Sign in

Ashley Best

@wellactuallyhist.bsky.social
56 followers 47 following 62 posts

Teacher, Traveller, Mom to two boys and an absurd number of pets. Vassar ‘97, ‘Cuse fan, professional volunteer.

PostsRepliesMedia
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I highly recommend the books Framed For Posterity and Presidents Above Party if you can find them (both by Ralph Ketcham). I know Abebooks.com had them. They are really solid and clear.
abebooks.com
AbeBooks | Shop for Books, Art & Collectibles
Discover a wonderful selection of rare and collectible books, used copies, signed and first editions and more, from booksellers located around the world.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
As always, I appreciate your respectful dialogue and thoughts!!
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It’s why I stressed nothing is cut and dry and things evolve, there is no one point the Rs changed, no one fits neatly into a box which is why Lincoln can be classified as conservative under strict definitions. And why I offer other sources for further reading.
100
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
And he would say during that time period the founders looked at hundreds of sources, but they fell under the liberal umbrella of the time. Again oversimplified but character limits
210
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Yes, and correct there is no point for them “changing” but there is a tipping point. I worked extensively with Ralph Ketcham on the founders, pretty much my entire life (he taught me to tie my shoes and we worked on my graduate and post grad work and was a mentor)
110
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
People don't fit neatly in boxes, neither do their political parties. Politics, people, and parties evolve;no you can't use Lincoln in 1860 to defend your party or insult the other one in 2026. #politics #Lincoln #history #civilwar #GOP #Democrats 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/what-do-ay...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
What do Ayn Rand and AOC have in common?
You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means. -Inigo Montoya
142
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Always check your work Senator.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We talk about due process a lot, but many don’t know what it entails. And some people will fight you and call you names if you say it wasn’t introduced by Bill Clinton. #dueprocess #immigration #constitutionallaw #ushistory 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/no-bill-cl...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
No, Bill Clinton did NOT create due process
Unless he is a vampire, and currently over 800 years old.....
063
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Criticism doesn't automatically equal "bad reporting", even if it hurts your feelings! (And yes, the press has always been all over the place when it comes to political biases!) #history #journalism #freedomofthepress 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/the-press-...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
The press has always had “political leanings”
That’s because journalists are people.
030
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
New York has often held the spotlight when it comes to progressive political figures, and this can at times be really stressful for their political parties. #presidents #History #progressives #Mamdani🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/what-do-ma...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
What do Mayor Mamdani and Teddy Roosevelt Have in Common?
Hint: it’s not facial hair.
022
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Part IV is here. We have 185 types of visa, but you cannot apply for asylum to become a documented asylum seeker until you are inside the borders of the United States. #history #immigration #immigrationlaw #refugees 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/a-very-bas...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
A Very Basic History of Immigration Law: Part IV
How we got to 185 different visas.
052
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I was in New York City on 9/11, my family has been in that area for…well centuries. What breaks my heart on this 25th anniversary is not just the lives lost and the tragedy, but those who use it as a excuse for hate. The hate is what is disrespectful to those who lost everything that day.
001
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A quick and dirty summary of immigration laws 1800-1929, if you want a bit more in depth the first 3 parts of the series on are on the website. Part IV is Monday. #AmericanHistory #Immigration #Immigrationlaw 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/brief-summ...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
Brief Summary of Immigration Laws Part 1-3
A quick guide and refresher if you need it before Part IV
042
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
It turns out trying distill the Quota Acts into straight forward prose was not for the faint of heart. This one was a doozy. #immigration #immigrationlaw #undocumented 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/a-brief-hi...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
A Very Basic History of Immigration Law III: Visa, it’s everywhere you wanna be!
Part IV will be out next Monday and bring us up to the present
031
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
It turns out your family name wasn't accidentally changed by a clerk at Ellis Island. #immigation #immigrationlaw #history #ellisisland 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/bonus-trac...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
Bonus Track: Ellis Island
My family came through Ellis Island, they followed the rules!
071
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The moment we have all been waiting for, Part II is live. (And not to get you too excited, but yes there will be a Part III AND an Ellis Island Bonus Track! Stay tuned.) #history #immigration #immigrationlaw 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/a-very-bas...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
A Very Basic Overview of Immigration Law, Part II
1870-1920 (lots of legislation, but nothing particularly difficult from a LEGAL standpoint if you are European.)
