Presidencies of the United States
This podcast is devoted to exploring presidential history from the founding of the office in 1789 on through the present day. I plan to take a systematic approach to both the people and the events that have shaped and reshaped each administration and the office in general.
S4 E44 · Sun, April 06, 2025
The Year Without a Summer
Year(s) Discussed: 1815-1816 While Madison's administration in its latter days worked to secure peace with Native peoples in the Gulf South, General Andrew Jackson decided to act unilaterally in Florida against a fortified settlement of people seeking their freedom from enslavement. Meanwhile, a volcanic eruption in southeast Asia had climatic impacts on the eastern seaboard of the US while the nation prepared for its 8th presidential election. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 23, 2025
VPOTUS 005.5 - John Gaillard (President Pro Tempore)
Tenure of Office: November 25, 1814 - March 3, 1817 With the death of VP Elbridge Gerry, the Senate had to choose someone from their ranks who could preside over them so that they could carry out business for the next two and a half years. Luckily, they knew a guy who was already familiar with the view from the rostrum. Join us to learn more about John Gaillard of South Carolina's rise in politics and what he got up to in his lengthy tenure as President Pro Tem. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 16, 2025
Interview with Michael Vorenberg, Lincoln's Peace
Year(s) Discussed: 1861-1871 Most of us were taught that the Civil War ended with Lee's surrender at Appomattox. However, as my special guest, Michael Vorenberg, points out, pinpointing the end of the War is not quite as simple as standard history accounts would have us believe, and there is much more insight and knowledge to be gained by exploring an expanded timeline and scope of the Civil War. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E43 · Sun, March 09, 2025
New Year, New Bank
Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1816 In the aftermath of the War of 1812, the Madison administration is faced with multiple lingering issues. Looming large is how to support the recovery of the national economy, and Treasury Secretary Alexander J Dallas's proposed solution of a new national bank meets with determined opposition in Congress. Meanwhile, as the administration works to restore relations with Spain, the plans of American filibusters and the Mexican independence movement threaten those diplomatic efforts. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 02, 2025
Interview with Allen C Guelzo, Our Ancient Faith
Year(s) Discussed: 1809-1865 What seems at first glance to be a simple question - What is democracy? - is one that many have pondered over the ages. In my discussion with Allen C Guelzo on his new book, we explore how Abraham Lincoln approached that question, what influences led to the crafting of the concept of the "Lincolnian democracy," and what we can learn from this to carry forward into the present day. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 23, 2025
SATT 030.3 - William H Crawford Part Three
Tenure of Office: August 1, 1815 - October 22, 1816 (as Secretary of War); October 22, 1816 - March 6, 1825 (as Secretary of the Treasury) With this episode, I and my special guest, Dr. Max of the Poor Historians Podcast, finish our examination of William H Crawford's life and lengthy career of public service with his role in the Election of 1824 and his involvement in politics after leaving the Cabinet. Will Crawford earn a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars? Listen to find out! Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 16, 2025
Interview with John Robert Greene, Little Helpers
Year(s) Discussed: 1945-1953 Harry Truman is famous for asserting that "The Buck Stops Here," but as my special guest, John Robert "Bob" Greene, found in his research for his new book, this myth doesn't hold up to the reality of his administration's history. In our conversation, Bob and I discuss some of the unsavory characters working in the Truman White House, their connections to the mob, and the wheeling and dealing that led to a congressional investigation. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 09, 2025
SATT 030.2 - William H Crawford Part Two
Tenure of Office: August 1, 1815 - October 22, 1816 (as Secretary of War); October 22, 1816 - March 6, 1825 (as Secretary of the Treasury) Joined by my special guest, Dr. Max of the Poor Historians Podcast , we continue our journey through the life of William H Crawford, exploring his tenure as first head of the War Department then his longer tenure as Treasury Secretary. In addition to carrying out his official duties, we examine Crawford's involvement with larger political debates of the time and his two candidacies for the presidency. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 26, 2025
SATT 030.1 - William H Crawford Part One
Tenure of Office: August 1, 1815 - October 22, 1816 (as Secretary of War); October 22, 1816 - March 6, 1825 (as Secretary of the Treasury) William H Crawford may be one of the most famous figures in US presidential history that folks only know one thing about - his role in the Election of 1824. However, with my special guest, Dr. Max from the Poor Historians Podcast , we learn that there is much more to his life and legacy than meets the eye. In this first episode, we follow Crawford as his family settled in Georgia where he rose through the political ranks to serve in the state legislature before his election to the US Senate and appointment as US Minister to France. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E42 · Sun, January 19, 2025
Shortest. War. Ever.
Year(s) Discussed: 1814-1815 As the British and Americans handed back over land captured during the recent War, the US government was finally able to turn its attention to the situation with Algiers and the American sailors that had been held captive by them for years. Meanwhile, in Europe, Napoleon set into motion his triumphal return to power. Little did he know, however, just how quickly a new Allied Coalition would come together to thwart his plans and what ramifications this would have for the geopolitical stage of the 19th century. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 12, 2025
Interview with Nathan Raab, The Hunt for History
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1963 In this episode, I am joined by Nathan Raab, the nation’s leading dealer in important historical documents, and we discuss his work and how he developed the skills necessary to assess the value and the authenticity of documents and other historical artifacts. He also shares with us some of his stories from his search for the physical artifacts of American and world history as well as how he came around to writing a book about his work. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, December 31, 2024
39.015 - A Startling Education in Politics: A Tribute to Jimmy Carter
Year(s) Discussed: 1962-1963 In memory of the late Jimmy Carter, this episode examines his first foray into the political realm with his 1962 run for the Georgia State Senate. In a time of political and social change, Carter took the opportunity to serve the public, but he would face many challenges on his path to electoral victory. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E41 · Mon, December 09, 2024
What Now? The Aftermath of War
Year(s) Discussed: 1814-1815 In the latter days of the War of 1812, President Madison had to rebuild a shattered administration and a decimated capital city while still working to bring the military conflict to a resolution. Meanwhile, in New England, the British took control of a large portion of Maine, and Federalists agitated against what they saw as a tyrannical Southern-dominated federal government. Also in this episode, we reach the end of the epic tale that is the long and scandalous career of General James Wilkinson. Source used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 01, 2024
VPOTUS 005.2 - Elbridge Gerry Part Two
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1813 - November 23, 1814 Despite being elected to the First Congress under the Constitution, Elbridge Gerry would hit some rocky patches in his career of public service after 1789. Still, the twists and turns that led him on a diplomatic mission to France, a couple of terms as governor of Massachusetts, and finally to presiding over the Senate as Vice President left us with much to discuss as we evaluated his overall life at the end. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, November 23, 2024
VPOTUS 005.1 - Elbridge Gerry Part One
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1813 - November 23, 1814 Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts quickly rose to become one of the key leaders in Congress during the American Revolution and the war's aftermath. However, as Alex and I explore in this episode, when it came time for the Constitutional Convention, Gerry would have more than a few things to say about the new government taking shape which would impact the trajectory of his political career. Sources used in this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 18, 2024
Friendsgiving 3.0: The Good, the Bad, and the Murder Mystery
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, I pick up my annual tradition of gathering with fellow podcasters Alycia from Civics & Coffee, Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories, and Howard Dorre from Plodding Through the Presidents to talk about history, podcasting, what we're thankful for, and what a mystery novel featuring presidents at a secluded mansion for the weekend might look like. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 10, 2024
Interview with Jordan Cash, Adding the Lone Star
Year(s) Discussed: 1790-1863 In this episode, I am joined by historian Jordan Cash to discuss two pivotal figures in the push for Texas annexation: Sam Houston and John Tyler. Each dealt with unique challenges in their respective roles as president to get the Americans and Texians to agree to the Lone Star Republic becoming the 28th state of the Union. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, November 03, 2024
From Me to All of You: 2024 Election Edition
As election day draws closer in the United States, I wanted to share a few thoughts in light of what's been an interesting campaign season to say the least and reflections on the future. For our American listeners, if you haven't already, please go vote! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 27, 2024
Interview with Kurt Deion, Congressional Cemetery
Year(s) Discussed: 1807-present In this episode, I am joined by the Presidential Grave Hunter himself, Kurt Deion of the Congressional Cemetery to learn more about the history behind the site known as DC's greatest undertaking. Kurt shares stories about some of the famous (and infamous) permanent residents there, a list which includes congressional members, Supreme Court justices, a vice president, and an FBI director named J Edgar. More information including links to learn more can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E40 · Mon, October 21, 2024
One More Battle
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1815 After failing to take Baltimore, the British turn their attention to the Gulf South in an attempt to land another blow to the Americans before the work of the peace commissioners brought the war to an end. However, they would find General Andrew Jackson ready to defend New Orleans with a diverse group of folks including veterans of the Creek War, free men of color, native warriors, and Baratarian pirates. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 06, 2024
SATT 029 - Benjamin W Crowninshield
Tenure of Office: January 16, 1815 - September 30, 1818 A merchant from Massachusetts, Benjamin Crowninshield assumed office as Secretary of the Navy in the latter days of the War of 1812. Join me and my special guest, April from the Door Key Podcast , as we explore the life and career of this member of the Madison and Monroe administrations and determine whether his legacy earns him a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Note: There is a discussion of a potential non-consensual sexual encounter around the 31 minute mark to around the 36 minute mark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E39 · Sun, September 29, 2024
A Christmas Miracle
Year(s) Discussed: 1814 In the aftermath of the burning of Washington, DC, the Madison administration hardly had time to pick up the pieces before they had to turn their attention to a new British invasion of Baltimore. Meanwhile, the American negotiators in Europe worked to find a path to peace with their British counterparts, and General Andrew Jackson shifted his focus to the defense of Mobile. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, September 25, 2024
FEED DROP - History Shorts Podcast, Interview with Dan Carlin
As an extra bonus to our special episode discussing the post-presidencies of the Early Republic, check out an episode of guest Peter Zablocki's podcast, History Shorts , where he interviews the podcasting legend himself, Dan Carlin. Peter and Dan discuss the inspiration behind their appreciation for the study of history, how the discipline has evolved over the years, and how podcasts present a unique approach to storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 22, 2024
Interview with Peter Zablocki, History Shorts
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1836 When he left office after his second term, George Washington had one more precedent to set: namely, what exactly did a president do once they were no longer president? In this episode, I am joined by Peter Zablocki, host of the History Shorts podcast, to discuss the post-presidencies of the Early Republic. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 15, 2024
VPOTUS 004.5 - William H Crawford (President Pro Tempore)
Tenure of Office: April 24, 1812 - March 3, 1813 What happens when a Vice President dies? Prior to the 25th Amendment, that meant that a President Pro Tempore (or "for the time being") was chosen to preside over the Senate until the next election. After the death of George Clinton in 1812, the person chosen for that position was William H Crawford of Georgia. Join us as we learn more about what it meant to be President Pro Tempore at the time and what Crawford did during his tenure. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 08, 2024
SATT 028.2 - Alexander J Dallas Part Two
Tenure of Office: October 6, 1814 - October 21, 1816 When Alexander J Dallas assumed office as Secretary of the Treasury, the federal government was nearly bankrupt. With my special guests, Cody and Stephen of the Imperfect Men podcast , we explore Dallas's tenure at Treasury and his efforts to improve the nation's finances and economy in the aftermath of the War of 1812 then determine whether Dallas is worthy of a seat at the table of Cabinet All-Stars. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 01, 2024
SATT 028.1 - Alexander J Dallas Part One
Tenure of Office: October 6, 1814 - October 21, 1816 In this episode, I am joined by Cody and Stephen of the Imperfect Men podcast to discuss a lesser known yet quite influential Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander J Dallas of Pennsylvania. Join us as we discuss his early life and career which led him to become one of the leading figures in Pennsylvania politics in the Early Republic. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 18, 2024
Interview with Stan Haynes, Roosevelt to Roosevelt
Year(s) Discussed: 1904-1944 They happen every four years, but how much do you know about the history of presidential nominating conventions in the US? In this episode, I am joined by Stan Haynes to discuss his research into the history of nominating conventions in the first few decades of the 20th century. Beyond just the fascinating historical figures at play in the politics of the time, the changes in the structure of the conventions and how the candidates were chosen were pivotal to development of the modern American political structure. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 11, 2024
Interview with Lindsay Chervinsky, Making the Presidency
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1801 The presidency of John Adams often gets overshadowed by those of his predecessor and successor, but as highlighted in Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky's latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic , the four years that Adams was in office were pivotal ones for establishing the office of the presidency as well as the nation as a whole. In our conversation, Lindsay and I discuss Adams's approach to the office, the challenges he faced, and how he managed to avoid a full-out conflict with France despite the bellicose efforts of those in his own party. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E38 · Wed, July 31, 2024
The Storm That Saved Washington
Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1814 President Madison and his administration learned that the British were sending seasoned veterans of the Napoleonic Wars to fight American forces in the north as the new commander of the British North American fleet issued orders designed to attack the United States economically and militarily. The time of small raids on coastal communities was at an end. In August 1814, the British had their sights on Washington, DC. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, July 17, 2024
S012 - There and Back Again: 1912
Year(s) Discussed: 1908-1921 Four candidates. Forty-eight states. Only one can come out on top with at least 266 electoral votes needed to win. To discuss the knock down, drag out brawl that was 1912, I am joined by Joseph Pascone of the Turning Tides Podcast to go through the ins and outs of this impactful election and the elements of modern US presidential elections that start to make their appearance in this campaign. More information can be found on the page for this episode at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, July 14, 2024
A Response to Recent Events
While I typically try to avoid talk of current events on the podcast, the events of July 13th, 2024 did necessitate a delay in the release of the next episode, and I wanted to offer support and thoughts in the face of this latest example of violence in American politics along with some historical context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E37 · Sun, July 07, 2024
Stalemate
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1815 As the second year of the war against Britain wrapped up, the Madison administration found that little progress had been made. The invasion of Canada had stalled, and merchants in New England were undermining the war effort by continuing to trade with the British. Meanwhile, a new commander of the British North American squadron made plans to put greater pressure on the Americans. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 30, 2024
Interview with Tyson Reeder, Serpent in Eden
Year(s) Discussed: 1781-1815 The early republic was a tumultuous time for the United States both domestically and in the realm of diplomacy, and one man who rather consistently found himself at the center of its all in the nation's first few decades was James Madison. In my discussion with Tyson Reeder about his new book, Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison's America , we discuss Madison's role in the public sphere and government policy in the late 18th and early 19th century as well as how various foreign powers worked to manipulate Madison and his American contemporaries for their own ends. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 16, 2024
VPOTUS 004.2 - George Clinton Part Two
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1805 - April 20, 1812 After coming out of retirement for one more term as governor of New York, George Clinton went on to become Jefferson's vice president. Find out how he became the first of only two VPs to date to serve under two different presidents and why he didn't necessarily see that as a good thing by listening to this episode. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 10, 2024
VPOTUS 004.1 - George Clinton Part One
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1805 - April 20, 1812 No, he's not *that* George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic fame, but there are still so many interesting points to discuss about the life and career of Revolutionary War general and first governor of New York George Clinton. In this episode, Alex and I explore his rise to political prominence and his first six (yes, six) terms as Governor. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E36 · Sun, May 26, 2024
Exile
Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1814 The Allied forces of Europe were drawing ever closer to the French capital in the early months of 1814, and the Emperor Napoleon had to consider what options remained for him and for his empire. Meanwhile, American diplomats in Europe worked to determine what impact events on the continent would have on negotiations with the British while President Madison appointed new commissioners to join the diplomats already in Europe. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 19, 2024
S011 - The Center Cannot Hold: 1860
Year(s) Discussed: 1860-1861 Though the United States had experienced an election with four primary candidates before, the presidential election of 1860 was unique in that the candidates were based more on geographic region, and the result of that election would change the course of American history. Join me and my special guest, Alycia from Civics & Coffee as we discuss the particulars of the election, the individuals involved, and how the state of the nation in 1860 impacted who became the 16th US President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E35 · Sun, May 12, 2024
Horseshoe Bend
Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1814 Within a few months' time, Andrew Jackson went from having a depleted force under his command to achieving one of the most decisive victories in his military career. In this episode, we explore how that transpired and the ramifications that this would have for the Native peoples of the Gulf South. Meanwhile, back in Washington, President Madison was in a showdown with the US Senate and had to make some decisions on how to stabilize his tumultuous administration. Sources used in this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 28, 2024
SATT 027.2 - Richard Rush Part Two
Tenure of Office: February 10, 1814 - November 12, 1817 (as Attorney General); March 07, 1825 - March 05, 1829 (as Secretary of the Treasury) In Part Two of this episode, Rush returned to the Cabinet as Secretary of the Treasury in the administration of John Quincy Adams, but he quickly found out that the Era of Good Feelings was long past over at this point. Join me and my special guest, Alycia from Civics & Coffee , as we examine the remainder of Rush's life and lengthy career which saw him shift parties due to changing political circumstances and took him to Queen Victoria's England as well as Paris during the Revolutions of 1848. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wed, April 17, 2024
SATT 027.1 - Richard Rush Part One
Tenure of Office: February 10, 1814 - November 12, 1817 (as Attorney General); March 07, 1825 - March 05, 1829 (as Secretary of the Treasury) As discussed in this two-part episode, while Richard Rush may not be the most well-known Cabinet member we've examined to date, his career spanning four decades meant that he was involved with some major events in US presidential and world history from the War of 1812 on. Join me and my special guest, Alycia from Civics & Coffee , as we explore in Part One of this episode Rush's career through his tenure as Attorney General and his service as US Minister to Britain. Please Note: There is a mention of suicide around the 1 hour 30 minute mark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 07, 2024
Interview with Talmage Boston, How the Best Did It
Year(s) Discussed: 1732-1989 Leadership is naturally one of the main topics that comes up when talking about US presidents, but it’s not always talked about with practical implications in mind. In this conversation with Talmage Boston about his latest book, we discuss the insights that he found during the course of his research about the leadership traits exemplified by eight presidents who often show up at the top of the presidential ranking polls and how they contributed to their success as well as how we can develop those qualities within ourselves. Links to more information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E34 · Sun, March 31, 2024
We Have Met the Enemy
Year(s) Discussed: 1813 As the War of 1812 moved into its second year, two American commanders on the northwestern frontier - William Henry Harrison and Oliver Hazard Perry - struggled against logistical challenges and political infighting to assemble their respective forces in order to finally accomplish what had been a goal of the US since war was declared on Britain in 1812: take the fight to the British in Canada. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 24, 2024
