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Jon Meacham

Born: May 20, 1969 – Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

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Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize–winning American biographer and historian known for works on U.S. presidents and political history, including American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and The Soul of America. His bestsellers explore American leadership, faith, and democracy, and his influence extends through academia, media commentary, and public lectures.

Biography & Author's Journey

Jon Meacham, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1969, grew up deeply influenced by family discussions about history and politics, sparking his lifelong interest in public affairs. Raised after his parents’ divorce by his paternal grandparents, he attended St. Nicholas School and The McCallie School, developing an early appreciation for the civil rights movement and the workings of American democracy. Meacham graduated summa cum laude and salutatorian from The University of the South in 1991 with a degree in English literature, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, distinguishing himself as an academic and critical thinker from an early age.

Quotes

We cannot guarantee equal outcomes, but we must do all we can to ensure equal opportunity

-The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

In our finest hours, though, the soul of the country manifests itself in an inclination to open our arms rather than to clench our fists

-The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

Always take all the time to reflect that circumstances permit, but when the time for action has come, stop thinking

-American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

Leadership meant knowing how to distill complexity into a comprehensible message to reach the hearts as well as the minds of the larger world

-Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

Politics is brutal because it engages the most fundamental human impulses for affection, honor, power, and fame. Great principles and grand visions are ennobling, but at its best politics is an imperfect means to an altruistic end

-American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

He dreamed big but understood that dreams become reality only when their champions are strong enough and wily enough to bend history to their purposes

-Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

The war between the ideal and the real, between what’s right and what’s convenient, between the larger good and personal interest is the contest that unfolds in the soul of every American

-The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

You can’t divide the country up into sections and have one rule for one section and one rule for another, and you can’t encourage people’s prejudices. You have to appeal to people’s best instincts, not their worst ones. You may win an election or so by doing the other, but it does a lot of harm to the country

-The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels

Steadiness of faith, was, in the long run, as illuminating and essential as sophistication of thought

-American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

Popular Books

Thomas Jefferson

Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham's comprehensive biography of Thomas Jefferson

And There Was Light

Jon Meacham

A compelling exploration of Abraham Lincoln's moral journey and leadership during America's most tumultuous era, illuminating his enduring legacy.

His Truth Is Marching On

Jon Meacham

An inspiring portrait of civil rights icon John Lewis, exploring his faith-driven commitment to nonviolence and racial justice in America.

American Lion

Jon Meacham

Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Andrew Jackson, exploring his controversial presidency and lasting impact on American democracy.

The soul of America

Jon Meacham

A historian's inspiring look at how America has overcome division and fear throughout its history to progress forward.

Songs of America

Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw

A musical journey through American history, exploring patriotic and protest songs that shaped the nation's identity and culture.