Greg Grandin, "The End of the Myth"

Greg Grandin discusses his book, "The End of the Myth".

As Grandin shows in his detailed exploration of the meaning of the frontier in American history, the idea of endless expansion has been part of the nation’s identity since the Revolution, and it has played key parts in landmark events including the War of 1898, the New Deal, and the 2016 election. While the country has looked to distant territories to relieve social and economic pressure, however, such distancing has been at best a distraction—allowing us to push problems away rather than to resolve them. Now, as the nation draws inward, we’re walling ourselves up with the fallout of the financial crisis, the ongoing conflicts overseas, and an angry and divided citizenry. The author of books including Fordlandia and Kissinger's Shadow, Grandin has written an important and thought-provoking analysis that both explodes cherished myths and helps explain the rise of Trump.

Grandin is in conversation with Dara Lind, senior correspondant at Vox covering immigration.

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Produced by Tom Warren