Interview with Salina B Baker, The Line of Splendor
Year(s) Discussed: 1742-1814 Nathanael Greene served as one of Washington's top generals during the Revolutionary War, but what lasting legacy did this man whose life was cut tragically short leave for the Early Republic? In this episode, I am joined by historical fiction author Salina B Baker to discuss her new novel about Greene and her research into his life and contributions to the new nation crafted from the Revolution. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 10, 2024
S010 - The Jeffersonian Revolution: 1800
Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801 The election rematch between President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson in 1800 did not go quite according to plan thanks to the original method of electors casting ballots. In this episode, I am joined by friend and fellow podcaster, Howard Dorre from Plodding Through the Presidents , to discuss the ins and outs of that complicated election that devolved into a constitutional crisis and what we felt were the key takeaways from it. More sources for learning about this election can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 03, 2024
VPOTUS 003.2 - Aaron Burr Part Two
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1805 Burr may only have served one term as Vice President, but as we discuss in this episode, it was a turbulent four years filled with political intrigue, power struggles, and a rather infamous duel. The drama would not end when Burr left office, however, as his post-vice presidency years had conspiracies and exile in store for him. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Content Note: There is discussion of sexuality throughout this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 25, 2024
VPOTUS 003.1 - Aaron Burr Part One
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1805 For the first Vice President whose life we are covering from start to end, Aaron Burr brings quite the tale to tell. From personal tragedy early in life to a meteoric rise in politics, from distinguished instances of military service to a romantic relationship with a married woman, there is much to discuss leading up to the constitutional crisis that was the Election of 1800. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 18, 2024
Interview with Fergus Bordewich, Klan War
Year(s) Discussed: 1865-1877 The history of the Reconstruction era has in the past been deliberately misconstrued to downplay the achievements of Black Americans and the inhumanity of self-described white supremacists. In his latest work, Fergus Bordewich dispels the myths and explores the history of how the Grant administration worked to combat the terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan in order to save Reconstruction. Listen in to our conversation about the various individuals involved, the events of this time, and what we can learn from the history of Reconstruction. More information can be found on https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Content Note: There is a brief mention of extreme violence and rape around the 29 minute mark in this episode. Please feel free to skip ahead about a minute if you would prefer not to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E33 · Mon, February 12, 2024
The Twilight
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1813 After the failed campaign in Russia, French Emperor Napoleon had to regroup. And by regroup, I mean launch another war, of course. It soon became clear, though, that the tide was shifting, and instead of a war of conquest, Napoleon was now fighting for the survival of his regime. Meanwhile, the Republic of Texas was proclaimed, but neither Spanish nor American authorities were too pleased about this development. Simultaneously, the government in Louisiana was dealing with the threat of pirates based in their vicinity while a pro-Spanish opposition was determined to put an end to the Republic of Venezuela only one year after its birth. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 04, 2024
S009 - The Corrupt Bargain Elections: 1824 and 1876
Year(s) Discussed: 1824 and 1876 In the first of a special series of conversations about past US presidential elections, I am joined in this episode by Zachary DeBacco of Drinks with Great Minds in History to discuss the two "corrupt bargain" elections of 1824 and 1876. In addition to the ins and outs of these elections, we also compare and contrast the two in terms of why they were labeled corrupt, the implications of each election, and what lessons they hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E32 · Sun, January 28, 2024
Burnt Corn and the Fort
Year(s) Discussed: 1813 Tensions had been building between the Native inhabitants and the incoming American settlers in the Gulf South, and the year 1813 saw open hostilities which resulted in a joint operation planned by the US federal government and state and territorial governments in the area. However, the generals assigned to military operations against the Mvskoke would find that that victory wasn't as easy of a prospect as they had anticipated. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 21, 2024
SATT 026 - George W Campbell
Tenure of Office: February 9, 1814 - October 5, 1814 The successor of Albert Gallatin as Secretary of the Treasury was always going to have big shoes to fill, but coming in while the nation was at war and with a nearly empty treasury, George Campbell of Tennessee had quite a challenge ahead of him from day one. Join me and my special guest, Kenny Ryan of [Abridged] Presidential Histories , as we explore Campbell's life and career and determine if he was able to turn things around in order to earn a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Note: There is a brief mention of adult situations around the 1 hour 13 minute mark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, January 10, 2024
Rename the War of 1812 Submissions and Voting
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1815 Thanks to all of the listeners and social media followers who sent in their suggestions for a new name for the War of 1812! Listen to hear all of the suggestions and learn more about how we'll choose what should be the new name for this conflict that has been a major focus of the Madison presidency series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 07, 2024
Interview with Laurence Jurdem, The Rough Rider and the Professor
Year(s) Discussed: 1850-1924 US presidential history is filled with notable friendships and partnerships, and arguably one of the most impactful was that between President Theodore Roosevelt and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. In this episode, I am joined by Laurence Jurdem, author of The Rough Rider and the Professor: Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and the Friendship that Changed American History , to discuss these two fascinating figures and their respective roles in shaping the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 24, 2023
VPOTUS 002 - Thomas Jefferson
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1797 - March 4, 1801 Though Thomas Jefferson's four years in the nation's second highest office doesn't always get as much attention as other points in his career, as my co-host Alex and I explored in this episode, the man from Monticello was doing more than twiddling his thumbs while presiding over the Senate. However, we'll have to see if his actions during this tenure earn him a place among the VP All-Stars. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 17, 2023
Interview with David T Beito, The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights
Year(s) Discussed: 1933-1945 The presidency of Franklin D Roosevelt was faced with major challenges in terms of the Great Depression and World War II, and over the years, many decisions had to be made in order to navigate the political waters of the time with some involving questionable methods and solutions. In this episode, I am joined by David T Beito to discuss his research on FDR's tenure of office and how administration officials (including Roosevelt himself) and supporters at times during his presidency worked to the detriment of civil liberties in order to advance agendas. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E31 · Wed, December 13, 2023
Don't Give Up the Ship
Year(s) Discussed: 1813 The 1812 ground campaign in the north may have been a bust, but with a new year and a new Secretary of War in place, surely the invasion of Canada would go better in 1813, right? Meanwhile, President Madison had to deal with trying to work with a contentious Congress as well as a bout of ill health that started to lead folks to pulling out the order of presidential succession, especially when Vice President Gerry took to his sickbed around the same time. On the seas, the USS Chesapeake faced off against a British ship in an encounter that inspired the unofficial Navy motto that is the title of this episode. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 10, 2023
SATT 025.2 - John Armstrong Jr Part Two
Tenure of Office: February 5, 1813 - September 27, 1814 When Armstrong assumed office in 1813, he found a War Department facing serious challenges. Would Madison's fifth choice for the post be the person who could turn the American war effort around? Join me and my special guests, Eric and Matt from the Ranking '76 Podcast , as we explore Armstrong's Cabinet tenure as well as his later life and determine whether the legacy that he left behind earns him a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thu, November 30, 2023
SATT 025.1 - John Armstrong Jr Part One
Tenure of Office: February 5, 1813 - September 27, 1814 Revolutionary War veteran, member of the Confederation Congress, US Senator, US Minister to France - certainly sounds like an illustrious career leading up to service in the President's Cabinet, but as I explore with my special guests, Eric and Matt of the Ranking '76 Podcast , there's more to this career than meets the eye. If you're into political intrigue, diplomatic drama, and a possibly proposed coup d'état, then this is the episode for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 20, 2023
Friendsgiving 2.0: Electric Hullabaloo
As a listener reminded me, if you do something twice, it becomes a tradition. This however is a tradition I think we can all enjoy. To mark the upcoming holiday season, for the second year in a row, I gathered for a lively conversation and some laughs in our Friendsgiving spectacular with Alycia from Civics & Coffee , Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories , and Howard Dorre from Plodding Through the Presidents . Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, November 07, 2023
FEED DROP: Introducing Countdown to Dallas: The Kennedy Assassination
Our partners at Evergreen Podcasts have a great new series that I have no doubt Presidencies listeners will appreciate - Countdown to Dallas. On the sixtieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, former White House correspondent Paul Brandus takes an in-depth look at the seemingly unconnected events that led to that afternoon in Dallas, Texas. He explores the troubled and broken life of Kennedy’s killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, and challenges six decades worth of conspiracy theories. Check out this first episode then subscribe to Countdown to Dallas wherever you get your podcasts or go to https://evergreenpodcasts.com to learn more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E30 · Sun, November 05, 2023
Hello, Goodbye
Year(s) Discussed: 1810-1814 Though it took a while, in 1813, news of the war between Britain and the US arrived on the West Coast and would have ramifications for the Americans at the Pacific trading post of Astoria. Meanwhile, President Madison with his second inauguration launched a reset of the administration's war efforts, though he would find his ambitions for East Florida shut down by Congress while General James Wilkinson continued to pose problems for his superiors in Washington. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, October 30, 2023
Interview with Kate Andersen Brower
Year(s) Discussed: 1961-2023 For this episode, I'm joined by author and journalist Kate Andersen Brower to discuss her research on modern First Ladies from Jackie Kennedy on and how the role of First Lady changed in the modern era and continues to evolve in the 21st Century. In addition to exploring the challenges faced by historic figures such as Lady Bird Johnson and Pat Nixon, Kate also shares her first-hand insight from covering the inhabitants of both the East and West Wings of the White House. More information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 22, 2023
VPOTUS 001 - John Adams
Tenure of Office: April 21, 1789 - March 4, 1797 John Adams had a lengthy, busy career in public service, but it's likely that he would not rank his eight years as the first Vice President of the United States as one of his crowning achievements. Join my co-host Alex and myself as we explore his tempestuous tenure in this office and determine whether it was notable enough or impactful enough for Adams to preside from the rostrum of VP All-Stars. Sources used for this episode and more can be found at the website: https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E29 · Sun, October 15, 2023
The Westward Retreat
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1813 Though the French Army captured Moscow in the fall of 1812, Emperor Napoleon quickly learned that holding it and forcing the Russians to capitulate would prove to be a tougher prospect. Meanwhile, Russian Tsar Aleksandr, concerned about the impact of the War of 1812 on British resolve against France, puts forward an offer to bring about peace with the US, and in Paris, a plot is launched to overthrow the imperial government. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E28 · Sun, October 01, 2023
Puerto Rico and the Early US Republic
Year(s) Discussed: Prehistory-1954 Being in the midst of a war with Great Britain did not stop some Americans in the early 19th century from thinking about territorial expansion into Spanish-held colonies in the Americas including those in the Caribbean. For this episode, I am joined by Joseph Pascone, host of the Turning Tides Podcast , to examine the history of Puerto Rico, the key to the Antilles, and how numerous European powers vied for control of this island for centuries prior to it becoming a US commonwealth. During our discussion, we learn about some common developments and trends that took place both in Puerto Rico and what became the United States. Links referenced can be found at www.presidenciespodcast.com . Note: There are references to violence related to the colonial experience and enslavement throughout this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 24, 2023
SATT 024 - William Jones
Tenure of Office: January 19, 1813 - December 1, 1814 Starting a new position is never easy, but being put in charge of the Navy in the middle of the war with a shoestring budget meant for a particularly challenging into Madison's Cabinet for the 4th Secretary of the Navy, William Jones. In this episode, I and my special guest, Stacey Roberts of History's Trainwrecks and the Valley Forge Project , explore Jones's life and career and determine whether he was able to overcome the hurdles with which he was faced to earn a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 03, 2023
Interview with Kevin R C Gutzman, The Jeffersonians
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1825 In this episode, I am joined by Kevin R C Gutzman, author of The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe , to discuss this near quarter century where the three titular friends in succession served as chief executive. During the course of our conversation, in addition to comparing and contrasting the ideologies and approaches of these three presidents, we also discuss their interactions with one another as well as with other leading figures of the time. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 03, 2023
Interview with Peter Stark, Gallop Toward The Sun
Year(s) Discussed: 1773-1815 For this episode, I am joined by Peter Stark, author of Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation . In the course of our conversation, in addition to talking about the two titular historical figures, we also discuss various other individuals who impacted the course of their lives and careers as well as the geopolitical influences on the conflict between Native peoples and American settlers in the Old Northwest. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E27 · Sun, August 27, 2023
The First Texas Revolution
Year(s) Discussed: 1811-1813 As if the United States didn't have enough military conflicts to be involved in, agents of the Madison administration worked to support the efforts of would-be revolutionaries leading the Republican Army of the North to end Spanish control of New Spain. Meanwhile, Gen. William Henry Harrison had to deal with a rival general in his command in the Old Northwest who ended up making a costly strategic mistake. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Note: There is a brief mention of an incident of violence around the 15 1/2 minute mark that lasts for 30 seconds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 13, 2023
VPOTUS 000 - Introduction
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2023 While the US vice presidency is a constitutionally-created office, arguably the role that the vice president plays in American politics and the federal government has experienced the greatest shifts of any other position on the national stage. This episode begins our exploration of the lives and legacies of the individuals who have served as Vice President with an examination of the history of the office, how the Constitution has changed the role, and some of the precedents set and unprecedented scenarios we'll see in this series. More information can be found on the website: https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 06, 2023
SATT 023 - William Pinkney
Tenure of Office: December 11, 1811 - February 9, 1814 A lawyer, diplomat, and politician, William Pinkney of Maryland may not be the most famous member of James Madison's Cabinet. However, joined by my special guests, Meredith and Dustin of the Alexander Standard Podcast, we explore his life in this episode to learn more about his impact on the Early Republic during his career at home and abroad and determine whether the legacy he left makes him worthy of a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Tue, July 25, 2023
Evergreen Podcasts Listener Survey
Greetings, everyone! Our partners at Evergreen Podcasts and I want to get to know our listeners a bit better, so please take a moment to complete the Listener Survey by going to the following link: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/listener-survey Did I mention that there will be random drawings for folks who complete the survey? In the last question, select "Other" and type in "The Presidencies of the United States" to let our partners know that you're part of Team Presidencies. Thanks so much! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E26 · Sun, July 16, 2023
Out with the Old
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1813 As the USS Constitution brought home the nation's first major victory in the War of 1812, the Madison administration had to carefully consider how to readjust its strategy in ground operations. New leaders started emerging in the field, but the President, after securing reelection, had to consider a Cabinet shakeup that would restore confidence that the conflict against Britain would not end with an embarrassing lost of territory and national prestige. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, July 02, 2023
Interview with C W Goodyear, President Garfield
Year(s) Discussed: 1831-1881 On this episode, I am joined by C W Goodyear, author of the new biography President Garfield, to talk about the man who he described as "a pathologically reasonable person" and his navigation through the turbulent waters of Reconstruction and Gilded Age American politics to become the 20th US President. In our discussion, we talk about some of the key individuals in Garfield's life and political career as well as some of his achievements and failures. Believe me, there is much more to learn about Garfield than just his tragic end. More information about Garfield can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 18, 2023
SATT 022 - James Monroe
Tenure of Office: April 6, 1811 - March 4, 1817 (as Secretary of State); September 27, 1814 - March 2, 1815 (as Secretary of War) James Monroe is one of the rare Cabinet members who served in two Cabinet positions simultaneously, and what is really remarkable about Monroe's doing so is that it was in the midst of the War of 1812 when he led both the State and War Departments. Listen as my special guest, Joe Faykosh from Visiting the Presidents , and I explore his life and lengthy career of public service and determine whether Monroe earned a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E25 · Sun, June 11, 2023
The Eastward March
Content Note: There is a mention of death by suicide in this episode around the 32 minute mark. Year(s) Discussed: 1811-1812 Even after the declaration of war in 1812, US and British officials on both sides of the Atlantic continued to work towards a cessation of hostilities. At around the same time, French Emperor Napoleon was escalating the state of war in Europe by gathering the largest force seen on that continent to that point to take on the Russian Empire. Meanwhile, American diplomats and merchants in the Mediterranean found themselves on the wrong side of the British-allied Algerine government. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 04, 2023
Interview with Paul Brandus, Countdown to Dallas
Year(s) Discussed: 1939-1994 As we've seen in the podcast, certain circumstances coming together at just the right time can change the course of history for good or ill. In this episode, I am joined by author, historian, and White House correspondent Paul Brandus to discuss his new book, Countdown to Dallas: The Incredible Coincidences, Routines, and Blind "Luck" That Brought John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald Together on November 22, 1963 . In our conversation, we talk about Oswald's motivation and how his troubled childhood impacted his course in life as well as the impacts of the Kennedy assassination on his loved ones as well as presidential security practices moving forward. We also discuss some of the reasons this event has given birth to so many conspiracy theories, and Paul shares some insight on the experience of being a White House correspondent. Additional information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E24 · Sun, May 28, 2023
When It Rains
Year(s) Discussed: 1812 In the aftermath of the surrender of Detroit, the Madison administration had to consider whether its strategy against Britain had already gone awry in the early days of the War of 1812. Meanwhile, in East Florida, the arrival of a new colonial governor boded ill for the Patriot cause. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 14, 2023
SATT 021 - Paul Hamilton
Tenure of Office: May 15, 1809 - January 1, 1813 Rising through the political ranks in South Carolina, Paul Hamilton was called to national service for the first time by President Madison to serve as his Secretary of the Navy. In this episode, I am joined by my husband Alex to explore the life and career of this lesser-known Cabinet member to determine what legacy he left behind and whether it makes him worthy of a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E23 · Sun, April 30, 2023
Once More Unto the Breach
Year(s) Discussed: 1812 With the path to war set, the Madison administration had to develop a strategy to prosecute warfare against Great Britain. On top of logistical difficulties, having a Secretary of War and a Secretary of the Navy with little to no military experience didn't help matters, and Congress hoped to force Madison's hand at changing up his Cabinet. Meanwhile, agents spurred on by the American government launched attacks against Spanish authorities in East Florida with the goal of delivering that colony to the United States. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, April 16, 2023
SATT 020 - William Eustis
Tenure of Office: March 7, 1809 - January 13, 1813 After his service as a surgeon on the battlefields of the Revolutionary War, William Eustis of Massachusetts began a political career which would bring him to serve as the 6th US Secretary of War in the Madison administration. Joined by Craig Baird of Canadian History Ehx , in this episode we explore Eustis's life and legacy in order to decide whether he should be offered a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E22 · Sun, April 09, 2023
Let Slip...
