The Founders worried about an old president

Plus: a legal historian on the latest Supreme Court opinions |

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By Made by History / Produced by Olivia B. Waxman President Biden's lackluster performance during the first presidential debate left many Democratic strategists wondering if he should drop out of the race. But the image of Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, on stage shed light on an ongoing question—whether the candidates should even be in the race at their age. The Founders tried to avoid this exact situation. As Rebecca Brannon explains in Made By History, the Founders worried that older men were more stuck in their ways and believed that representative democracies needed middle-aged leaders who were still open to new ideas. Click here to read the full story — and more from the Road to 250 series, a collaboration between Made by History and Historians for 2026, a group of early Americanists devoted to shaping an accurate and inclusive public memory of the American Founding ahead of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

A Message from Inside Hotels TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT The Palms Hotel & Spa Miami Beach, FL Escape the South Beach crowds at The Palms Hotel & Spa, an environmentally friendly oasis in Miami Beach’s serene Mid-Beach area. This family-owned hotel features refurbished rooms with stunning views of the coastline, cityscape, and lush gardens. Enjoy direct beach access, a refreshing outdoor pool, a spacious sun deck, and a peaceful Zen garden perfect for hammock lounging. Savor mindfully crafted farm-to-table cuisine at Essensia, the hotel’s island-inspired restaurant and bar (and one of the best places to eat in Miami Beach), or rejuvenate at the exclusive AVEDA destination spa with luxurious treatments. Whether for a family vacation, romantic getaway, or solo retreat, The Palms Hotel & Spa offers a tranquil sanctuary with impeccable service and a commitment to sustainability. Read More »

HISTORY ON TIME.COM Supreme Court Opinions Don’t Have to Be the End of the Fight for Justice By Robert L. Tsai / Made by History The Supreme Court doesn't have the last word; the people do. How attorneys pushed back on the flawed 1987 McCleskey decision. Read More » The True Meaning of 'Give Me Liberty' By John Ragosta / Made by History Patrick Henry's famous call to arms wasn't about radical individualism, but about the community's right to govern. Read More » The Deep Roots of the Franco-American Alliance By Elizabeth Sulock, Don Thieme, & Rachel Bahn / Made by History The Franco-American alliance first flourished in Newport, R.I., helping to win the U.S. to win independence. Read More » There’s Still More to Learn From the Debate Over American Monuments By Laura A. Macaluso & Karim M. Tiro / Made by History Philip Schuyler is a reminder of how the things we rightly celebrate about that period are intertwined with the things from which we recoil. Read More » Why Master Distiller Nearest Green’s Story Must Be Told By Fawn Weaver "In 2016, when I first learned about Nearest, I knew I'd stumbled upon a damn good story," writes Fawn Weaver. Read More »

FROM THE TIME VAULT This week in 1960: William Shakespeare Aaron Bohrod The July 4, 1960, cover of TIME “To an Age of Anxiety, he incarnates the courage, humor and fortitude that have always seen men through their dark nights of the soul; to a burnt-out drama he is the ever-renewing fire in the ashes…What does Shakespeare say to an era that feels that the times are out of joint? He does not renounce the world or wallow in self-pity. He is the poet of this-worldliness; he celebrates love, food, drink, music, friendship, conversation, and the changing, changeless beauties of Nature. Though life is time’s fool, Shakespeare posits the ideal of the mature man (“Ripeness is all”) who distills his experiences into common sense and uncommon wisdom.” Read More » This week in 1986: William Rehnquist Richard Hess The June 30, 1986, cover of TIME “William Hubbs Rehnquist will become the 16th Chief Justice of the United States. To fill Rehnquist’s seat as an Associate Justice, the President picked Antonin Scalia, the son of an Italian immigrant, who has served since 1982 as a Reagan appointee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Brilliant, engaging, tenacious and solidly conservative, Scalia (pronounced Skuh-lee-uh) will be a valuable ally for the new Chief Justice (who is already his crony in a floating monthly poker game in Washington) as well as a force on the court in his own right.” Read More » This week in 1998: The Gun in America TIME The July 6, 1998, cover of TIME “Almost exactly 30 years ago this week, TIME ran a cover story, “The Gun in America,” with a memorable image by the Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein that defined the whole notion of in-your-face. That story appeared at a moment when the conduct of national affairs had collapsed into something armed and dangerous. It was 1968, just days after the murder of Robert Kennedy, and before him of Martin Luther King Jr…Now TIME returns again to the issue, prompted in part by the string of school shootings that began last year in Pearl, Miss.” Read More »

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