090
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Coming back from the other side of the world has taken it's toll. So Part II will be out Tuesday instead of tomorrow. I know you are disappointed, but I promise you it's for the best. 😉 #history #immigrationlaw 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/immigratio...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
Immigration Part II Will Be Here Tuesday
Jet lag is taking more of a toll than anticipated.
031
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Anyone else who studied history have the recurring feeling of what it must have been like to be Cassandra at the Sack of Troy? #history 🗃️
0186
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Right now, being a historian often feels like being Cassandra at the sack of Troy.
030
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I mean, on the one hand it was cool my family could see my coordinates on my manta ray trip. On the other it is kinda creepy how well find my worked on the iphone…..(photos of the dock in Maldives, I was many miles past that horizon)
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The Substack itself, was made at the request of few friends who haven't taken history in 20 years, and who were frustrated by statements on social media that they knew were wrong but didn't know why. I try and keep each one concise and under 4 minute reads, thus the need for "parts".
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Sounds very good, it is a different, and important topic. I actually talked a bit about nativism earlier in the month, and will be hitting it again. I will be sure to check out Hirota fully for that one.
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
This is part one and ends at 1850. And again fees fall under ability to pay, which is addressed as a requirement in the piece itself.
100
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I presume you are referring to the Passenger Cases, which were a tax/bond in NY and MA. So a fee, that could be considered a part of paying for passage. In 1849 the Supreme Court declared those unconstitutional. when comparing immigration laws they are Federal. Sorry if you were confused.
100
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Immigration law is the second most complex area of law, only tax law is more complicated. It wasn't always this way...you can't really say your family came "the right way", if there wasn't a "wrong way". #history #immigration #immigrationlaw 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/a-incredib...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
A Very Brief Overview of Immigration Law in U.S. History
Part I
2104
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
substack.com/profile/2331...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
We asked this guy when he swam up, but he says he hasn’t heard from Mitch McConnell in months. Also called him the black sheep of the family….
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
No real need for tinfoil hats, the government hasn't figured out mind-reading and psychokinesis just yet, but it turns out it is not for lack of trying! #history #spycraft #parapsychology #foreignpolicy #sci-fi 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/stranger-t...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
Stranger Things: Based on a True Story
kinda....
061
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Someone told me we couldn't take in any more immigrants in America because we are "out of space" so I told them about Wyoming, and our nations obsession with elbow room. #history #immigration #development #expansionism 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/america-wh...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
America, While Supplies Last
Today we will being unpacking a comment found on a Threads post about asylum seekers.
163
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
There is something very unsettling about listening to the news in Singapore, and hearing them refer to the President announcing his foreign policy via "social media". On brand, but sounds even more ridiculous when part of the international news.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Movies are so much more than just stories on the screen.. What films do you think should be mandatory watching for inventors, politicians, potential billionaires.... #film #history #Americananxiety substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
A lot of people don’t remember what happened in Terminator 2 and it shows. Other films they could probably stand to watch: 2001:A Space Odyssey Jurassic Park War games & Goonies, just because.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
You are an NPR listener, aren't you. Thanks for letting me know there was a typo, I was able to go back and fix it for those who may have been confused by the homonym. I appreciate the catch, as this my hobby/passion project on the side of the work I do with the immigrant community in my city.
020
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Constant Vigilance! How westerns, horror movies, Matthew Broderick and a turtle names Bert contributed to America's gun culture. #history #film #politics 🗃️ substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Constant Vigilance!
Movie night brought to you by: America's generalized anxiety and culture of mistrust.
152
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Doctors whose medical advice I trust more than RFK Jr. and the President: Dr. Dre Dr. Pepper Doc McStuffin's Noah Wylie any time he is wearing scrubs... Who do you have on your list? Answer here or on Substack #publichealth #U.S.history #Government substack.com/profile/2331...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
This game is making the rounds again: Doctors I will consult with before following the adivce of RFK Jr or the president’s executive order on vaccintion: Dr. Dre Dr. Pepper Doc Holliday Doc McStu...
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Yup, they don't let you edit on bluesky and when I pause mid post to deal with dogs and then need to drive a kid somewhere but want to get the post up errors happen, fortunately people seem to still understand the issue.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
This is so disgusting...and so on brand. He has never, ever cared about anyone else.
