Righteous Warrior: Jesse Helms and the Rise of Modern Conservatism
Righteous Warrior examines the life of Senator Jesse Helms, one of the most important American politicians of the late twentieth century, and the important role that he played in the rise of modern conservatism. Born in Monroe, North Carolina, in his early years Helms worked as a newspaperman, a radio commentator and a magazine editor. Early on, he realized the power of television, and, on tiny black and white screens across North Carolina in the 1960s, he battled the civil rights movement, campus radicalism, and the sexual revolution. Race was a central issue for Helms, and he used it at every turn to solidify his base and, in some cases, to mobilize political support. But also important was sexuality, and his discomfort with what he believed was a rising tide of immorality. In 1973, he 
was elected to the Senate, where he remained until 2003. As Senator, Helms became a national conservative leader and spokesman for the revitalized American Right, playing a prominent role in the Reagan Revolution of the 1970s and 1980s and the rising tide of Republicanism of the 1990s.
His political organization, the Congressional Club, became remarkably successful at raising millions of dollars and in operating a highly sophisticated, media-driven political machine. The Congressional Club also provided a source of national standing and power for Helms. In working so relentlessly for his cause, Helms literally became a nexus of the burgeoning movement.
above image: Jesse Helms, senior year of high school, 1937-38
Jesse Helms greets President Richard Nixon,
during campaign stop in Greensboro, N.C., November 1972
Jesse Helms and President Ronald Reagan,
the Oval Office, January 26, 1981