Year(s) Discussed: 1810-1812 Tensions had been building for years between Britain and the United States. By June 1812, the American government was ready to take action. The circumstances by which they would declare war, however, were far from ideal, and it was only due to a series of events on both sides of the Atlantic that a war was entered into that potentially could have been avoided. Meanwhile, the first half of 1812 would bear witness to an assassination that threw a government into chaos, the untimely death of a prominent US official, and the entrance of a new state into the American union. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 26, 2023
SATT 019 - Caesar A Rodney
Tenure of Office: January 20, 1807 - December 5, 1811 A member of the politically prominent Rodney family of Delaware, Caesar A Rodney was recruited to service in the US House of Representatives by none other than Thomas Jefferson and a few years later was invited to join his Cabinet as Attorney General. With Åsa and Chris of A Flatpack History of Sweden , I explore Rodney's life and career in this episode to determine what legacy he leaves and whether it makes him worthy of a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E21 · Sun, March 12, 2023
Put Your Best Plot Forward
Year(s) Discussed: 1811-1812 In 1811, President Madison brought in a new US Minister who he felt might actually be able to navigate the complicated diplomatic intrigues of the Napoleonic French government to bring about a resolution to long-standing issues with that government as he and his administration worked with Congress to set the nation on a path of war with Great Britain. Meanwhile, on the border with East Florida, American agents gathered supplies and plotted to take that Spanish colony for the US. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E20 · Sun, February 26, 2023
Unsettled Ground
Year(s) Discussed: 1807-1812 With changes happening in the nation's capital and abroad, the Madison administration worked as 1811 gave way to 1812 to navigate through new circumstances. In the House of Representatives, new leadership came to the forefront with an expansionist agenda. Around the same time, the nascent independence movements in Spanish America continued apace and Tecumseh traveled to the Gulf South to recruit nations there to join his confederacy. Unbeknownst to all of them, geologic tensions were building in a seismic zone along the Mississippi River. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 19, 2023
SATT 018 - John Breckinridge
Tenure of Office: August 7, 1805 - December 14, 1806 After a few initial fits and starts, John Breckinridge propelled himself to become a prominent leader in the state of Kentucky before moving on to the national scene and ultimately into the Cabinet of Thomas Jefferson as the 5th US Attorney General. Join me and my special guest, Nick from the 10ish Podcast, as we explore his life and career and determine whether Breckinridge earns a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E19 · Sun, February 05, 2023
We're Not Going to Take It Anymore
Year(s) Discussed: 1810-1811 As a new British Minister made his way to the US, a naval engagement off the Eastern Seaboard further complicated relations between the United States and United Kingdom. In Washington, President Madison had to figure out how to approach the situation with the French as he and his administration began to plot on how to foment rebellion in East Florida as they had successfully done in Baton Rouge. Meanwhile, in the west, William Henry Harrison took a chance to combat the threat posed by Tecumseh and his brother by leading a military force to Prophetstown. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 22, 2023
SATT 017 - Robert Smith
Tenure of Office: July 27, 1801-March 4, 1809 (as Secretary of the Navy); March 6, 1809-April 1, 1811 (as Secretary of State) Propelled to national office by circumstance, Robert Smith's time in the Cabinet would be a tale of two presidencies. While achieving much success as Jefferson's Secretary of the Navy, he would become embroiled in political controversy as Madison's first Secretary of State. Together with my special guest, Zach (aka: Mr. DGMH) from Drinks with Great Minds in History, we explore the life and legacy of this often maligned Cabinet member in order to determine if this infamous reputation is deserved or if Smith should be invited to take up a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E18 · Sun, January 15, 2023
Affairs of State
Year(s) Discussed: 1810-1811 As President Madison struggled to fill various vacant positions in both the executive and judicial branches, the administration's enemies in Congress gathered their forces to take on an institution that had been in the cross hairs of some Democratic-Republican leaders for the twenty years since its original inception - the Bank of the United States. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin forced Madison's hands to make a significant change in his administration, a change that the President could also use to fully mend fences with his longtime friend and occasional rival, James Monroe. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 01, 2023
SATT 016.2 - Albert Gallatin Part Two
Tenure of Office: May 14, 1801 - February 8, 1814 After being forced out of his post as Treasury Secretary, Albert Gallatin spent the next few decades serving in numerous diplomatic postings abroad, writing essays on various topics, being nominated as Vice-President, and even challenging the policies of Andrew Jackson. With my special guest, Andy of the History of Africa podcast, we explore the remainder of Gallatin's life before discussing his historical legacy and determining if he has earned a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 25, 2022
SATT 016.1 - Albert Gallatin Part One
Tenure of Office: May 14, 1801 - February 8, 1814 A descendant of a leading Genevese family, Albert Gallatin made his way across the Atlantic and rose to prominence as a Democratic-Republican leader before being recruited by Thomas Jefferson to serve as his Secretary of the Treasury. With my special guest, Andy of the History of Africa podcast, we explore his early career and his tenure of office in the Jefferson and Madison administrations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E17 · Sun, December 11, 2022
Freedom or Death
Year(s) Discussed: 1809-1811 As news of Macon's Bill No. 2 reached Europe, US Minister John Armstrong worked to take advantage of the increasingly precarious situation for the French in order to secure a deal with the government of Emperor Napoleon that would restore open trade with that nation. Back in the US, President Madison struggled to address the worsening relations with Great Britain while administration officials in the Orleans Territory dealt with an uprising of enslaved individuals seeking their freedom. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, November 28, 2022
SATT 015.2 - James Madison Part Two
Tenure of Office: May 2, 1801 - March 3, 1809 Picking up where we left off in Part One, join me and my special guest, Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories , as we examine the remainder of James Madison's tenure as Secretary of State as well as touch on the highlights of his post-Cabinet career (Spoiler alert: He made it to an office even higher than Secretary of State) before bringing it all together with a discussion on his overall life, career, and legacy. Will Madison earn a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars? Listen to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Mon, November 21, 2022
Friendsgiving
How better to celebrate the upcoming holiday season than by getting together with some podcasting friends! I hope you'll take some time to check out this conversation that I had with Alycia from Civics & Coffee, Howard from Plodding Through the Presidents, and Kenny from [Abridged] Presidential Histories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 13, 2022
SATT 015.1 - James Madison Part One
Tenure of Office: May 2, 1801 - March 3, 1809 Regular listeners of the podcast may have heard of this guy a time or two thus far, but there's still so much more to know about the career of James Madison leading up to his becoming the fifth Secretary of State. In this episode, I and my special guest, Kenny Ryan of [Abridged] Presidential Histories, explore his life up to his taking charge of the State Department then examine how he established himself in that role and in the Jefferson administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E16 · Sun, October 30, 2022
The Spanish Situations
Year(s) Discussed: 1810-1811 With the Spanish government on the Iberian peninsula in disarray, people in their colonial holdings in the Americas had to figure out what to do in the meantime. Some decided to stay the course with current leadership while others used the opportunity to try to bring about political change on the ground. While also feeling the impact of decisions being made in other parts of Spanish America, the Madison administration saw an opportunity in the chaos for a long-coveted territorial acquisition just across the border in West Florida. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, October 16, 2022
SATT 014 - Levi Lincoln Sr
Tenure of Office: March 5, 1801 - March 3, 1805 For every figure in American history who is in the spotlight, there is someone who is behind the scenes making it happen. For Thomas Jefferson, one of those folks was Levi Lincoln Sr of Massachusetts. With my special guest, Steve of the Speakcies Show, we explore the life and legacy of the 4th US Attorney General in order to better understand his role in the Jefferson administration and in the politics of the Early Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E15 · Sun, October 09, 2022
The Two Shawnee Brothers
Year(s) Discussed: c. 1764-1810 In the latter decades of the 18th and the first decade of the 19th century, native peoples in the old Northwest found themselves under threat from a westward push from Europeans wishing to settle on their lands and being treated as pawns in conflicts between European powers and the US. Out of this chaotic time, two key leaders emerged - Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa - who would devote themselves to the cause of restoring native cultures and societal structures and rally support to push back against the near-constant demands by US officials for greater land cessions. Sources used in this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E14 · Sun, September 25, 2022
Intrigue in Washington
Year(s) Discussed: 1809-1810 In the wake of the failed negotiations with British Minister to the US Francis James Jackson, the Madison administration and Congress had to determine next steps to address the tensions with both Great Britain and France. Meanwhile, a new diplomat arrived from Spain as some American officials began to consider ways to secure the Floridas for the US. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tue, September 20, 2022
SATT 013 - Henry Dearborn
Tenure of Office: March 5, 1801 - March 4, 1809 Revolutionary War veteran, US Representative, Secretary of War, War of 1812 General, US Minister to Portugal - with that accumulation of offices, one would imagine that Henry Dearborn would be better remembered. With my special guest, Steve Guerra of the History of the Papacy and Beyond the Big Screen podcasts, we explore Dearborn's life and career to determine whether or not this key member of Jefferson's Cabinet is worthy of more extensive study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E13 · Sun, September 04, 2022
Yazoo v Yazoo
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1810 For fifteen years, one controversy popped up time and again to disrupt the public arena - the Yazoo Land Controversy. From newspaper essays to debates in Congress, this issue involved some of the biggest leaders of the time including Alexander Hamilton, John Randolph of Roanoke, John Quincy Adams, and James Madison. Finally, in 1810, the Supreme Court took up a case that would look to settle the matter once and for all and, in the process, set an important constitutional precedent. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E12 · Sun, August 21, 2022
Fear and Loathing in Napoleonic Europe
Year(s) Discussed: 1808-1810 Despite achieving a victory in the War of the Fifth Coalition, French Emperor Napoleon's hold on control over the European continent was looking increasingly shaky. This would make the reception received by the new US Minister to Russia John Quincy Adams a warm one as Russia was on the hunt for new allies. Meanwhile, wealthy American businessman and merchant John Jacob Astor set in motion plans to create a trading network across the globe that would also include trading posts across the North American continent including a key new settlement on the west coast. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 14, 2022
SATT 012.2 - John Marshall Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1755-1835 As a follow-up episode focused more on John Marshall's lengthy tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, I am joined by Ben Lovelace and Matthew Nichol of the John Marshall House for a discussion on his historical and legal legacy as well as to get a better sense of Marshall as an individual. Our conversation ranged across a variety of topics including his role in reshaping the Judicial branch of government, various key cases that set precedents being applied in the present day, and Marshall's influence, both personally and from the bench, on the expansion of slavery in the United States as well as the nation's relations with the native peoples of North America. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 07, 2022
SATT 012.1 - John Marshall Part One
Tenure of Office: June 13, 1800 - March 4, 1801 John Marshall is a name much better known for where his career led him after serving in the administration of John Adams, but there was still much to discuss with my special guest, Alycia from Civics & Coffee , about his brief tenure as Secretary of State. Join us as we explore Marshall's life and legacy and determine whether his impact at the State Department was enough to earn him a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E11 · Sun, July 24, 2022
Dolley Madison Part Three
Year(s) Discussed: 1817-1858 James and Dolley Madison left Washington, DC in 1817 anticipating a peaceful retirement in Montpelier. Little did they know what life had in store for them or that Dolley would end up returning to the social circles of the leading politicians in the nation's capital. Learn more about the triumphs and tribulations faced by the former Lady Presidentress in her later years and the legacy that she left by listening to this episode. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E10 · Sun, July 10, 2022
Dolley Madison Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1768-1849 We continue our examination of the life and legacy of Dolley Madison with a discussion with Hilarie Hicks, Senior Research Historian at James Madison's Montpelier. In this episode, we talk about Dolley's role in the social circles of the nation's capital during James's presidency, her management of the household, her views on slavery, and whether she was responsible for saving the portrait of George Washington during the British invasion of Washington, DC. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E9 · Sun, July 03, 2022
Dolley Madison Part One
Year(s) Discussed: 1768-1809 Born in a Southern log cabin, the woman who would go on to be the center of social life in the nation's capital developed her skills of charm and entertainment through formative years filled with uncertainty, turmoil, and tragedy. Join me as I explore the early life of Dolley Payne Todd Madison up to her husband's election as the fourth President of the United States. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, June 20, 2022
SATT 011 - Samuel Dexter
Tenure of Office: June 12, 1800 - March 4, 1801 (as Secretary of War); January 1, 1801 - May 13, 1801 (as Secretary of the Treasury) Samuel Dexter may have come into the Cabinet towards the end of John Adams's tenure as president, but there was still a good bit for my special guest, Shawn from the American History Podcast, and myself to discuss about his life and career. Join us as we determine just what sort of legacy this man from Massachusetts left for posterity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E8 · Sun, June 12, 2022
Fussin', Fightin', and Carryin' On
Content Note: This episode mentions the topic of suicide. Year(s) Discussed: 1807-1810 The Madison administration experienced numerous setbacks and embarrassments in the latter part of 1809. The President's private secretary, Isaac Coles, committed an egregious breach of privilege while on official business. Around the same time, Dolley Madison's brother-in-law, Rep. John Jackson, got into an altercation with one of his colleagues in the House. Meanwhile, the administration had to find a new governor of the Louisiana Territory after the untimely demise of Meriwether Lewis. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 05, 2022
Interview with Peter Shea, In the Arena
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-2016 We often examine the lives and legacies of those select few who win the US presidential elections every four years, but what about their opponents? What might we learn from their unsuccessful campaigns as well as their overall careers? In this episode, I am joined by Peter Shea to discuss his book, In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls. In our conversation, we examined candidates ranging from DeWitt Clinton to Michael Dukakis and the legacies of some of the also-rans in the larger scheme of American culture and history as well as considered how losing has the potential to make individuals stronger. Additional information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, May 22, 2022
SATT 010 - Benjamin Stoddert
Tenure of Office: June 18, 1798 - March 31, 1801 A merchant and land speculator by trade, Benjamin Stoddert's path to becoming the first Secretary of the Navy was an unconventional one. However, did this unique background contribute to success while in office? With my special guest, Stacey Roberts of the History's Trainwrecks podcast, we explore the life and legacy of this Marylander to better understand his role in presidential history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E7 · Sun, May 15, 2022
Dissension and Discord
Year(s) Discussed: 1808-1809 The arrival of the new British Minister to the US, Francis James Jackson, was not necessarily seen as a good omen by the Madison administration for the prospect of healing the rift between the United States and Great Britain, and the negotiations once they started proved to be quite contentious. Meanwhile, in Europe, US Minister to France John Armstrong grew ever more frustrated with the Napoleonic government, and a new Prime Minister took office in London under less than auspicious circumstances. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E6 · Sun, April 24, 2022
Peace Interrupted
Year(s) Discussed: 1809 When the British government learned of the Erskine Agreement, it was not best pleased. In the summer of 1809, the Madison administration scrambled to deal with the ramifications of the British response while at the same time, two members of the Cabinet found themselves in opposition due to political infighting. Meanwhile, a similar row in the British ministry threatened to throw that government into turmoil. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com. Featured Image: “Samuel Smith” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1795-1805], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 18, 2022
SATT 009 - James McHenry
Tenure of Office: January 27, 1796 – June 2, 1800 James McHenry was the last individual appointed to the Cabinet of George Washington, but would being tapped to head the War Department by the esteemed first President lead to his tenure being viewed favorably by his contemporaries and by the annals of history? With my special guest, Kyle Väth of the Just Cincinnati podcast, we explore McHenry’s entire life and career along with the role he played in the Washington and Adams administrations to determine just what this signer of the Constitution brought to the table. Featured Image: “James McHenry” by H Pollock, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E5 · Sun, April 10, 2022
In the Arena