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
We have had FIVE presidential candidates whose eligibilty was questioned on citizenship grounds OTHER than Obama, going back to Chester A. Arthur. Click the link to see el-Sayed's response in MI. #history #elections #USpolitics #birthrightcitizenship 🗃️ substack.com/profile/2331...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
I love this primary ad from Abdul el-Sayed! No notes. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SYleV9hC1zM
030
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
2020 was a large anti-vaxxer movement who believed the government was overstepping. The Supreme Court weighed in on the issue way back in 1905....also can you guess who introduced the idea of inoculation in the colonies? #history #publichealth 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/did-you-ge...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
Did You Get Your Fauci Ouchie?
Today’s statement was from a person with a lot of thoughts that they shared in the comments on a video of the Fauci hearings on Facebook.
071
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
You get a lounge? I’m jealous!
static.klipy.com
Me Hiding From Kids
ALT: Me Hiding From Kids
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I have an advanced degree in US history and Con Law, and my Substack is about correcting historical misunderstandings I see on social media-because of the whole Trump era selective memory movement . I’m sorry if the wording was confusing here!
040
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Not at all, this cartoon is from the 1930s, the anti vaccination movement can be seen in the revolutionary/colonial era. If you click and go to the Substack note it gives more information, as I get more characters over there.
130
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
This cartoon from the 1930s could have been published yesterday and been relevant. We had both a strong anti-vaxxer and anti-masker contingent in the U.S. since before we were the U.S. #history #Covid #fauci #publichealth 🗃️ substack.com/@wellactuall...
411344
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
President Taft Got Stuck in the Bath 🗃️ wellactuallyhistory.substack.com/p/president-...
wellactuallyhistory.substack.com
President Taft Got Stuck in the Bath
Well actually…
010
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Who is up for a little 2 truth's and lie, William Henry Taft... 1)Kept a cow at the white house 2)Got stuck in a tub 3)First president to throw out a pitch at a MLB game You can register your answer over on substack or in the comments. #history #presidents #mythology substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
Two Truths and a Lie, Let’s start easy! William Howard Taft….. 1)Kept his own cow at the White House for fresh milk 2)Got stuck in a bath tub 3)Was the first president to throw the ceremonial fir...
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Yup, Sumner insulted Senator Butler as taking as his "harlot, slavery". Brooks then felt justified in brutal assault (not cool). MA showed them by not having a senator for 3 years. I don't think it is ok to leave seats vacant for months or years at time, though. Regardless of the reason.
000
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
McConnell is not the first senator who they held a "seat" for after he was gravely injured.... #Congress #History #MissingSenator 🗃️ substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
Happy August 4, it is now SAFE for the GOP to announce if McConnell is actually dead or merely incapacitated and incapable of returning to work. But McConnell is not the first Senator whose seat was h...
040
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
If Washington Sits In A Garage, It Doesn’t Make Him A Car The Founding Fathers and Deism #history #firstamendment #foundingfathers 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/wellactu...
open.substack.com
If Washington Sits In A Garage, It Doesn’t Make Him A Car
The Founders and Deism
041
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Seriously? Saturday....brought to you by the CIA and people who clearly never owned a cat.... #cats #coldwar #spycraft #history 🗃️ substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
Seriously? Saturday, brought to you by our very own CIA. In the 1960s, people who have clearly never owned a cat, decided to try and use cats as spies. The idea was the cats could be surgically implan...
031
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Friday funday? When I look at political cartoons from the past, and they still are relevant in the present... #history #gildedage #laborhistory 🗃️ substack.com/@wellactuall...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
That time when a cartoon from 1894 is still incredibly relevant…. the new gilded age….
0103
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Well Actually....The Puritans Amsterdam was always ahead of it's time, just ask the Puritans! 🗃️ #ReligiousFreedom #ColonialAmerica #History open.substack.com/pub/wellactu....
open.substack.com
Well Actually....The Puritans
Turns out the Netherlands were always "too liberal" for some!
020
Ashley Best @wellactuallyhist.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I am working on tomorrow's piece for my substack, about whether or not America is "full" as was stated by a a thread's user. And I realized the Columbian Exposition of 1893 had some incredibly, unintentional on brand side effects.... #history #columbus #gildedage 🗃️ substack.com/profile/2331...
substack.com
Ashley (@wellactuallyhistory)
1893 World’s Fair, celebrating the arrival of Columbus, gave us America’s first official serial killer and America’s own version of Imperialism. Which they didn’t realize at the time, was incredibly o...
010