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Lawrence W. Reed

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One Hundred Years Ago in Rome

April 4, 2026

The line between sanity and mental illness is not stark and defined. It is blurry, so it’s not easy to tell when someone has crossed it.

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William Henry Harrison: The Speech

April 3, 2026

As long as it was, it was largely boring and forgettable.

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Eleanor Roosevelt on the Ten-Dollar Bill? →

April 3, 2026

A proposal from more than a decade ago that fortunately went nowhere.

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Order "I, Smartphone" on Amazon today for under $5.00! →

March 30, 2026

Drawing on economics, history, and everyday examples, this essay traces the vast web of knowledge, skills, incentives, and price signals that make the smartphone possible. From rare earth minerals mined across continents to cutting-edge design, testing, manufacturing, and distribution, I, Smartphone shows how billions of independent decisions—made without central direction—come together through the miracle of the free market.

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Jesus was a Socialist? That's a Lie →

March 25, 2026

This interview, aside from addressing the question, “Was Jesus a Socialist?” also touches on events in Poland, Argentina, and Brazil. Published by “Speak Freely” on March 19, 2026.

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Remembering Rostropovich

March 24, 2026

One of the 20th Century’s giants of both music and freedom.

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A Woman as Strong as Any Man

March 21, 2026

Margaret Thatcher famously said once, “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” That was certainly the case in the ancient story of the great Israelite leader, Deborah.

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Wisdom from the Founders in Their Own Words

March 21, 2026

Most historians would be hard pressed to identify another generation anywhere who did more to liberate and enlighten humanity.

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Why North Carolina is Called "First in Freedom"

March 16, 2026

From January 1 until July 4, 1776, the world spoke of America as 13 colonies in open rebellion against Great Britain. From July 4 onward, we were called the United States of America. To pre-order Born of Ideas, click here: https://tinyurl.com/7hebjdhf.

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The Story Told by Poland and Venezuela

March 14, 2026

Only socialists can look at Poland and Venezuela and arrive at the wrong conclusion. For everybody else, which system works and which does not is as certain as where the sun rises and where it sets. Spanish version: https://tinyurl.com/yt44u7px.

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Native Americans and the Revolution

March 12, 2026

Most Native Americans were not bystanders as patriots fought British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries.

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The Life of Frederic Bastiat, a Real Hero for Liberty

March 1, 2026

To his last breath, he mustered great eloquence to assault the arrogance of socialism and to defend the virtues of liberty. Article also appears here: https://fee.org/articles/the-life-of-frederic-bastiat/.

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Phillis Wheatley and Black Heroes of the American Revolution →

February 19, 2026

She became, writes historian Henry Louis Gates, “the most famous African on the face of the earth, the Oprah Winfrey of her time.”

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This article is drawn from a chapter in the author’s forthcoming book, Born of Ideas: How Principles, Faith, and Courage Forged America,” appearing in Spring 2026.

How Washington Won the War

February 15, 2026

A war-time incident involving a lost dog underscored the biggest reason Washington won the war.

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How Did the Middle and Lower Classes Fare in the Roman Empire? →

February 10, 2026

Despite the general decline in morals and governance that characterized much of the imperial era, ordinary Romans fared better than you might surmise, at least until the decline overwhelmed them in the late fifth century. Photo: part of the Circus Maximus.

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My Best Investment Ever

February 10, 2026

I took an evening course once that proved to be the best investment I ever made. Pictured here is the same model of typewriter that I used for that course. Thank you, Charles Latham Sholes!

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Eisenhower and the Berlin Capture, 1945

February 6, 2026

In September 1944, General Eisenhower intended for Allied forces to eventually capture Berlin, the Nazi capital. By March 1945, he had changed his mind. Why? This is an essay I wrote 51 years ago as a senior at Grove City College.

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A Very Old Racket

January 27, 2026

Historians generally posit that the Roman welfare state appeared in the last century of the old Republic, beginning with grain subsidies in 123 B.C. But the racket is even older than that, by at least 300 years. Photo credit: Douglas Rissing via iStock.

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China's Past Through a Lens of Liberty →

January 27, 2026

A new, free eBook from FEE. On Chinese history from a liberty perspective by Lawrence W. Reed and Katrina Gulliver.

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When America Bought Land From Denmark

January 16, 2026

The U.S. never threatened or bullied Denmark before it peacefully purchased the Danish West Indies more than a century ago.

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Recent “Best of Web”

Featured
Obama Library Disenfrancises Millions of Blacks by Requiring Voter ID
June 22, 2026
Obama Library Disenfrancises Millions of Blacks by Requiring Voter ID
June 22, 2026

Civil rights activists in Chicago have warned that the photo ID requirement at the Obama Library could directly kill thousands of black people — Babylon Bee.

June 22, 2026
Gore's Scam
June 20, 2026
Gore's Scam
June 20, 2026

Referring to the lies in his cartoonish fiction film, Gore says “It may not have been true in any way, but I sure enjoyed it. After all, I am now very, very rich" — Babylon Bee.

June 20, 2026
Democrats Demand Reparations from African American
June 15, 2026
Democrats Demand Reparations from African American
June 15, 2026

Prominent Democratic Party leaders in Washington, D.C., took to the airwaves this week, calling for immediate reparations to be paid to make amends for the repeated success of African American Elon Musk — Babylon Bee.

June 15, 2026

Recent Quotes

Featured
Murphy on America
February 11, 2025
Murphy on America
February 11, 2025

“The true meaning of America, you ask? It’s in a Texas rodeo, in a policeman’s badge, in the sound of laughing children, in a political rally, in a newspaper. ... In all these things, and many more, you’ll find America. In all these things, you’ll find freedom. And freedom is what America means to the world. And to me” — Actor, poet, and the most decorated American of World War II, Audie Murphy.

February 11, 2025
Mill on Freedom
February 1, 2025
Mill on Freedom
February 1, 2025

“The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental and spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.”

February 1, 2025
Best-Selling Japanese Novelist Eiji Yoshikawa on Do-Gooders
March 20, 2023
Best-Selling Japanese Novelist Eiji Yoshikawa on Do-Gooders
March 20, 2023

“There’s nothing more frightening than a half-baked do-gooder who knows nothing of the world but takes it upon himself to tell the world what’s good for it — from his book, Musashi.

March 20, 2023

Recent Blogs

Featured
Real Heroes of the American Revolution: A Lecture at the Mackinac Center, 6/22/26
June 24, 2026
Real Heroes of the American Revolution: A Lecture at the Mackinac Center, 6/22/26
June 24, 2026

Nathan Hale, Haym Salomon, Mercy Warren, Casimir Pulaski, George Whitefield, James Otis, Esther Reed—these are among the great patriots I talk about in this June 22, 2026 lecture in Midland, Michigan.

June 24, 2026
The Central Banker Who Defied Hitler
June 22, 2026
The Central Banker Who Defied Hitler
June 22, 2026

Generally speaking, central banks get excessive credit for the good times and insufficient blame for the bad times. But you could certainly do worse than Hans Luther.

June 22, 2026
Animated Video: "I, Smartphone"
June 18, 2026
Animated Video: "I, Smartphone"
June 18, 2026

Narrated by Naomi Brockwell, this new video tells the story of my recent essay, “I, Smartphone: Far Smarter Than You Ever Imagined.” Print version of the essay: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GP9MG18K

June 18, 2026