In 1943, on this day Newton ("Newt") Leroy McPherson was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He later adopted the surname of his step-father Robert Gingrich, a Union serviceman.

Gone OverRaised on the Hummelstown military base, he demonstrated a formidable intellect, excelling in history at the University of Pennsylvania before accepting the draft in 1965. Unsurprisingly, the stark contrast of governance in theory and practice was mindset-changing. In particular his miserable tour of duty on the Federal Zone of Cuba was a transformative experience that profoundly affected his strategic thinking.

Motivated by a grand desire to put the Union back on the path to greatness, he enrolled in the Future Leaders of America programme. Admired for his patriotism and respected for his political genius, he blazed a path to the Presidency. In office, he reached out to Confederate President Rick Santorum, believing that Mexican border control was the convergent "hot button" issue that could bring the Two Americas together. Trouble was, Santorum saw more opportunity in extending the hand of friendship to Mexican President Mitt Romney.
This article is part of the "Two Americas" thread.