Creating America

In this episode of Creating America , we travel to the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788 to hear one of the most powerful Anti-Federalist voices of the founding era: Patrick Henry. Best remembered for his fiery declaration, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”, Henry returned to the public stage to oppose ratification of the newly drafted United States Constitution. Speaking on June 7, 1788, h...

his episode of Creating America is devoted to a full reading of the Constitution of the United States , the foundational document that established the framework of the American government. The episode opens with brief historical context explaining why the Articles of Confederation proved inadequate and why delegates gathered in 1787 to design a stronger national system. Influential figures such as...

In this episode of Creating America , host Will Sarris reads powerful but often overlooked voices from the Revolutionary era—documents written by enslaved people demanding the same freedom the colonies claimed for themselves. You’ll hear the 1773 petition of enslaved men in Massachusetts asking for their liberty and the right to return to Africa, the 1779 New Hampshire petition signed by Prince Wh...

This episode features a dramatic reading of the first pamphlet from The American Crisis by Thomas Paine , published in December 1776 during the darkest days of the American Revolution . Written in plain language for ordinary colonists, Paine’s words were meant to strengthen resolve, condemn tyranny, and rally support for independence. The opening line—“These are the times that try men’s souls”—bec...

In this episode, we read one of the most misunderstood yet crucial documents in American history: The Articles of Confederation . After declaring independence from Great Britain in 1776, the Continental Congress faced an urgent question: What comes next? Were the former colonies independent states loosely allied together—or a single united nation? How would they fund the Revolutionary War, manage...

In this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States , host and narrator Will Sarris presents a powerful historical reading of a landmark speech delivered by John Quincy Adams on the 45th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence . Delivered in 1821, Adams’s address is both a sweeping interpretation of the causes, meaning, and legacy of the Declaration...

In this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States , host and narrator Will Sarris continues the dramatic reading of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense , one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. We hear Part IV: “Of the Present Ability of America; with Some Miscellaneous Reflections,” along with the Appendix to Common Sense , in which Paine del...

This episode continues our chronological journey through Thomas Paine’s Common Sense , one of the most influential political pamphlets in American history and a powerful argument for American independence. In this installment, we explore Section 3: “Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs,” in which Paine dismantles the case for reconciliation with Great Britain and makes a passionate, r...

In this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States , host and narrator Will Sarris presents a dramatic reading of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense —the most influential political pamphlet of the American Revolution. Written in January 1776 , Common Sense made the bold, radical case for full independence from Great Britain at a time when many American colonists...

Welcome to the Creating America Podcast, the documents and speeches that shaped the United States I’m Will Sarris. I’m an actor and media professional and I’ve always loved the study of history. I was thinking about the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States recently, and I realized that often I know ABOUT various speeches and documents that shaped the history of the US, but I’ve o...

Welcome to the Creating America Podcast, the documents and speeches that shaped the United States I’m Will Sarris. I’m an actor and media professional and I’ve always loved the study of history. I was thinking about the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States recently, and I realized that often I know ABOUT various speeches and documents that shaped the history of the US, but I’ve o...