Year(s) Discussed: 1808-1809 A new congressional session provided an opportunity for the President and his wife to make their mark on the Washington political and social scene as they invited guests into the refurbished President’s House. Meanwhile, General James Wilkinson continued with his intrigues down in New Orleans, but rather than establishing a pseudo-dictatorship again, his affairs were more of a personal nature. Over in Europe, Austria rose up once more against the French Empire, and Napoleon had to scramble to avoid defeat. Sources used in this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com . Featured Images: “Portrait of Dolley Madison, First Lady of the United States” [c. 19th century], courtesy of Wikipedia and “George Canning” [pre-1827], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E4 · Sun, March 27, 2022
East and West
Year(s) Discussed: 1808-1809 In the first couple of months of his presidency, Madison not only dealt with a domestic political dispute but also managed to negotiate an agreement with the British Minister to the US to resolve issues with Great Britain. Unbeknownst to him, however, the continued instability in Europe would keep peace and prosperity just out of reach for his administration. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “David Erskine” by Richard Woodman [c. 1820], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, March 20, 2022
SATT 008 - Charles Lee
Tenure of Office: December 10, 1795 – March 4, 1801 Charles Lee served as legal counsel during some of the most notable trials of the Early Republic, but does that mean that his tenure as Attorney General is equally remarkable? With my special guest, Kenny from [Abridged] Presidential Histories , we explore his life and career to determine what he contributed to the Washington and Adams administrations as well as to American history in general. Audio editing by Alex Van Rose Featured Image: “Charles Lee” by Cephas Giovanni Thompson [c. 19th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E3 · Sun, March 13, 2022
The Call of My Country
Year(s) Discussed: 1809 Though James Madison was seen as being Thomas Jefferson’s successor, it became clear starting with his inauguration that his presidency would be different from his predecessor’s, for better or worse. While the public got to see a more festive social tone as set by Dolley Madison, behind the scenes, the president struggled to get political support for a key Cabinet nomination. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James Madison” by David Erwin [c. 1809-1817], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E2 · Sun, February 27, 2022
Madison Pre-Presidency Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1785-1809 After scoring some key political victories in Virginia, Madison decided to lead an effort to reform the government of the United States. However, he would find that getting the Constitutional Convention to agree on a new federal structure was only half the battle, and he would soon acquire some powerful enemies in the ratification campaign. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Scene at the Signing of the United States Constitution” by Howard Chandler Christy [c. 1940], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, February 20, 2022
SATT 007 - Oliver Wolcott, Jr
Tenure of Office: February 3, 1795 – December 31, 1800 Oliver Wolcott, Jr had big shoes to fill when he assumed office as the second Secretary of the Treasury. With my special guests, Lucy and Michelle from Tudoriferous , we explore his life and career to determine whether this member of the Washington and Adams administrations was truly up to the task of running the largest Cabinet department in the early republic. Featured Image: “Oliver Wolcott Jr” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1820], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S4 E1 · Sun, February 06, 2022
Madison Pre-Presidency Part One
Year(s) Discussed: 1653-1785 As part of a family that had been on a steady rise in society since its earliest days in the Virginia colony, James Madison, Jr. was expected to do great things from the time of his birth, but his family could scarcely have imagined the heights to which he would rise. After an accelerated collegiate career and a few initial stumbles as a young man, Madison gradually worked his way into becoming a force in state and national politics. However, as someone not content with ignoring issues in the status quo, Madison would soon find his calling as a champion for innovation. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James Madison, Class of 1771” by James Sharples [c. pre-1811], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, January 30, 2022
SATT 006 - Timothy Pickering
Tenure of Office: January 2, 1795 – December 10, 1795 (as Secretary of War); December 10, 1795 – May 12, 1800 (as Secretary of State) Timothy Pickering’s tenure in the Washington and Adams administrations is arguably one of the most notorious in the early republic. Thus, I had to call on Eric and Matt from the Ranking ’76: The American West podcast to join me in exploring the life of this infamous historical figure and determine what sort of a legacy he left behind. Featured Image: “Timothy Pickering” by Charles Willson Peale [c. 1792/1793], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E42 · Sun, January 23, 2022
Jefferson Q&A
You asked, and I answered! As we wrap up our series on Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, listeners submitted questions ranging from Franco-American relations during Jefferson’s tenure to what pets he kept to how would I go about explaining Jefferson’s complex legacy to him. Listen in as I answer your final questions about the man from Monticello and his impact on American history. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Thomas Jefferson Memorial,” taken by Djonesmhc on 24 May 2012 and shared on Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E41 · Sun, January 09, 2022
Jefferson Post-Presidency
Year(s) Discussed: 1809-1826 After leaving the presidency, Thomas Jefferson found himself kept quite busy with both public business and personal matters. While striving to be a doting grandfather and fretting over his family’s life struggles, the former president worked in vain to escape the vicious cycle of debt in which he had become trapped. Meanwhile, he used his retirement to take on the task of improving public education in Virginia which inevitably landed him in the middle of political struggles once more. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Thomas Jefferson” by Thomas Sully [c. 1821], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E40 · Tue, December 14, 2021
Sunrise and Sunset
Year(s) Discussed: 1807-1809 As the end of Jefferson’s second term neared, the Embargo Act came under increasing criticism at home, Napoleon’s plans for conquest continued apace in Europe, and the nation chose the man who would become the fourth President of the United States. Though the clock had not struck on his presidency, his last months in office would find the man who had been a leader for decades take a step back as his thoughts turned increasingly to his life once he left the President’s House. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States” by Pendleton’s Lithography [c. 1828], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, December 05, 2021
SATT 005 - William Bradford
Tenure of Office: January 27, 1794 – August 23, 1795 Though William Bradford wasn’t Attorney General for long, he did have an impact on some key events in the Washington administration. With my special guest for this episode, we examine his life and career to understand what sort of a legacy Bradford left. Thanks so much to my special guest for this episode, Jacob from the Podcast on Germany , and special thanks to Alex Van Rose for his audio editing assistance! Featured Image: “William Bradford” by William E Winner [c. 1872], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E39 · Sun, November 21, 2021
Electioneering
Year(s) Discussed: 1806-1808 As the 1808 presidential election neared, the infighting in the Democratic-Republican faction was exacerbated by not one but two challengers to Secretary of State James Madison’s candidacy – Vice President George Clinton and former US Minister to Britain James Monroe. Meanwhile, Napoleon’s constant wars in Europe continued to impact US foreign policy, and the Jefferson administration began a new round of negotiations with British envoy George Rose to seek a resolution to the crisis precipitated by the Chesapeake-Leopard incident while working out how to effectively enforce the Embargo Act. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James Madison” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1805-1807], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, November 07, 2021
SATT 004 - Thomas Jefferson
Tenure of Office: March 22, 1790 – December 31, 1793 We’ve spent a good amount of time in the narrative talking about Jefferson as the third US president, but in this episode, while also exploring his life and career as a whole, we focus in a bit on Jefferson’s tenure as Secretary of State in the Washington administration. Thanks so much to my special guests for this episode, Howard and Jess from Plodding Through the Presidents ! Featured Image: “Portrait of Thomas Jefferson” by Charles Willson Peale [c. 1791], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E38 · Sun, October 24, 2021
O Grab Me
Year(s) Discussed: 1806-1808 With a diplomatic resolution to the Chesapeake/Leopard affair looking increasingly unlikely and the threat of war looming, President Jefferson and his administration worked in late 1807 to devise an alternative to war while also preparing for the nation’s defense. Meanwhile, James Monroe’s frustrations continued in London while there was a shift in power in Congress. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “O Grab Me cartoon” [c. 1807], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E37 · Sun, October 03, 2021
Trial
Year(s) Discussed: 1806-1807 Little did the Jefferson administration, while preparing to prosecute the former Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr, for treason, that they would be faced at the same time with an external challenge that threatened to plunge the nation into war. In mid-1807, the President, his Cabinet, and the nation were all anxious for the latest information from the Burr trial in Richmond as well as whether Great Britain was truly declaring war on the US following the attack on an American naval vessel off the coast of Virginia. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “John Marshall” by Rembrandt Peale [c. 1834], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, September 26, 2021
SATT 003 - Edmund Randolph
Tenure of Office: 26 September 1789 – 20 August 1795 Edmund Randolph served in not one but two positions in the Washington administration – as Attorney General then as Secretary of State. However, will that be enough to earn him a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars? Listen to find out more about his life, career, and legacy! Thanks so much to my special guest for this episode, Bry from Pontifacts ! Featured Image: “Edmund Randolph,” courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E36 · Sun, September 19, 2021
And Everything Else
Year(s) Discussed: 1806-1807 Concurrent with the events of the Burr conspiracy, the Jefferson administration and its agents were engaged in other work on multiple fronts. Lt. Zebulon Pike was leading an expedition westward while Gen. James Wilkinson took questionable measures in the name of national security in New Orleans. In London, James Monroe and William Pinkney worked against all odds to finalize a treaty with Great Britain. Meanwhile, the President had to decide upon a new Attorney General as well as not one but two Supreme Court justices. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Zebulon Pike” by Charles Willson Peale [c. 1808], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E35 · Sun, September 05, 2021
Conspiracy
Year(s) Discussed: 1806-1807 Aaron Burr’s plans were finally starting to come to fruition, but little did the former Vice President know that he had a turncoat in his midst. Meanwhile, as the Jefferson administration struggled to get a grasp of the scope of the conspiracy, it was forced to action, and the haphazard nature of it would have consequences on down the line. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Blennerhassett Island Home,” courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, August 29, 2021
SATT 002 - Henry Knox
Tenure of Office: 12 September 1789 – 31 December 1794 Henry Knox served the United States as a general and as the head of the War Department for ten years, but will his life and career earn him a seat at the table of the Cabinet All-Stars? Listen as we explore Knox’s legacy to find out! Thanks so much to my special guests for this episode – Rob and Jamie from Totalus Rankium ! Featured Image: “Henry Knox” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1806], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E34 · Sun, August 08, 2021
Glimmers of Hope
Year(s) Discussed: 1805-1806 With American and Spanish military forces amassing along the western US border and with the commanding general of the Army potentially involved in a secession and/or filibustering plot with the former Vice President, late 1806 was a time of trepidation for President Jefferson and his administration. Before long, though, a few hopeful prospects started to appear including the return of Jefferson’s protege turned continental explorer, Meriwether Lewis. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James Wilkinson” by Charles Willson Peale [c. 1797], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sat, July 31, 2021
SATT 001 - Alexander Hamilton
Tenure of Office: 11 September 1789 – 31 January 1795 (Secretary of the Treasury) We begin our new special series with the first Cabinet member to assume office under the constitutional government – Alexander Hamilton! You may have seen the musical, but there are a few more parts of his history that didn’t make it into that production. Thanks so much to my special guest for this episode – Alycia from the Civics & Coffee Podcast ! Featured Image: “Alexander Hamilton” by John Trumbull [c. 1805], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, July 28, 2021
SATT - Intro to Ongoing Special Series
Introduction to a new special series of episodes titled “Seat at the Table” where I will be joined by special guests each episode to discuss a Cabinet member’s life and tenure in office and rank how they did before determining if they deserve a seat at the table of Cabinet All-Stars. Featured Images: “Alexander Hamilton” by John Trumbull [c. 1805], courtesy of Wikipedia ; “Hamilton Fish” by Mathew Brady, courtesy of Wikipedia ; “Frances Perkins” [c. 1932], courtesy of Wikipedia ; and “Jesse Brown,” courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E33 · Sun, July 11, 2021
Time Draws Short
Year(s) Discussed: 1805-1806 As Jefferson reflects upon the unexpected death of his mentor, various situations at home and abroad in 1806 imperil the future of the nation. A British ship unintentionally kills an American sailor, threatening the peace negotiations being conducted in London. Around the same time, expeditions to explore the west provoke Spanish forces already gathered on the border. Meanwhile, the President receives word of a domestic plot involving not only the former Vice President but also the commanding general of the US Army. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Map of the 1806 Red River Expedition” by Nich. King [c. 1806], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E32 · Wed, June 30, 2021
Waves on the Horizon
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1806 As tensions between the US and Spain increase over West Florida and the border with Tejas, Aaron Burr travels to the west and back again to meet with folks across the nation as his plot progresses. Meanwhile, supporters of Jefferson in Congress attempt to move against Rep. John Randolph of Roanoke, and a House Ways and Means Committee meeting gets so raucous that a duel seems to be in the making. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “A new chart of the Atlantic or Western Ocean” by William Heather [c. 1797], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E31 · Sun, May 30, 2021
The Tide in Europe
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1806 The Napoleonic Wars continue apace in Europe as Napoleon plots an invasion of Britain, and Admiral Horatio Nelson searches for the French fleet in the Mediterranean. As battles continue on land and sea across the continent, American diplomats in London, Paris, and Madrid continue their work. Meanwhile, the untimely death of a key leader opens up opportunities for the US to negotiate a treaty. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “The Battle of Trafalgar” by J M W Turner [c. 1822-1824], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E30 · Sun, May 02, 2021
A Winter to Remember
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1805 President Jefferson had much to celebrate in the latter half of 1805 as he finally secured a new Attorney General, envoys arrived from distant lands in the east and the west, and his daughter and her family joined him in the President’s House for the winter. Little did he know, though, that difficult negotiations in Madrid and the machinations of the former Vice President, Aaron Burr, would soon lead to difficulties for his administration. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Tchong-tas-sáb-bee, Black Dog, Second Chief” by George Catlin [c. 1834], courtesy of Wikipedia and “John Breckinridge” [c. 1891], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E29 · Sun, April 04, 2021
The Two Marthas
Year(s) Discussed: 1748-1836 Studies of Thomas Jefferson’s life often discuss the impact of the two Marthas – his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, and his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph – on him, but few studies examine matters with the focus on the lives of the two women. While our knowledge of Martha Jefferson is limited, in this episode, we sift through the fragments of what we know about her before shifting to her daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph. In addition to the narrative, part of the episode features an interview with a special guest, Dr. Cynthia A. Kierner , whose biography of Martha is an invaluable resource for learning more about a person who was educated in Paris and mingled with presidents and political leaders but is far too often relegated to the background of history. Her life has much to tell us about the role of women and families in the early republic as well as in US presidential history. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Martha Jefferson Randolph” by Thomas Sully, courtesy of Wikipedia , and “Silhouette of Martha Jefferson,” courtesy of Wikipedia Transition Intro and Outro Music: Samples from “Bread,” prod. by LuKremBo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E28 · Sun, March 21, 2021
The Calming Seas
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 With the war with Tripoli continuing to drag on year after year, Jefferson and his administration had to determine whether the best course to bring it to a conclusion lay with opening up a new front by partnering with foreign agents or through engaging in a new round of diplomacy. Meanwhile, a change in the command of the US naval squadron in the Mediterranean took the wind out of the sails of what had been an energetic force. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Attack on Derna” by Charles Waterhouse, courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Tue, March 16, 2021
State of the Podcast Update
As there have been some recent developments here at Presidencies HQ, I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. Spoiler: The podcast is not going away, though there may be some delays in the next couple of months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Mon, March 01, 2021
Intelligent Speech Conference 2021
I’m excited to share that I will be presenting at the Intelligent Speech Conference on Saturday, April 24th, 2021! If you would like to attend, please take a moment to listen to this quick trailer for more information, go to www.intelligentspeechconference.com , and use the promo code “presi” to get 10% off your ticket to 24 hours of content available on 4 simultaneous streams. It should be a great experience, so I hope you’ll join us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E27 · Sat, February 27, 2021
