- [Narrator] You mightcall them the accidents

or bizarre coincidences of history.

But author Michael Medvedcalls them flat out miracles

that shaped America's destiny.

Like the time TheodoreRoosevelt was shot in the chest

by a would-be assassin whilecampaigning for president.

But the bullet hit a foldedup speech in his jacket pocket

and saved his life.

Or when US planes gotlost over empty ocean

during the Battle of Midway.

Then miraculously reconnected

for five minutes of divebombingthat wrecked Japan's fleet,

convincing even enemy commanders

that higher powersintervened against them.

Or how Abraham Lincoln's Secretaryof State, William Seward,

miraculously survived a knife attack

allowing him two yearslater to acquire Alaska

for the United States.

These stories and more aretold in Medved's latest book,

God's Had on America, DivineProvidence in the Modern Era.

- It's always a treat tohave Michael Medved with us.

Welcome back, it's good to have you here.

- Thank you, Terry.

- What a timely work you haveput together in this book.

I mean, God's Hand on America,

it is a must read for all of us,

because without understanding history,

we get lost in the chaosof the day that we live in.

- Right.

We can become so depressed right now.

One of the things that hasbeen a theme of my work

for a long time is that we need to have

less guilt, more gratitude.

Guilt, sometimes it can be appropriate,

but gratitude, beingthankful for those things

we've been given, is so crucialto animating the country.

This book begins with theaftermath of the Civil War

where you think about the devastation,

700,000 dead Americans.

President Lincoln, whowould become beloved

by the time he was killed, murdered.

The same night that Lincoln was murdered,

part of the conspiracythat John Wilkes Boothe

had set up, was to senda Confederate veteran

named Louis Powell to murderthe Secretary of State,

William Henry Seward, and he was preserved

because he had had a carriageaccident nine days before.

Literally nine days before,

where they had placed a brace on his jaw.

A metal brace with canvas,so that when Powell snuck up

to the third story bedroomand plunged the knife

four different times.

- [Terry] Four different times.

- It didn't hit his jugular vein,

it hit the metal brace on his jaw.

He had this terrible carriage accident

where he broke his jaw.

He almost drowned in his own blood.

- And you think it would bethe worst tragedy available.

- And he thought whyhas God done this to me?

And then after he wasdelivered from assassination.

And that allowed him to get Alaska.

And this was the amazing thing.

And I don't think anyone hasreally noticed this before,

but I'm very proud ofthis being in my book.

While he was negotiatingwith this bizarre character

named Eduard de Stoecklto purchase Alaska, right,

which ended up winning the Cold War,

you could say for America.

At least, that's what Putin believed.

But in any event, whileSeward was doing that

he acquired a little,tiny speck of real estate

two and a half square miles.

- [Terry] Wow.

- Called Midway Island.

Which is featured in the Battle of Midway,

which was mentioned then,

which is more examples ofphenomenal either good luck,

happy accident, or divine plan.

- But really, not possibleto see it is the other,

if you really study all ofthe stories in your book

and other aspects of history.

I mean, this is remarkable,

but there are many more.

- And the point that you're making, Terry,

is so profound, is that people say, well,

America's had a lot of good luck.

It's had a lot of happy accidents.

But a pattern of happyaccidents is still a pattern.

It's evidence that a pattern exists.

It's evidence of intelligentdesign, not random evolution.

- And when we say somethinglike providence, you know,

it's acknowledging that kind of.

Kind of out there in an I don'thave to really look at this

or touch this way.

I mean, when you know thecovenants that were made

by those who came to this land first.

Covenants with God,which he holds very dear.

I mean, we have been for all our flaws

and all our mistakes and allour errors over the years

as a country, we have been blessed.

- Unbelievably.

One of the things thatwas very important for me

in doing this book, is I have a chapter

called The AbrahamicAdvantage, which goes back

to Genesis 12:3, whereGod promises blessing

for those who blessthe children of Israel,

the seat of Abraham.

And America's Zionist heritage,Christian Zionist heritage,

America loved the Jews

before there were any Jews really here.

And I tell the amazing storyof the first Consul General

that went to Jerusalem.

His name was Warder Cresson.

Was just an unbelievable,larger than life character.

But he predicted and tried to organize

the first scientificcooperative farms long before,

and when I say longbefore, he died in 1860.

- [Terry] Wow.

- He had an argument with Herman Melville,

the visiting novelist,author of Moby Dick,

who was visiting Jerusalem, about

and Cresson believed thatJerusalem would be reborn

within 100 years.

And Melville thought that was ridiculous.

Melville lost the argument.

- Obviously.

(laughing) right, you know.

You have so many amazingstories in the book.

Is there one that standsout in your heart and mind

as just remarkable above the others?

- Well, one of them involvesPresident Franklin Roosevelt

at the end of his life.

Because at the end of his life,

he had been so, sort of,favored by divine rescue

and a very closeassassination attempt in 1933.

But he did not recognize how sick he was

when he was running for his fourth term.

And it's the middle of World War II.

He had a vice president, whowe now know historically,

had very deep Communistparty associations,

was very, very dubious for the country.

And there were a handfulof people who formed

what they called TheConspiracy of the Pure of Heart

to dump Henry Wallace, whowas the vice president,

and replace him with Harry Truman.

Harry Truman ends uplaying the architecture

that allowed us to defeat the evil empire

of Soviet Communism and he goes against

his own State Department

to recognize the state of Israel in 1948.

- And then we have what's gone on today.

It's all quite remarkable.

- Well, there's a pattern.

That's what really has consumed me.

My previous book, American Miracle,

followed the rise of the United States.

In other words from 1620really, with the pilgrims

which were all celebrating Thanksgiving

to the end of The Civil War 1865.

This book goes 1865 to the modern day.

And anyone who thinksthat America has lost

its divine protection andblessing isn't paying attention.

- Exactly.

But we need to know ourhistory to know that.

I just wanna say again,

the book is called God's Hand on America.

It's available wherever books are sold.

Get this book and read it.

It's a must read.

It will build your faith.

Thank you, Michael.

- [Michael] Thank you so much, Terry.

- [Terry] Great to have you here.

- [Michael] Thank you, it'sgreat to see you again.

- [Terry] You too.