In Pursuit is a new national project from More Perfect, featuring essays from Presidents, First Ladies, and leading thinkers reflecting on lessons in leadership from our nation’s history.https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mrcwqbgy422hNancy Kegan Smith writes about Caroline Harrison and the kind of leadership that happens through stewardship. Caroline arrived at a White House overrun by rats and disrepair, and left it a functioning institution with a documented history.23 Jul 2026 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrcwqbgy422hhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mr5wvpjonc2xEvan Thomas writes about Benjamin Harrison and the case for competence over charisma. Harrison is remembered, if at all, as a cold and unmemorable figure, but his administration shaped the country in real ways.21 Jul 2026 13:44 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5wvpjonc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mqrl3vnsq22xAndrew Mangino writes about Frances Folsom Cleveland and the strange new power that arrived when America learned how to mass-produce a famous face. Married in the White House at 21, Frances found her likeness on soap wrappers, candy tins, and playing cards across the country, none of it authorized.16 Jul 2026 15:40 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrl3vnsq22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mqmebr3pws26Troy Senik writes about Grover Cleveland and a career built on the idea that integrity itself was a political force. Cleveland rose from obscurity to the White House in three years, driven by a reputation for refusing favors, cutting waste, and taking public duty literally.14 Jul 2026 13:55 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmebr3pws26https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mq2rcnh6w22dH.W. Brands writes about Chester Arthur and a presidency that began with almost no public confidence. Arthur entered office after Garfield’s assassination, known mostly as a New York machine politician and defender of the spoils system.07 Jul 2026 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq2rcnh6w22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mpjcuwkf4k2tC.W. Goodyear (@cwgoodyear) writes about James Garfield, a president remembered for his assassination but shaped by a more interesting political instinct. Garfield was ambitious, principled, and serious about power, but he worked hard not to let politics turn opponents into enemies.30 Jun 2026 15:27 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjcuwkf4k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3moxmv4cxqk25Stephen Skowronek writes about Rutherford B. Hayes and a presidency built from one of the weakest mandates in American history. Hayes entered office after the disputed election of 1876, with his party divided, Reconstruction faltering, and public trust in the presidency badly damaged.23 Jun 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3moxmv4cxqk25https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mol573u5fs2dYuval Levin writes about Julia Grant and the work of reconciliation after the Civil War. Raised in Missouri and shaped by a border-state world, Julia brought a distinct perspective to a postwar Washington trying to figure out what peace would actually look like in practice.18 Jun 2026 15:25 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mol573u5fs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mofvuvzkn22dGen. Stanley McChrystal writes about Ulysses S. Grant and the harder test that comes after victory. Grant's leadership is usually told through the Civil War, but this essay turns to the years when the battlefield was gone and the stakes were institutional.16 Jun 2026 13:31 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mofvuvzkn22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mnuem72ius2cAnnette Gordon-Reed (@agordonreed.bsky.social) writes about Andrew Johnson and the moment he inherited. With the Civil War ending and slavery destroyed, the country faced a narrow window to rebuild the Union and define what freedom would mean in practice.09 Jun 2026 14:07 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnuem72ius2chttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mnhqqlpsrc2pLois Romano writes about Mary Todd Lincoln and what resilience looked like under constant public scrutiny, personal loss, and political attack.04 Jun 2026 13:39 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnhqqlpsrc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mnco3ppxvk2uPresident Barack Obama (@barackobama.bsky.social) writes about Abraham Lincoln and what held the Union together when everything was working to pull it apart.02 Jun 2026 13:08 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnco3ppxvk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mm7f5llqus2eDavid Blight writes about Franklin Pierce as a president with deep experience who still misread the country he was trying to lead.19 May 2026 12:25 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm7f5llqus2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mlnw3dgymk2aSteve Israel (@repsteveisrael.bsky.social) writes about Millard Fillmore and the political calculation behind the Compromise of 1850. After Zachary Taylor's sudden death, Fillmore inherited the crisis over slavery in the new territories and helped steer the compromise into law.12 May 2026 13:40 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnw3dgymk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mkpjr5t6xc2gAmy Greenberg writes about Sarah Polk and the reality of power in a democracy that didn't let women vote, hold office, or own property. The essay traces how Sarah used education, wealth, and political instinct to operate as her husband's closest strategist.30 Apr 2026 11:40 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpjr5t6xc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mkkmmp7wvk2gMatthew Costello writes about James K. Polk and a one-term presidency that reshaped the map and destabilized the country in roughly equal measure.28 Apr 2026 12:48 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkmmp7wvk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mjz33kljik2lChristopher Leahy writes about John Tyler and the moment that set a lasting precedent. When Harrison died after one month in office, Tyler moved quickly to take the oath and assert that he was not an “acting” president, but the president, with the full powers and responsibilities of the office.21 Apr 2026 13:19 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjz33kljik2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mjhbyctvss2qFor In Pursuit, Sharon McMahon writes about William Henry Harrison and an inaugural address that nearly outlasted the presidency it opened.14 Apr 2026 11:34 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhbyctvss2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3miw2cmjvbk2gLonnie G. Bunch III writes about Martin Van Buren as the architect behind a system most people take for granted. Often remembered more for nicknames than accomplishments, Van Buren helped normalize the idea of political parties as an engine of national unity, not just a threat to it.07 Apr 2026 15:02 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3miw2cmjvbk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mie57wg3us2aJon Meacham writes about Andrew Jackson as a figure who resists easy summary. Soldier, duelist, and political operator, Jackson rewrote the presidency around popular democracy while navigating crises through a mix of public theater and private calculation.31 Mar 2026 12:06 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mie57wg3us2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social/post/3mhxkri4fok2t.@louisathomas.bsky.social) writes about Louisa Catherine Adams and what it meant to live inside power without ever fully being allowed to claim it. Raised for society, she became essential to her husband’s rise, translating personality into politics and turning relationships into leverage.26 Mar 2026 12:04 +0000at://did:plc:hatrlqvktn76lt5sp2bcfhkl/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhxkri4fok2t