Second Term, Same as the Worst
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 Jefferson’s second inauguration may have been a non-event, but on numerous fronts, various tensions were building in early 1805 that threatened to make his second term one to remember. Cabinet members plotted to further their own ambitions while Aaron Burr schemed with foreign powers and domestic discontents in order to return to prominence. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the president, one of his appointments would put a double agent in place to potentially break the recently acquired Louisiana Purchase away from the US. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Thomas Jefferson” by Matthew Harris Jouett, courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, February 14, 2021
A Western Interlude
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1805 With the Lewis and Clark expedition underway to explore the upper reaches of the Missouri River, President Jefferson at the end of his first term turned his attention to gathering support and talent for expeditions in the southern portions of the Louisiana Purchase. Meanwhile, the Corps of Discovery arranged for Jefferson to get a first-hand account of life west of the Mississippi River. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Carte Du Mexique et des Pays Limitrophes Situes Au Nord et a l’est Dressee d’apres la Grande Carte de la Nouvelle Espagne De Mr. A. De Humboldt” by Alexander von Humboldt [c. 1811], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E26 · Mon, February 01, 2021
Present but Absent: The Hemings Family of Monticello
Year(s) Discussed: 1735-1873 Throughout Jefferson’s life and career, he was surrounded and served by various enslaved individuals of three generations of the same family. In this episode, we examine the lives of the Hemings family as some worked to attain their freedom, other Hemingses disappeared from the historical record without a trace, and one became the most famous enslaved individual in the United States for bearing the third President’s children. Sources used for this episode can be found at https://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “View of the West Front of Monticello and Garden” by Jane Braddock [c. 1825], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Thu, December 31, 2020
Transition Gone Wrong
Year(s) Discussed: 1875-1877 Though the US takes pride in the regular practice of peaceful transitions of power from one presidency to the next, sometimes the transition is not quite so peaceful, especially when the results are in dispute. Such was the case in the aftermath of the presidential election of 1876 where, for months, allegations flew back and forth, political leaders across the nation exerted their influence in favor of their chosen candidate, members of both parties prepared for armed confrontation, and no one could predict whether Samuel J Tilden or Rutherford B Hayes would end up being the nineteenth president of the United States. Source notes for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Rutherford B Hayes” [c. 1865-1880], courtesy of Wikipedia and “Samuel Jones Tilden” [c. 1860-1886], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E25 · Sun, December 06, 2020
What's Next
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1805 As James Monroe set off for his new special mission to Spain, a new congressional session began with Democratic-Republicans aiming to settle a long-standing issue as well as put their mark on the judiciary branch. However, they would find that their plans quickly went awry, and the events of early 1805 would have impacts on Jefferson’s second term and beyond. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “John Randolph” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1804-1805], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E24 · Sun, November 15, 2020
Truth and Consequences
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 With a presidential election looming, the Jefferson administration had to consider how to wrap up the first term and transition to the second. For some, that meant moving into new positions. For others, retirement was in their future. As the campaign worked to rally the public, the decisions of 1804 made at home and abroad would have far-reaching consequences. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Thomas Jefferson” by Rembrandt Peale [c. 1800], courtesy of Wikipedia and “George Clinton” by Ezra Ames [c. 1814], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Mon, November 02, 2020
Unprecedented Part III: 1968
Year(s) Discussed: 1907-1968 In a year of domestic unrest, social strife, and uncertainty at home and abroad, the United States prepared for a presidential election in 1968. Little did they know that it would be a contest unlike any other. In the midst of a turbulent campaign, political norms were challenged, rivalries were intensified, and the only guarantee was that a new chapter in American history would emerge after all the votes were in. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Lyndon Johnson meets with Presidential candidate Richard Nixon at the White House” by Yoichi Okamoto [26 Jul 1968], courtesy of Wikipedia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/presidencies-united-states/id1191633316?ls=1&mt=2 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3ByZXNpZGVuY2llcy5ibHVicnJ5LmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/presidencies-of-the-united-sta-241094 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZRBiyuvyC4J5oAguxVqh0 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jerry-landry/presidencies-of-the-united-states iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-presidencies-of-the-united-31007979/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E23 · Sun, September 27, 2020
One Man Left Standing
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 While diplomatic disagreements occupied the attention of the Jefferson administration, Vice President Aaron Burr was occupied with a dispute of a more personal matter in the aftermath of his failed gubernatorial bid. Alexander Hamilton’s opposition to his campaign did not go unnoticed, and Burr was determined to have Hamilton answer for his words, one way or another. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.” [c. 1901], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E22 · Sun, September 13, 2020
A Death in the Family
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 While Vice President Burr worked to secure his political future in his bid for the New York governorship and New England Federalists plotted to separate from the Union, the Jefferson family suffered the untimely loss of one of its members in the early months of 1804. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, both the British and the French governments went through reorganizations that would impact their relations with the United States for years to come. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “US postage stamp commemorating Monticello, Issue of 1956, 20c” by US Post Office [1 Jan 1956], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E21 · Sun, August 30, 2020
A Plotting We Will Go
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 In the wake of multiple political losses in the first few years of the 19th century, as the election of 1804 neared, numerous Federalist leaders from New England began to consider the possibility of whether their prospects and those of their home region would be better served by breaking away from the United States. In the meantime, Commodore Edward Preble arrived in the Mediterranean to prosecute war against Tripoli while back in Albemarle County, the life of one of Jefferson’s family members hung in the balance. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Uriah Tracy” by Ralph Earl [c. 1790], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, August 16, 2020
Interview with Jeffrey Einboden, Jefferson's Muslim Fugitives
Year(s) Discussed: 1776-1863 Interactions between people from various parts of the globe are a common occurrence in the 21st century, but though more infrequent in the late 18th and early 19th century, cross-cultural interactions in that time had a decisive impact. To explore this topic in the context of the life and presidency of Thomas Jefferson, I am joined in this special episode by Jeffrey Einboden, Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor at Northern Illinois University and author of Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives: The Lost Story of Enslaved Africans, their Arabic Letters, and an American President. In our conversation, Jeff explains how Jefferson interacted with Muslim individuals, both enslaved and free, as well as aspects of Muslim culture and scholarship in his lifetime and provides great insight on American interactions with the Middle East in the Early Republic. Additional resources for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: Jeffrey Einboden and cover of Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives, courtesy of the author Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Thu, August 13, 2020
From Me to All of You 2: A Quick Note
As we continue to face many challenges around the world, I wanted to send a quick note to all of you to hopefully provide some comfort as well as share a couple of updates about what’s coming with Presidencies. Take care, everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, August 02, 2020
It's Convention Time!
Year(s) Discussed: 1824-1992 Since the first national party convention in the United States in September 1831, party conventions have played a key role in American politics. In this episode, we explore the role of these gatherings in determining presidential nominees as well as setting agendas through the party platform and examine a few notable conventions in detail. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Eleanor Roosevelt addresses Democratic National Convention, Chicago, Illinois. July 18, 1940,” courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E20 · Sun, July 19, 2020
Action and Reaction
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1804 As Jefferson’s first term entered its final year, numerous developments at home and abroad would start chains of reactions with long-reaching consequences. In the Caribbean, a nation declared its independence that would prove to be of particular concern to white Americans in the southern US. Meanwhile, Congress debated what kind of government to establish for the new lands west of the Mississippi River, and the Senate convened in the first impeachment trial in American history. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Représentation épique de Jean-Jacques Dessalines lors de la Révolution haïtienne de 1804,” courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E19 · Fri, July 03, 2020
The Not So Merry Merry
Year(s) Discussed: 1802-1803 The new British Minister to the US, Anthony Merry, arrived in Washington, DC in late 1803, and though his arrival was initially seen as a strengthening of British-American relations, it would soon prove to be quite the opposite. Meanwhile, the end of the year saw representatives of the Jefferson administration on both sides of the Atlantic assume new roles as well as Louisiana officially brought into the United States. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Dänische Post” by Johann Wilhelm Cordes [c. 1859], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sun, June 21, 2020
Unprecedented Part II
Year(s) Discussed: 1936-1944 With increasing uncertainty in the global situation and continued instability in the domestic economy, candidates lined up on both the Democratic and Republican sides to succeed Franklin Roosevelt at the end of his second term. However, 1940 found the President considering what was previously unthinkable: running for a third term of office. In this special episode, we explore this unprecedented election conducted under the looming threat of being drawn into a war waging abroad. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Wendell Willkie, President of the Commonwealth & Southern Corporation appearing before House Military Affairs Subcommittee” by Harris & Ewing [17 May 1939], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Wed, June 17, 2020
Intelligent Speech Conference
I will be presenting on the Rebellions of the Early Presidencies at the Intelligent Speech Conference on Saturday, June 27th, 2020. If you’d like to attend and hear from numerous educational podcasters and historians, be sure to go to www.intelligentspeechconference.com and select “Book Now” to get your online ticket. It should be a great conference, so I hope to see you there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E18 · Mon, June 01, 2020
The Boys Are Back in Town
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 Though the Louisiana Purchase Treaty had been concluded, President Jefferson understood that didn’t mean it was a done deal, and he and his administration got to work in the latter half of 1803 on getting the treaty ratified by the Senate and in pushing through legislation to carry through the purchase. However, they also had to contend with increased criticism in the press and with a gnawing concern in many minds, including that of the President, that there was nothing in the Constitution that said the United States could in fact acquire new territory. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “William Plumer, head-and-shoulders portrait, right profile” by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin [c. 1806], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E17 · Sun, May 24, 2020
Sailing in New Waters
Year(s) Discussed: 1802-1803 Despite some early successes, the US naval efforts against Tripoli languished in 1802 and early 1803, and with the cost of maintaining a squadron in the Mediterranean climbing, President Jefferson and his administration had to consider alternates in both leadership and approaches to tackle the situation. Meanwhile, various young men in Jefferson’s life moved into new roles in 1803, and the President’s personal and political realms began to overlap in new ways. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Dutch Ships off Tripoli” by Reinier Nooms [c. mid 17th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, May 10, 2020
Interview with Lindsay Chervinsky, The Cabinet
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1809 George Washington established many precedents during his tenure of office, but one that had arguably the greatest impact was his establishment, not by law but by practice, of what we now know of as the Cabinet. To examine the beginnings of this institution and what it meant for the Washington presidency, I am joined in this special episode by Lindsay Chervinsky, a historian with the White House Historical Association and author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. In our conversation, Lindsay provided great insights into Washington’s thought process in turning to the Cabinet as an advisory body as well as how the events and culture of the 1790s influenced the development of the executive branch. Additional resources for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ph.D., courtesy of the author, and “Henry Knox” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1806], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E16 · Sun, April 26, 2020
Up River, Down River
Content Note: This episode mentions the topic of suicide. Year(s) Discussed: 1802-1803 As the Jefferson administration awaited word on the outcome of Monroe’s mission to France, the territorial governors and government agents in the western US dealt with various issues including labor shortages, troubled relations with neighboring indigenous nations, and the economic chaos caused by the port of New Orleans being closed to American shipping. To the east, the President and his Cabinet worked with Meriwether Lewis to prepare him for the planned transcontinental expedition as news came from across the Atlantic that would reshape the United States forever. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “William C. C. Claiborne, Governor of Louisiana” [c. early 19th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, April 19, 2020
Unprecedented Part I
Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801, 1816-1825, 1860-1864 While some presidential elections function in much the same way as others of the time, there are those select few that reshape the process or are noteworthy for being unique in some way. In the next two episodes of the special series, I will be examining four presidential elections that stand out to me as unprecedented. In this episode, I start with the election of 1824 which saw a four way match up between Secretary of State John Adams, Secretary of the Treasury William Crawford, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and Senator Andrew Jackson. The remainder of the episode is devoted to the election of 1864 which saw President Abraham Lincoln running for reelection against his challenger, General George McClellan. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Abraham Lincoln” by George Peter Alexander Healy [c. 1869], courtesy of Wikipedia and “George Brinton McClellan” by Julian Scott [c. 1888], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, April 12, 2020
Interview with Thomas Balcerski, Bosom Friends
Year(s) Discussed: 1786-1868 Political partnerships are nothing new to American politics, but what happens when the domestic world and the political realm overlap? To examine that question and learn more about one of the most significant political partnerships in American history, I recently spoke with Thomas Balcerski, author of Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King. In our conversation, Tom shared some great insights about the politics, ideologies, and society of antebellum America and not only how Buchanan and King fit in to all of that but what studying their lives and their relationship can tell us in turn about larger historical themes. Additional resources for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: Dr. Thomas Balcerski, courtesy of the author, and “James Buchanan” by George Peter Alexander Healy [c. 1859], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E15 · Sun, April 05, 2020
Of Wars and Pieces: The Indigenous Nations Up to 1803
Content Note: This episode discusses the epidemics that spread through indigenous populations in the Americas upon the increased and sustained contact with Europeans starting at the end of the 15th century. Year(s) Discussed: approx. 9000 BCE-1803 Over the course of millennia, the peoples of the Americas developed rich cultures and prosperous nations that were often unique to one another as well as on the global stage. However, the course of these civilizations was forever changed as European explorers and settlers came from across the Atlantic in ever increasing numbers. In this episode, we’ll take some time to examine the indigenous nations present in what became the eastern and central portions of the United States leading up to the year 1803 and the Louisiana Purchase. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of Two Chitimacha Indians” by François Bernard [c. 1870], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, March 22, 2020
Interview with Jon Finkel, Jocks in Chief
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2020 The term “fit for office” is often bandied about when talking about the US presidency, but how exactly does physical fitness relate to the office or to presidential campaigning? To explore that question, I recently spoke with Jon Finkel, author of Jocks in Chief . In our conversation, Jon shared the system that he came up with to rank the athleticism of the 44 individuals who thus far have served as president, and we discussed how various presidents approached exercise in their lives as well as how impressions of the vigor of some presidential candidates impacted their campaigns and historical legacies. More information about Jon and his work can be found on his website at https://jonfinkel.com/ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trailer · Thu, March 19, 2020
From Me to All of You: A Quick Note
With the current global situation, I wanted to send out a quick note to express that my thoughts are with all of you out there and to assure you that Presidencies will continue (including with a new special episode coming out on Sunday, March 22nd!). Take care, everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E14 · Sun, March 08, 2020
Can I Make a Purchase?
