, Indeed makes it faster and easier to connect with the right candidates.
0:41.4	Listeners get a $75-sponsored job credit to give your job's extra visibility. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast and let them know you heard about it here.
0:50.3	Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. When it comes to hiring, Indeed has you covered.
0:55.8	Shopify, ready to start selling?
0:57.6	Shopify gives you everything you need to turn your ideas into revenue, online in person, or anywhere your customers are.
1:03.1	Build your store quickly, manage inventory, run marketing campaigns, and use AI tools to improve listings and reach more customers.
1:08.9	Get started with Shopify's $1 per month trial at
1:12.3	Shopify.com slash Darius. That's Shopify.com slash Darius. Brevo. Level up your marketing with
1:18.2	Brevo's all-in-one platform for email SMS automation and customer engagement. Plus,
1:22.7	Aura, Brevo's AI assistant, helps you craft smarter, more personalized campaigns in real-time.
1:27.1	Get started free or use code greatnessness 50% on select plans.
1:31.5	Visit brevo.com forward slash greatness.
1:34.2	What not.
1:34.9	If you're selling online or thinking about it, you need to check out whatnot.
1:38.1	The largest dedicated live shopping platform.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darius Mirshahzadeh, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Darius Mirshahzadeh and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.