Year(s) Discussed: 1803 Despite US Minister to France Robert R Livingston’s best efforts to conclude a treaty with France on his own, the arrival of Special Envoy James Monroe in Paris marked the beginning of a new phase of negotiations which soon led to the acquisition of a large swath of territory for the United States, an event known today as the Louisiana Purchase. Though swift, the diplomatic back and forth in April 1803 proved to be precarious from the first proposal until the signatures were on the final document. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Hoisting of American Colors over Louisiana” by Thure de Thulstrup [c. 1904], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, March 01, 2020
The Super Tuesday Spectacular
Year(s) Discussed: 1976-1988 Super Tuesday happens at least once every four years in the modern US presidential election cycle, but how much does anyone really know about this date on the campaign calendar? In this episode, I explore the history of Super Tuesday and how it impacted numerous presidential elections in the past. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Senator Edward Kennedy meets with Jimmy Carter.” [5 Dec 1977], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E13 · Sun, February 23, 2020
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803, 1807 As James Monroe began his special mission to Europe in early 1803, he would come to find that the situation on the continent was rapidly changing as the Peace of Amiens was proving to be a shaky one. Meanwhile, President Jefferson had to deal with some staffing changes at home and abroad. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Rufus King” by Charles Willson Peale [c. 1818], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E12 · Sat, February 08, 2020
And the Beat Goes On
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As a new state joined the Union, state and federal leaders in the US worked to redefine the nation’s governmental institutions and its approach to foreign affairs. Jefferson put some plans into motion to stretch American influence through an expedition across western North America. Meanwhile, as Democratic-Republicans sought to wrest control of the judiciary from Federalists, the Supreme Court delivered a pivotal ruling. Source notes for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Charles Lee” by Cephas Giovanni Thompson [c. 19th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sat, February 01, 2020
Primaries vs Caucuses
Year(s) Discussed: 1901-2008 What is the difference between a primary and a caucus anyway? Listen as I explore that question and discuss the various permutations of both as well as how the presidential primary calendar came to have Iowa and New Hampshire as the first contests in this episode. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Republican Candidates at the Nashua, NH Debate, 1980”, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E11 · Mon, January 20, 2020
Making Plans for Monroe
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As continued resistance in Saint-Domingue threatens French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte’s plans to take control of Louisiana, President Jefferson works to keep tempers cool on the domestic front while turning to a trusted ally, James Monroe, to find a permanent solution to the New Orleans situation. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Engraved BEP portrait of U.S. President James Monroe,” courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, January 05, 2020
A History of Primaries
Year(s) Discussed: 1816-1976 Did you know that presidential primaries in the United States are a rather modern innovation and that for a long time, presidential primary winners often didn’t end up as the party’s nominee? Learn how the primary system came to be what it is today, the varying impacts it has had on presidential campaigns since its inception, and why it took so long to play a key role in choosing presidential nominees. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “For Auld Lang Syne” by Leonard Raven-Hill [May 1912], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E10 · Mon, December 30, 2019
We Need to Talk
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte begins to shift the balance of power in the Western Hemisphere in his favor, President Jefferson works to counter these ambitions through diplomatic efforts in both Washington and Paris. Meanwhile, a Mediterranean power declares war on the US, and Jefferson’s powers of persuasion are put to the test when dealing with family matters. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool” by Thomas Lawrence [c. 1790s], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E9 · Sun, December 15, 2019
Yazoo to You Too
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1802 While the Jefferson administration made a breakthrough in settling a long-standing dispute with the state of Georgia over its western land claims in 1802, the new US Minister to France, Robert Livingston, began his mission trying to get answers on the situation with the colony of Louisiana. Meanwhile, peace in Europe and a new phase of the conflict in Saint-Domingue threaten to upend Jefferson’s vision for the west. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Map of West Florida” [c. 1767], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E8 · Sun, December 01, 2019
The Enabler-in-Chief
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1802 The Democratic-Republican reform agenda moved beyond appointments as the Seventh Congress began its session. From the federal judiciary to the organization of the west, Jefferson wielded the soft power of the presidency in order to move ideas along. However, he would not be the only one working to shape the future of the government and the nation, and there was no guarantee as to whose vision would prevail. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Map of the United States exhibiting post-roads, the situations, connections & distances of the post-offices, stage roads, counties, ports of entry and delivery for foreign vessels, and the principal rivers” by Abraham Bradley Jr [1796], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E7 · Sun, November 17, 2019
The Door to the West
Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1801 Jefferson and his administration early on focused their attention on the civilian and military operations in the western frontier of the US and worked through the year leading up to the convening of the first session of the Seventh Congress to determine who would stay and who would go. Meanwhile, despite his concerns about a standing army and navy, Jefferson also worked in his first year in office to establish two key supports for the US military establishment: a military academy and a dry dock. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: Portion of “The Treaty of Greenville” [c. late 18th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E6 · Sun, November 03, 2019
To Limited Arms
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1801 Jefferson managed to get a permanent Secretary of the Navy just in time for Commodore Dale’s naval squadron to engage in combat in the Mediterranean. In addition to that key post being filled, the administration was able to make some additional structural decisions during the final months of 1801 in time for the new congressional session in December. Meanwhile, a new opposition was organized by a key Federalist leader to ensure that Jefferson’s first annual message would not go unquestioned. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “U.S. Schooner Enterprize Capturing the Tripolitan Corsair Tripoli, 1 August 1801” by William Bainbridge Hoff [1878], courtesy of Wikipedia Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E5 · Sun, October 13, 2019
Affairs, Foreign and Domestic
Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1801 The beginning of Jefferson’s administration coincided with changes in other parts of the world including France, Great Britain, Spain, and Saint-Domingue that would ultimately come to impact the United States. Meanwhile, as Jefferson continued to assemble his Cabinet, he and his administration also had to deal with a new round of negotiation with Napoléon’s government and appeasing an irate office seeker who threatened to expose the President to public scandal. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Le général Toussaint Louverture” [c. 19th century], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E4 · Sun, September 29, 2019
A Deadly Revenge
Year(s) Discussed: 1801 Literally and figuratively, the new President worked to get his house in order following his inauguration. With a limited number of positions available and plans to shrink the size of the federal government even further, Jefferson set ground rules for his new administration to determine whether to retain Federalist office holders or oust them in favor of Democratic-Republicans. Despite a nod towards non-partisanship, Jefferson’s decisions were criticized by members of both parties. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Elizur Goodrich,” printed in The Connecticut Quarterly, Jul/Aug/Sep 1898, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E3 · Sun, September 15, 2019
The Revolution of 1800
Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801 As Jefferson assumed office and Democratic-Republicans took control of the federal government in March 1801, new leaders emerged while others exited the stage or moved to the periphery. The new administration would get its start still dealing with the aftermath of the recent contentious election, and the new President had to weigh, with his words and his first decisions, how to balance his obligations to his party and the best interests of the nation. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Election Day in Philadelphia” by John Lewis Krimmel [c. 1815], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E2 · Sat, August 31, 2019
Jefferson Pre-Presidency Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1774-1801 Between the publication of “Summary View of the Rights of British America” and his assuming the presidency, Jefferson made a name for himself by drafting the Declaration of Independence, struggled to see his home state of Virginia through the Revolution as governor, experienced a devastating personal loss, and served the new nation at home and abroad. Though his rise in national prominence as the leader of the opposition would ultimately lead to him becoming the third President, not only his public record but also various facets of Jefferson’s personal life would pose challenges for the new administration before it even began. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Thomas Jefferson” by Mather Brown [c. 1786], courtesy of Wikipedia , and “Thomas Jefferson” by Rembrandt Peale [c. 1800], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S3 E1 · Sat, August 17, 2019
Jefferson Pre-Presidency Part One
Year(s) Discussed: 1612-1774 From his birth in Albemarle County, VA, Thomas Jefferson’s personality and public career began to take shape through his education at William and Mary, and his introduction to the world of politics in colonial Virginia. Along the way, he would be influenced by family members and mentors and would in turn start to impact his own young family, his neighbors, those individuals he enslaved, and the course of events in British North America. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Rebuilt Wren building with Italianate towers c. 1859” [1875], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E26 · Wed, August 07, 2019
Adams Q&A
Year(s) Discussed: 1735-1848 I asked for your questions to wrap up our series on the second POTUS, and you sent in some great ones! In this episode, we discuss everything from Adams’s tenure as US Minister to the Netherlands to his relationship with his family members to his and JQA’s legacies to what kind of food he liked. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! For those listening through a podcatcher, my apologies for the audio quality – I recorded it as a video and had to add in alternate audio later as I referenced what would be shown on the screen. If you’d like to watch the video instead, it’s available at https://vimeo.com/presidencies/2-26-adams-qa . Sources used for this episode as well as other resources referenced can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Bust of John Adams from the Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection” by Daniel Chester French [c. 1890], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, July 21, 2019
Interview with Zacharie Kinslow
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1891 On the anniversary of James K Polk’s death, I spoke with Zacharie Kinslow of the President James K Polk Home and Museum in Columbia, TN about the 11th President and his wife Sarah Childress Polk. Zach also shares his research on the life of Elias Polk, an enslaved individual whose life after attaining freedom following the Civil War provides insight into life for African-Americans in the Reconstruction Era and the Gilded Age. Images used for this episode as well as links to Zach’s article on Elias and video of a presentation at a conference on Polk can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Zacharie Kinslow” and “Elias Polk”, courtesy of Zacharie Kinslow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E25 · Thu, July 04, 2019
Adams Post-Presidency
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1826 After leaving the presidency, John Adams searched for a path ahead. In the process, he dealt with emotions that had been building for years, rebuilt some bridges that had been burned in political battles, suffered numerous personal heartaches, and bore witness to a quarter century more of the nation’s history. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of John Adams” by Samuel Morse [c. 1816], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E24 · Sat, June 15, 2019
The 36th Ballot
Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801 The nation had little time to process the news that Adams was defeated in his bid for reelection as a constitutional crisis developed regarding who would succeed him to the post. Meanwhile, the outgoing president only had a few weeks remaining to secure the ratification of the Convention of Mortefontaine, get several federal judges confirmed including a new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and get a new Treasury Secretary in place. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Front View of the President’s House, in the City of Washington” [c.1807], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E23 · Sat, June 08, 2019
The Double-Edged Sword
Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1800 As the new federal capital comes alive with government officials and newspaper publishers moving in to be on hand for the congressional session opening in November 1800, President Adams waits with the rest of the nation to learn the results of electors being chosen across the United States. His path to reelection however grows ever darker due to a dispute with his running mate’s brother and a pamphlet released by Alexander Hamilton. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney” by James Earl [c. 1795], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, May 26, 2019
Interview with Jared Cohen, Accidental Presidents
Year(s) Discussed: 1835-2009 In this episode, I talk with Jared Cohen, author of Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, about the presidents who came to the office due to the untimely demise of their predecessor and how their becoming president altered the course of US history. In this wide-ranging discussion, we assess some of the successes and failures of these presidents as well as the history of how constitutional questions related to succession were answered and what questions still remain. Images used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Jared Cohen” by Esther Nisanova Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E22 · Sun, May 19, 2019
Enter the Federal City
Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1801 As President Adams and the federal government transition to the new federal capital, the next presidential election looms, and both Federalist and Democratic-Republican leaders work on behalf of their favored candidates to meet challenges to their prospects. While Federalists cope with an internal debate over exactly which candidate to support, Democratic-Republicans in Virginia work to cover up the involvement of French agents in Gabriel’s Rebellion. All the while, the US commission to France scrambles to conclude their work with a treaty in time for Adams and the Federalists to claim credit for winning the peace. Source notes for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “A view of the Capitol of Washington before it was burnt down by the British” by William Russell Birch [c. 1800], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, May 12, 2019
The Washington Presidency in Five (or So) Minutes
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1797 In response to a question from Les, I attempt to do a summation of the Washington presidency from memory in five minutes. Though the full series is recommended for more detail, I think the result is rather entertaining. Images used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . 002 – The Washington Presidency in Five (or So) Minutes from Presidencies Podcast on Vimeo . Featured Image: “George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait)” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1797], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E21 · Sun, May 05, 2019
I am Gabriel, That Stands in the Presence of God
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1801 The revolution in Saint-Domingue inspires enslaved people in the United States to seek their freedom in the 1790s at a time that the slaveocracy was becoming more ingrained in the American economy, society, and legal codes. With a focus on Virginia, this episode will explore the shifts in the American slave system in the late 1790s and the planned insurrection that has come to be known as Gabriel’s Rebellion. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Struggle for freedom in a Maryland barn.” by William Still [c. 1872], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, April 28, 2019
Tammany Hall and the Presidencies
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1967 In response to Jacob from The Podcast on Germany ‘s question, I examine the relationship between the historically influential political organization of Tammany Hall and the presidents of the United States. Whether in support of or in opposition to Tammany, many presidents over the centuries have interacted with this New York City institution. The video version of this episode can be found at https://vimeo.com/331561127 Sources used for this episode and other recommended resources can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Tammany Hall & 14th St West, New York City” by Irving Underhill [c. 1914], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E20 · Sun, April 21, 2019
A Proper Sense of Their Duty
Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1800 With the new members of the Adams Cabinet coming on board, the President travels south to inspect the work on the new Federal Capital as the US government begins its move from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Adams makes a decision on the fates of those convicted of crimes for their participation in Fries’s Rebellion while federal prosecutions under the Sedition Act continue and Democratic-Republicans gear up for the upcoming presidential election. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Samuel Dexter”, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E19 · Sun, April 07, 2019
Don't Let the Door Hit You
Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1800 As the presidential election of 1800 looms and party leaders begin weighing their options, President Adams decides that the time is right to make a few changes in his administration. To the President’s detriment, though, Arch Federalists are scheming at the same time to remove him from his office. Meanwhile, new congressmen are making a name for themselves, and Toussaint L’Ouverture works to consolidate his power in Hispanola. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Timothy Pickering” by Charles Willson Peale, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mon, April 01, 2019
Body by Calvin Coolidge
Year(s) Discussed: 1872-1933 How much do you really know about America’s 30th president? Did you even remember that he was a president? In this show Jess and Joe explore the little known facts of one our most overlooked presidents in history. Sit back and relax as we turn an often forgotten president into one of your new favorites. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://cuttingclasspodcast.com Featured Image: “Calvin Coolidge the Bodybuilder”, courtesy of the Cutting Class Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E18 · Sun, March 24, 2019
New Year, New à Vous
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1800 The French Directory falls, and the three US peace commissioners are left with many questions as to how to proceed before they even arrive in Paris. Meanwhile, the US government considers a change in its policy towards the Barbary States, and the USS Constellation engages French naval forces once more in the Caribbean. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Les trois consuls de la Constitution de l’an VIII (de gauche à droite : Cambacérès, Bonaparte, Lebrun)” by Henri-Nicolas Van Gorp [c. 1803], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E17 · Sun, March 10, 2019
Some Awful Crisis
Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 In Trenton, Adams confronted his Cabinet as well as Gen. Alexander Hamilton over the peace mission to France before the government moved back to Philadelphia for one last winter. After the new session of Congress began in December 1799, news arrived which was described as a national tragedy and had many wondering what lay in store for the US as a new century dawned. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Representation of the great fire at New York” by Franz Xaver Habermann [c. 1776], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E16 · Sun, February 24, 2019
High Noon in Trenton
Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 New unrest in the government of France in 1799 presented President Adams with an important decision as to whether to continue with his peace overtures. Meanwhile, competing agendas within his own administration prompt one of Adams’s Cabinet members to urge him to end his sojourn in Quincy as yet another yellow fever epidemic strikes Philadelphia. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Drawing of the New Jersey state capitol at Trenton” [c. 1879], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E15 · Sun, February 10, 2019
Hot Time, Summer in the Country
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1799 John Adams makes a fateful decision that threatens his administration and its ability to react quickly to developing events. Meanwhile, General James Wilkinson’s past collusion with the Spanish is discovered by a government agent in the Mississippi Territory. Closer to home, Fries’s Rebellion comes to a close as harassment of Democratic-Republican newspaper editors ramps up. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Watercolor of Peacefield Before the 1800 Addition” by E Malcom [c. 1798], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Thu, February 07, 2019
A Humble Appeal
A brief, humble appeal from your friendly neighborhood podcaster for you to take a couple of seconds out of your day, each day from now through Sunday, February 17th, 2019 to support my personal mission of podcasting and history podcasting in general by voting for 45 and Counting in WFAE’s Queen City PodQuest by going to the following link and selecting “Vote Now” just below the logo: https://queencitypodquest.strutta.me/gallery?entry_id=1346530 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E14 · Sun, January 27, 2019
The Plausible Probability of Preserving the Peace
Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 Adams throws the American political landscape into a frenzy with a special message to Congress announcing that he was appointing a new Minister to France to negotiate peace. While exploring what this all means for Adams, his administration, and the nation, we also take a step back in this episode to look at the influence of American policy in Saint-Domingue and South America on the realities and future of Franco-American relations in 1799. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Atlantic or Western Ocean” by John Thomson [c. 1814], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E13 · Sun, January 13, 2019
Destiny Written in the Stars
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1799 Despite the wealth of evidence coming in of the sincerity of the French Directory in seeking peace, President Adams found himself at odds with his Secretary of State Timothy Pickering at the beginning of 1799 with Pickering continuing the push for war. Meanwhile, the US Navy proved its worth in protecting American shipping in the Caribbean just as relations with the British began a downward spiral once more. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “USS Constellation vs L’Insurgente,” Rear Admiral John William Schmidt [c. 1981], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E12 · Wed, January 02, 2019
Ready, Aim, Fire!
Year(s) Covered: 1798 As the nation gears up for the possibility of war with France, President Adams is increasingly focused on the possibility of peace as he prepares his annual message to Congress. Meanwhile, a rising star in the French military suffers a major setback that imperils the French Republic’s position on the global landscape. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “The Destruction of “L’Orient” at the Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798″ by George Arnald [c. 1825-1827], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E11 · Sun, December 16, 2018
The Opposition Strikes Back
Year(s) Discussed: 1798 With yellow fever raging in Philadelphia, the federal government has to move once more, adding to the headaches of Secretary of War James McHenry who had his position in the Cabinet already being undermined by General Alexander Hamilton. In Quincy, John Adams meets with Elbridge Gerry to learn more about the latest offer for diplomatic talks with the French while in Virginia, Vice President Jefferson and former Rep. James Madison plot how to oppose the Alien and Sedition Acts. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Images: “Seal of Virginia” [c. 1851] and “An impression from the first Kentucky State Seal” [c. 1800] , courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, December 05, 2018
An Important Mission: A Tribute to George H W Bush
Year(s) Discussed: 1974-1975 In memory of the late George H W Bush, this special episode takes a look at his tenure as US Envoy to China. In the wake of Watergate, George Bush’s future is uncertain until he receives an offer from the new President to serve as the nation’s representative to China. In a newly created diplomatic post with unfamiliar partners, Bush throws himself headlong into his new post and life in Beijing and, in so doing, gains invaluable experience to prepare him for what lies ahead in his own future. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “George Bush as United States Liaison to China; 1974-1975” [c. 1975], courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration and Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E10 · Sun, December 02, 2018
Checkmate: Hamilton
Year(s) Discussed: 1798 Adams quickly comes to regret his naming George Washington as commander-in-chief of the US Army when Washington decides to appoint Alexander Hamilton as his second in command. As the threat of war looms, the President and his commanding general end up in a back and forth that threatens the preparedness of the Army. Meanwhile, Elbridge Gerry’s mission to France makes little headway as Talleyrand and Napoleon focus on plans to reestablish France as a major colonial power. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Alexander Hamilton” by William J Weaver, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, November 25, 2018
Abigail Adams
Year(s) Discussed: 1744-1818 This special episode is all about the life and times of Abigail Smith Adams, the learned woman from Weymouth who became the second First Lady of the United States. Returning to the show to share her insight on Abigail is Presidential and First Lady historian Feather Schwartz Foster. Join us as we explore her fascinating life and discuss what legacy she leaves as First Lady and a historical figure in her own right. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Abigail Adams” by Gilbert Stuart (c. 1810-1815), courtesy of Wikipedia Transition Music: “String Concerto in G Major [RV 532]”, Antonio Vivaldi, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E9 · Sun, November 18, 2018
All Around and Away They Go
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1799 As the events of the Haitian Revolution start to involve the US and the Army works to secure control of the Mississippi Territory from the Spanish, Adams and the Federalists work to determine a response to the XYZ Affair. However, as their power begins to consolidate, some in the party plot ways to use the situation to their advantage. Oh, and Adams goes to see a play! Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Toussaint Louverture and General Thomas Maitland,” unknown artist [c. 1790s?], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E8 · Sun, November 04, 2018
Have At Thee! The Response to XYZ
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1798 As the Adams administration learns of the XYZ Affair and the President works to determine his next course of action, partisan bickering devolves to a fight on the floor of the House of Representatives while back in Paris, divisions start to form between the special envoys as Talleyrand increases his pressure on one of their number. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Congressional Pugilists” by an unknown artist [15 Feb 1798], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E7 · Sun, October 21, 2018
One Hand Washes the Other: The XYZ Affair
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1798 The three commissioners sent by Adams arrive in France to begin negotiations but find themselves beset with new characters and new circumstances following French victories in the field and a coup in the government. One figure in particular stands between the envoys and peace, and he’ll gladly get out of the way…if, of course, the Americans are willing to pay. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord” by François Gérard [c. 1808], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E6 · Sun, October 07, 2018
Scandals and Observations
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1797 Adams is joined in Philadelphia by his wife Abigail as he tries to balance war and peace with the first of the original six frigates of the US Navy being launched around the time that he appoints peace commissioners to France. Meanwhile, the US Senate is rocked by a scandal involving one of its leaders while news of Hamilton’s extramarital affair becomes public. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Alexander Hamilton” [possibly by John Trumbull, c. 1790], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E5 · Sun, September 23, 2018
Et Tu, France?
Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1797 News arrives in Philadelphia of the French government refusing to accept Charles Cotesworth Pinckney as the US Minister to France, and various individuals both inside and outside the Adams administration spring into action to try to gain control of US foreign policy. Meanwhile, Adams works to cultivate sources independent of the State Department to keep him informed of affairs in Europe, and forces conspire to launch an attack on one of the leading figures of the American political landscape. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of William Vans Murray,” Mather Brown [c. 1787], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E4 · Sun, September 09, 2018
Hither and Yon: The News From Abroad
Year(s) Discussed: 1783-1797 In this episode, we get caught up on the international situation around the time of Adams’s inauguration and the various issues that conditions beyond its borders bring up for the United States. Britain is faced with attacks from both at home and abroad. The French Directory stumbles along as two leaders arise. Toussaint L’Ouverture contemplates the future of Saint-Domingue. Various European powers conspire to threaten American sovereignty west of the Appalachians. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Bataille gagnée par le Général Bonaparte le 14 Janvier 1797”, Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux [c. 1844], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E3 · Sun, August 26, 2018
The New Sheriff in Town
Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1797 The election of 1796 results in John Adams becoming the nation’s second chief executive, but he quickly finds more questions than answers awaiting him on the path to taking the oath of office. Adams is immediately faced with the need to make decisions about who to keep from the previous administration, what if any policy changes to make, and even where he and his family will live. It’s a transition unlike any other in American history to that point, and with various pressing issues waiting on the desk, the honeymoon for the new President promised to be short-lived. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Congress Hall,” unknown artist, courtesy of the US Senate Historical Office Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E36 · Sun, August 12, 2018
Washington Q&A
I asked for your questions, and you sent in some great ones! As a part of the transition into a new presidency, we send George Washington off by addressing some lingering issues about his life and tenure including whether he thought of the Federalists as a political party, whether Hamilton would have become president if not for his affair with Maria Reynolds, did Washington really want to be called “His Excellency,” and what was up with the president tallying how many women he saw during his Southern tour. The answers to these questions and more can be found in this special episode of Presidencies! Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: Statue of George Washington at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, courtesy of Matthew G Bisanz and Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E2 · Sun, July 22, 2018
Adams Pre-Presidency Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1773-1797 As the Revolution against Great Britain kicks off, John Adams assumes office in the Continental Congress where he makes a name for himself with individuals from the various colonies before being sent to represent the United States in Europe. While dealing with family matters and tensions with new colleagues and contemporaries, Adams navigates through challenging diplomatic waters before finally landing in the Vice Presidency then being elected to succeed George Washington as chief executive. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “American Commissioners of the Preliminary Peace Agreement with Great Britain,” Benjamin West [c. 1783-1784], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S2 E1 · Wed, July 04, 2018
Adams Pre-Presidency Part One
Year(s) Discussed: 1638-1772 A new series starts here! From his beginnings on a farm in Braintree, Massachusetts, John Adams set off on a path of learning that would take him through Harvard College and into the practice of law. During his quest for fame and adequate fortune, he would wed his “Dearest Friend,” Abigail Smith, and start a family while getting swept up in larger movements that would change the British North American colonies and the world forever. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “John Adams,” Benjamin Blyth [c. 1766], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E35 · Sun, June 24, 2018
Washington Post-Presidency
Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1799 Washington envisioned a relaxing retirement at Mount Vernon with his family after leaving the presidency in March 1797, but it was not to be. Between personal issues and a return to public service, the last couple of years of Washington’s life prior to his sudden demise would be filled with business and breaches of trust and friendship. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Life of George Washington: The Christian” lithograph by Claude Regnier, original painting by Junius Brutus Stearns [c. 1853], courtesy of Library of Congress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E34 · Sun, June 10, 2018
The Final(ish) Curtain Call
Year(s) Discussed: 1794-1797 After President Washington releases his Farewell Address, informing the nation that he would not seek another term, the 1796 election is carried out though, both domestically and abroad, there is much confusion about how exactly the United States would decide upon its next president. Meanwhile, the French plot to interfere with the election, the public attacks on Washington continue, and a military leader meets his untimely end. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “”Evacuation day” and Washington’s triumphal entry in New York City, Nov. 25th, 1783,” Edmund Restein and Ludwig Restein, c. 1879, courtesy of the Library of Congress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E33 · Sun, May 27, 2018
Race to the Finish Line
Year(s) Discussed: 1790-1796 Relations between the US and France deteriorate after the Jay Treaty goes into effect while Washington gets involved in the campaign to secure Lafayette’s release from his imprisonment in the Habsburg Monarchy, the administration takes care of business as the end of Washington’s second term draws closer, and the parties position themselves to launch into the 1796 presidential campaign as soon as Washington finally makes official his plans to retire (aka the worst kept secret in the 18th century). Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of Marie Adrienne Francoise de Noailles, Marquise de La Fayette (1759-1807)”, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E32 · Sun, May 13, 2018
Samsons and Solomons
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1796 Though finally managing to resolve his personnel issues, Washington and his Cabinet find themselves faced with a host of new problems including a new round of debate over the Jay Treaty and political maneuverings by the Democratic-Republicans as the next presidential election draws ever closer. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James McHenry” by H Pollock, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E31 · Sun, April 29, 2018
Runaway
Year(s) Discussed: 1773-1848 On May 21st, 1796, Ona/Oney Judge slips out of the President’s House in Philadelphia, PA in a bid to obtain her freedom from enslavement. The story of her being born into slavery at Mount Vernon, her being brought to work in the Washingtons’ household, and the Washingtons’ attempts at bringing Ona back into captivity is a narrative that brings much insight into the institution of slavery in the United States in the mid-1790s as well as a more complete view of George Washington’s legacy. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: Newspaper advertisement of the escape of Oney Judge with a reward for her return, 24 May 1796, Philadelphia Gazette, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E30 · Sun, April 15, 2018
Under Pressure, Near and Far
Year(s) Discussed: c. 16th century-1795 Diplomatic representatives of the Washington administration navigate new waters as they seek a peaceful resolution to conflicts with the Barbary States and Spain while the President continues his frustrating search to find candidates willing to fill his vacant Cabinet offices. Meanwhile, the Senate throws the President a curve ball by rejecting one of Washington’s appointments. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “A Sea Fight with Barbary Corsairs,” Lorenzo A Castro [c. post-1681], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E29 · Sun, April 01, 2018
The Not So Dream Team
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1796 With positions in his Cabinet to fill, Washington is finding it difficult to convince anyone to join his administration. Meanwhile, the son of his Revolutionary War comrade the Marquis de Lafayette shows up in the US and places the President in a difficult position as he’s forced to choose between personal loyalty and public duty. Around the same time, the disgraced Edmund Randolph makes his way up and down the east coast gathering evidence to clear his name. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: Timothy Pickering by Charles Willson Peale, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E28 · Sun, March 18, 2018
A Caesar, a Cromwell, and a Washington: The Betrayals of 1795
Year(s) Discussed: 1794-1795 Despite achieving a major diplomatic victory in the Northwest Territory, the administration is rocked by controversy as Secretary of State Randolph is confronted about allegations of collusion with the French while Washington himself is accused of improper use of public finances. Scandals and controversies abound in this episode! Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com Featured images: * Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar, courtesy of Wikipedia * “Oliver Cromwell” by Samuel Cooper [c. 1656], courtesy of Wikipedia * “George Washington” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1797], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E27 · Sun, March 04, 2018
The Light of Burning Effigies
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1799 While the construction of the nation’s new capital proceeds, the public battle against the Jay Treaty begins in earnest upon its publication by Benjamin Franklin Bache. Demonstrations and meetings go on up and down the Eastern seaboard, and even Alexander Hamilton has difficulty determining how to respond. Meanwhile, Washington has to fill John Jay’s position as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and deal with the last remaining member of his first Cabinet now looking to find a way out of his post. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: Burning of Stamp Act [c.1903], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E26 · Sun, February 18, 2018
A Monument of Folly and Venality
Year(s) Discussed: 1794-1795 The Jay Treaty finally arrives in Philadelphia, but it turns out to be more of a curse than the blessing for which Washington and his administration were hoping. As Washington and Randolph scramble to figure out what to do with the treaty, the opposition makes preparations for a full-on attack on this treaty with the British. Meanwhile, the Administration learns of US Minister James Monroe’s “fraternal embrace” of the French and goes in search of a special envoy to send to Spain. Diplomacy and political intrigue abound at home and abroad in 1795. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of John Jay” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1794], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E25 · Sun, February 04, 2018
The Happy Course
Year(s) Discussed: 1772-1795 As Alexander Hamilton readies himself to depart from the administration at the beginning of 1795, I use this defining point of the Washington presidency to explore various points of domestic policy and foreign issues including the establishment of the Trans-Oconee Republic, the state of the Democratic-Republican faction, the first steps of the Thermadorian government in France, the Kościuszko Uprising in Poland, the influx of refugees from Saint-Domingue and the progress of the Haitian Revolution, and British intrigues in the Caribbean. Many issues face Washington and his new Cabinet secretaries as they enter the final two years of his second term. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “Portrait of Tadeusz Kościuszko” by Karl Gottlieb Schweikart, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E24 · Sun, January 21, 2018
The Mvskoke and Mathews
Year(s) Discussed: 1783-1793 The development of white settlements in what was then the Southwest United States brings about conflicts with various Native American nations including the Mvskoke (commonly referred to as the Creek). Thus, the Washington administration finds itself in the position of having to police its own citizens while at the same time negotiating peace with native peoples in the region. Meanwhile, the threat of slave uprisings moves closer to the United States and causes some slaveowners to reconsider their approach to enslaved people and the institution of slavery as a whole. Source information for this episode as well as supplementary maps can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: “James Oglethorpe presenting the Yamacraw Indians to the Georgia Trustees” by William Verelst [c. 1734], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Mon, January 15, 2018
Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site
In remembrance of Dr. King, join me on a tour of the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta, GA. The site highlights the life of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, as well as shares information about other social activists related to the Kings and about the African-American community in Atlanta. Historic buildings at the site include Dr. King’s birthplace, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Fire Station No. 6. Pictures from the trip can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . A map of the historic site and the surrounding neighborhood can be found at the following link: https://www.nps.gov/malu/planyourvisit/maps.htm The episode of the Harrison Podcast on my visit that same weekend to Fort Hill, the home of John C Calhoun in Clemson, SC, can be found at http://whhpodcast.blubrry.com . Sources: * Ash, Carol S. “The Venerable Dr. King & Fire Station No. 6.” Legacy. (Sepember-October 2002) 20-24. * “Birth Home.” Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, National Parks Service. 4 May 2017. https://www.nps.gov/malu/planyourvisit/birth-home.htm [Last Accessed: 10 Jan 2018] * Lewis, David L. King: A Biography. Urbana, IL; Chicago; and London: University of Illinois Press, 1978 [1970]. * Tarleton, Gary. “Birth Home Tours.” Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, National Parks Service. 24 April 2015. https://www.nps.gov/malu/planyourvisit/birth_home_tours.htm [Last Accessed: 10 Jan 2018] * Tarleton, Gary. “Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.” Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, National Parks Service. 10 February 2016. https://www.nps.gov/malu/planyourvisit/ebenezer_baptist_church.htm [Last Accessed: 10 Jan 2018] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E23 · Sun, January 07, 2018
Effigies and Efficacies
Year(s) Discussed: 1793-1794 James Monroe arrives in France as major changes are occurring in the governance of the nation – Robespierre is out, and the Thermadorians are in. Back in the US, Washington and Hamilton ride at the head of an army west to put an end to the Whiskey Rebellion once and for all, but they will be shocked by what they find as they draw nearer to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, as we near the end of 1794, the longest serving member of Washington’s Cabinet considers his future. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured Image: James Monroe by Louis Semé [c. 1794], courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E22 · Sun, December 24, 2017
My, What Big Treaties You Have
Year(s) Discussed: 1793-1794 Developments on both sides of the Atlantic keep the administration busy in 1794. Prominent envoys are sent to both Britain and France in order to avert the US being drawn into conflict with a foreign power. General Wayne and his troops march into action in the Northwest Territory. Even Washington is getting into the action as he heads into the field to face the rebels in western Pennsylvania. Though only five years old, the new government under the Constitution is tested like never before. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Featured image: John Jay, copy based on an original by Gilbert Stuart, courtesy of Wikipedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, December 13, 2017
Martha Washington
Year(s) Discussed: 1731-1802 In this special episode, we take a closer look at Martha Washington, the woman who would serve as the nation’s first First Lady before the term was even crafted for the role. To help us better understand her life and her role in American history, I am joined in this episode by Presidential and First Ladies historian Feather Schwartz Foster who shares her knowledge and insights about Martha’s strengths and shortcomings, the Washingtons’ marriage, how Martha approached her public and household duties after her husband took the oath of office in 1789, and what impact Martha had on crafting the role of the First Lady. Audio editing by Andrew Pfannkuche , and special thanks to Toyin, Kato, Barbara, Mark, and Alex for providing the intro quotes. This episode is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Betty Landry, and is being released on what would have been her 68th birthday. The music between sections are selections from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto 1st Movement (Allegro) , performed by Markus Krumpöck and the Merkur Orchester Wiener Neustadt conducted by Willibald Zwittkovits. Sources used in this episode as well as links to Feather’s website and social media can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E21 · Sun, November 26, 2017
The Bigger They Are
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1794 The Washington administration is beset by various problems in the west while the British threaten American shipping interests in the West Indies, leading the two nations on the path to war. Though growing ever more tired of his position, President Washington must devise a plan to thwart attempts at rebellion in the west, decide upon an envoy to send east to London to seek out a diplomatic resolution, and begin work to build the US Navy. No rest for a weary President in 1794! Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, November 22, 2017
A Proclamation of Thanksgiving
Year(s) Discussed: 1619, 1621, 1789 To mark the upcoming US holiday of Thanksgiving, I wanted to release this special episode to provide a few thoughts on the holiday and its history and legacy as well as share with you President Washington’s proclamation issued on October 3rd, 1789 calling for the first day of national Thanksgiving under the constitutional government. The text can be found in the cited link below. * Byron, T.K. “Thanksgiving.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/thanksgiving/ . [Last Accessed: 22 Nov 2017] * Washington, George. “Proclamation—Day of National Thanksgiving,” October 3, 1789. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=65502 . [Last Accessed: 22 Nov 2017] * Woodlief, H Graham. “History of the First Thanksgiving.” Berkeley Plantation. http://www.berkeleyplantation.com/first-thanksgiving.html . [Last Accessed: 22 Nov 2017] Music: Gustav Holst’s Movement II of “The Planets,” Venus, the Bringer of Peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, November 12, 2017
Randolph
Year(s) Discussed: 1753-1789 Though well known in his own day, Thomas Jefferson’s successor at the State Department is little known to modern audiences. Thus, I present this special episode in order to help you understand our second Secretary of State. His name has been brought up in the podcast previously as he was the first Attorney General, but there are a few key points that you’ll want to pay attention to about this Virginian’s story as they might just come to play in the not too distant future. Audio editing for this episode by Andrew Pfannkuche . The source used for this episode was, to date, the only biography of Randolph that I’ve been able to find: * Reardon, John J. Edmund Randolph: A Biography. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co, 1974. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E20 · Sun, October 29, 2017
Go West, Young Men
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1794 Washington and his administration adjusts to the shake-up following Jefferson’s departure from the Cabinet. Meanwhile, attention is turned west due to General Wayne making steps to take his Legion of the United States into action as an attempt at negotiation with native forces fails in part because of British interference. The federal government must also decide how to approach an increased uproar coming from western Pennsylvania over the whiskey excise tax. Though Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton has to devote a good portion of his time in the first part of 1794 to defending his record, this doesn’t stop him from meddling in affairs with other parts of the government. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E19 · Sun, October 15, 2017
Rebellion
Year(s) Discussed: 1791-1794 As Washington sets wheels in motion for some rather radical changes to his personal way of life, others at home and abroad start working towards some changes of their own. In western Pennsylvania, small-scale distillers and farmers begin to organize against a new federal tax that would impact them more detrimentally than it would larger operations. In France, as the new French Republic faces food shortages and military setbacks, crowds start agitating for new, more effective leadership. Back in Philadelphia, Secretary of State Jefferson begins packing his bags and wrapping up his work as he counts down to the day set for his departure from the Washington administration. The old status quo seems forever gone as the year 1794 comes roaring in like a lion. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E18 · Sun, October 01, 2017
Pestilence
Year(s) Discussed: 1786-1793 Washington, his household, and his administration struggle to deal with an epidemic of yellow fever as it makes its way through the city of Philadelphia, indiscriminately infecting people from all walks of life including a resident at the President’s House. In addition to the loss of life, the epidemic brings up questions about how best to utilize medical knowledge to the public good, the role of the press, the relationship of individuals to their environment, and the ability and role of the government in a crisis management situation. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E17 · Sun, September 17, 2017
Genet Must Go
Year(s) Discussed: 1793 Washington returns to Philadelphia to deal with the continued agitations of French Minister Genêt. Meanwhile, Attorney General Randolph goes south on a fact-finding mission, Philip Freneau continues his attacks against Washington and his administration in the pages of the National Gazette, and events continue to unfold in Europe which have ramifications across the pond. Through all of this, the President has to decide what to do with his partisan Cabinet and how to preserve neutrality without offending either Britain or France. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E16 · Sun, September 03, 2017
Don't Mess With Washington
Year(s) Discussed: 1793 The new French Minister to the US arrives in Philadelphia and begins causing a stir both within the Washington administration and out in the streets. Meanwhile, Washington has another bout of ill health but recovers just in time to have to rush back to Mount Vernon despite being in the midst of diplomatic tensions. Party politics are taken to the next level with partisans beginning to organize their efforts just as both Jefferson and Hamilton contemplate their respective exits from the Cabinet to be free to pursue their own aims. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E15 · Sun, August 20, 2017
It's Not Easy Being Neutral
Year(s) Discussed: 1791-1793 The British and French are at war, and the Washington administration is caught in the middle. Though the US government had established a Treaty of Alliance with the French back in the Revolutionary War, the administration had to question whether the new French republican government was in fact valid and whether the US was still bound by the treaty made with the government of the recently executed Louis XVI. However, they are given little time to consider the situation as French ships start capturing British vessels off the coast of North America and bringing them into Philadelphia harbor. Washington wants to stay out of it, but will the European powers force his hand? Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E14 · Sun, August 06, 2017
The Second Inaugural
Year(s) Discussed: 1791-1793 The lead up to Washington’s second inaugural ended up being much more dramatic than anyone could have imagined as personal conflicts threatened the construction of the Federal City, Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds threatened to be made public knowledge, and Representative William Branch Giles filed resolutions against Hamilton accusing him of official misconduct and calling for his dismissal. In the middle of all this, a reluctant president turns to his family for support as he prepares himself for what already appears will be a more turbulent four years ahead than his first term had been. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E13 · Mon, July 24, 2017
Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
Year(s) Discussed: 1792 Washington has an important decision to make as the Election of 1792 looms. Should he accede to the wishes of many and stand for reelection or should he take his weary bones back to Mount Vernon for the remainder of his days? The growing factional agitations that were exacerbated by Hamilton’s submitting his Report on Manufactures as well as a financial panic in 1792 do little to make the situation better. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds gets ever more complicated. And did the Attorney General just say something about a potential civil war? Washington’s action-packed first term hits some bumpy roads in this episode. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Sun, July 16, 2017
One Year Anniversary Special Episode
In honor of my one year anniversary of podcasting, I did this special episode to run simultaneously on the Harrison Podcast to share a little bit about how I got started podcasting, some information about our audience, and a chance for you to be entered into a drawing for a gift card to Powell’s Books. The survey mentioned in the episode can be found at https://goo.gl/forms/AKCJOi0LEOCXv1ce2 , but you must complete it as instructed by July 31st and leave your name and email address to be entered into the drawing. Please note: If you haven’t already, I do ask that you listen to at least one episode of either podcast (and this one doesn’t count) before participating in the drawing so that you can give feedback to help make the podcasts better as we go into year two. Thanks so much in advance! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E12 · Mon, July 10, 2017
Slavery in America
Content Note: Though not going into graphic detail, I did want to let everyone know upfront that this episode, in discussing slavery, does touch upon the violence associated with slavery including that perpetrated against female enslaved people. Year(s) Discussed: 1490s-1792 European settlers in the Western Hemisphere began practicing slavery in the lands that they found on the other side of the Atlantic in the late 15th century. In this episode, we examine the institution of slavery in what would become the United States as it developed up to the end of Washington’s first term in office. From its beginnings to its codification, we also look at some of the living conditions of enslaved peoples and early efforts to end the practice of slavery. The episode finishes off with bringing the focus back to Washington and how he approached slavery as he participated in the Constitutional Convention and then took office as president. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E11 · Sun, June 25, 2017
Mad Anthony and His Legion
Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1793 Washington hopes that third time will be the charm as he taps Anthony Wayne, a general who had served under him in the Revolutionary War, to take command of the Army following St. Clair’s defeat and to prosecute military action against native forces in the old Northwest. Wayne, who earned the nickname of “Mad Anthony” during the war, is not necessarily what one would call a conventional officer, however. Will Washington’s gamble pay off? Meanwhile, unknown to everyone, a spy lurks in the midst of the military forces in the West and threatens the future westward expansion of the United States. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E10 · Sun, June 18, 2017
Agitations 2: Foreign Intrigues
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1792 Numerous foreign relations issues faced Washington’s first administration. In this episode, we examine how the administration dealt with the Anglo-American trade imbalance, the impact of the French Revolution, Spanish attempts to break the lands west of the Appalachians away from the US, and what would prove to be the only successful major large scale slave insurrection that occurred in the French colony of Saint-Domingue at the beginning of what we now know of as the Haitian Revolution. Hope you have your seatbelts fastened, listeners, cause early 1790s diplomacy can be a bumpy ride! Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E9 · Sun, May 28, 2017
Agitations
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1791 Increasingly during the Washington administration, tensions were beginning to build between pro-administration and anti-administration factions which would ultimately culminate in the development of the First Party System. This episode looks at some of the structural and cultural reasons for these divisions as well as some of the early leaders of the two factions including, of course Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E8 · Sun, May 14, 2017
Banking and Drinking
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1791 The government is on the move! As the federal government transitions to its new temporary capitol while Washington selects a site for the permanent capitol along the Potomac, it is also forced to deal with the most controversial proposal put forward to date: the creation of a National Bank. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s proposal of an excise tax on whiskey sails through and a new state is added to the Union. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E7 · Sun, April 30, 2017
Arthur St. Clair: Worst. General. Ever.
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1792 While Congress deliberates on the course of the nation in New York, settlers in the frontier were forging ahead with their own future beyond the Appalachian mountains. In this episode, we look at the development of territories in the west and discuss how the Washington administration prioritized affairs in the region. The military’s role in the area is discussed at some length including the not-so-stellar outcomes of two campaigns against native peoples in the Northwest Territory and what impact this would have on the administration and the nation. Source information for this episode as well as supplementary maps can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E6 · Sun, April 16, 2017
Assumption, Presumption, Let's Call the Whole Thing Off!
Year(s) Discussed: 1790 The new government of the United States comes grinding to a halt in the spring and summer of 1790 as Congress reaches an impasse on both Hamilton’s proposed public credit scheme and the decision of where the new government should be permanently located. Ultimately, a decision is reached on both, but how it came about is rather complicated. If you’ve ever heard of the Compromise of 1790, then you’ll want to listen to this episode as there’s more to the story than has been told over the years. Meanwhile, health concerns plague a couple of major American figures, bringing even more uncertainty to an already unstable time. All the big players are in this one – Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Knox, and, of course, Mr. President. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E5 · Sun, April 02, 2017
Take This Report and File It
Year(s) Discussed: 1790 Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit is sent to Congress in January 1790 and immediately causes an uproar. As congressmen divide into pro and anti-administration factions on this issue, I take a closer look in this episode at the report and Hamilton’s proposals on how to deal with the public credit in order to ensure “the honor and prosperity of the United States” as well as what James Madison thought of Hamilton’s ideas. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E4 · Sun, March 19, 2017
The Dream Team
Year(s) Discussed: 1789 After a debate over how much authority Washington would exert over its officers, the executive branch begins to take shape. I examine both the original Cabinet members and the departments as they were at the beginning of the constitutional government. Then, as Washington leaves town to take a tour of the New England states, a personal scandal becomes the talk of the town in New York City. Romantic liaisons, conflicts of interest, and strong opinions over postal routes are all to be found in this episode. Source information can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E3 · Sun, March 05, 2017
Year One
Year(s) Discussed: 1789 Washington’s inauguration, while starting up the wheels of the executive branch, leaves many questions to be answered by the first chief executive and the new government. What titles will be used to address the president? How will he make himself available to the public and to the other branches of government? What does seeking “the Advice and Consent of the Senate” really mean anyway? So much of what we take for granted with the presidency nowadays is established in Washington’s first few months on the job, and these precedents that he established in the early part of his administration are the focus of this episode. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Wed, March 01, 2017
Presidential Address
To mark the occasion of the 45th president’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, I present to you this special episode on how presidents have communicated with other politicians and government officials as well as with the general public and how this has changed both with the advent of new technologies and with the varying personalities of the chief executives. From George Washington’s public levees and national tours to Abraham Lincoln’s effective use of the telegraph, from Theodore Roosevelt’s bully pulpit to the Johnson treatment, and from the installation of the White House telephone to the current president’s use of Twitter, this episode covers a great deal of ground. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Mon, February 20, 2017
Hamilton
Year(s) Discussed: c. 1755-1787 In honor of Presidents’ Day, I am releasing this special mini-episode on the life of Alexander Hamilton leading up to the Constitutional Convention. As I am not Lin-Manuel Miranda and would likely drive listeners off if I attempted to sing, this is a spoken summation of Hamilton’s life including the challenges of his childhood, his early involvement in politics, his tenure in the Army during the Revolutionary War, and his career progression following the war. Source information for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E2 · Sun, February 19, 2017
Washington Pre-Presidency Part Two
Year(s) Discussed: 1764-1789 The colonies along the Atlantic seaboard declare independence and go to war with Great Britain, and George Washington is in the middle of all of the action. The lead up and the prosecution of the revolution would lift Washington from being just another Virginia planter to become “the Father of His Country” as he had to develop his skills as a politician, a military commander, a spymaster, and an administrator in order to ensure success for him and the colonial cause. In the midst of the social and political turmoil, personal tragedy struck the Washingtons at the beginning and the end of the Revolution, and the conclusion of the war would find Washington handing back all of the power that had been entrusted to him. His retirement would be short-lived as the new nation would soon find itself at a crisis point that only Washington could save them from. Sources used in this episode as well as other sources for more information on the Revolutionary War can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
S1 E1 · Sun, February 05, 2017
Washington Pre-Presidency Part One
Year(s) Discussed: 1732-1764 Our examination of George Washington begins with his early life in Virginia. Washington has to cope with personal loss and self-improvement as he works to make his way in the world. The coming of the French and Indian War takes his life in a new direction and sets the stage for the Revolution to come. We also look at his marriage to Martha Dandridge Custis and his establishment of industries based on slavery at Mount Vernon. Source notes for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Fri, January 20, 2017
Introduction - What is the Presidency?
In the inaugural episode of this podcast, we examine the nature of the presidency – what qualifies someone for the presidency, what powers and limitations does the president have, how was the office developed in the first place, and how has the office changed over time? This high level overview gives us an opportunity to be introduced to some themes that are going to carry through the podcast, and I take a few minutes to share the intended format of the podcast. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus · Tue, January 03, 2017
Presidential Transitions
As a prelude to our full launch, this mini episode is an informal discussion of presidential transitions that have been less than smooth. From John Adams ducking out on his successor’s inauguration to name calling between Eisenhower and Kennedy, there are a number of examples of presidents who haven’t always wished their predecessors or successors well upon their transition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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