Listening to America

"Nobody ever used the English language to greater effect than William Shakespeare." — Clay Clay discusses his new show, "Clay Jenkinson's Shakespeare the Magic of the Word" — which held its world premiere in Norfolk, VA in September — and shares Jefferson's thoughts and regard for the work of William Shakespeare. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Support the show by...

"Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science by rendering them my supreme delight." — Thomas Jefferson We return to the Jefferson 101 biographical series and explore Jefferson's second term as President. We discuss the many difficulties he had, including the Burr conspiracy and the Embargo Act of 1807 to 1809. This is Jefferson 121. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  o...

"I am more candid in your era than I ever would have been in mine." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we speak with President Jefferson about his hospitality and good manners. In her book, The First Forty Years of Washington Society Margaret Bayard Smith quotes federalist Supreme Court Justice William Paterson's opinion of Thomas Jefferson. Of Jefferson he said,  "No...

"If the three federal branches can't stop themselves from doing appalling things, a fourth entity exists, and that's the states." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson We discuss the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, states' rights, and the need for checks and balances within the federal government. Clay Jenkinson's "Shakespeare the Magic of the Word" will premiere in Norfolk, VA, Frid...

"How can you call yourself a Jeffersonian if you don't go see [the eclipse]?" — Clay Clay takes us on a road trip to Wyoming to witness the eclipse. Later in the episode, David Nicandri phones in to report on his experience. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Clay S. Jenkinson .

Responding to a flood of emails from listeners, this week an out-of-character program discussing the recent events at Charlottesville. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Clay S. Jenkinson .

"I'm trying to explain to you and to your listeners what makes for a happy life." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson President Thomas Jefferson speaks about Monticello, his private and daily habits, his compulsiveness and how his Virginian hospitality cost him a personal fortune. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by...

"Of all of the people of this era, there is one and only one huge paradox, and it's Thomas Jefferson." — Clay S. Jenkinson Clay shares his first impressions of John B. Boles' new book, Jefferson: Architect of American Liberty . Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Clay S. Jenkinson .

"The bureaucracy can actually serve a really valuable purpose." — Beau Wright, Director of Operations at United to Protect Democracy In an out-of-character program, Clay reports on this year's Lewis & Clark cultural tour. Later, we're joined by Beau Wright who reports on his recent visits to Jefferson's Poplar Forest home and the Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Find this episode, al...

"This thing of darkness, I acknowledge mine." — Prospero, The Tempest This week Clay Jenkinson speaks about Thomas Jefferson and slavery. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Clay S. Jenkinson .

"The Founding Fathers intended a free nation in which you could choose your religion." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson After a short discussion about weather, President Jefferson addresses a question about his ownership of a copy of the Quran. Jefferson goes on to explain his views on the importance of religious freedom. In the out-of-character portion of the show, Clay and D...

"Really? You don't think Jefferson has a geopolitical plan here?" — Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we return to the Jefferson 101 series and discuss Jefferson's first term as President. In particular, we discuss the Barbary pirates, the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark expedition. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading,  on the blog . Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Cl...

"You can object to anybody's politics, but I firmly believe that you can't object to President Obama's character." — Beau Wright President Thomas Jefferson speaks about the White House — during his time and ours — with this week's special guest, Beau Wright. Wright spent over five years serving in the White House, nearly two years of that time as Senior Deputy Director of White House Operations an...

We speak with President Jefferson this week in our annual 4th of July Show. Jefferson shares his thoughts on why the holiday is so important to Americans and recalls how it was celebrated during his time. We also speak to Gaye Wilson, the Shannon Senior Historian at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies and Pat Brodowski, specialty gardener at Monticello who tell us about...

"I think that's what Jefferson's attitude was: 'I'd rather not, but I'm probably the best person to do it.'" — Clay We return to our Jefferson 101 series this week with an episode about Jefferson's road to the White House. Over the past few months, we've carried Jefferson from his birth in Virginia in 1743 right up to the brink of the time when he became the third president of the United States. W...

"The question then became: Is a national bank constitutional? Did the Founding Fathers contemplate a national bank?" — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we discuss the argument between Alexander Hamilton and Jefferson over the creation of a national bank of the United States. Hamilton believed a central banking system was essential to America's standing in the world. J...

"I never like to be rude, but sometimes one has to set the precedent for a society that will shock the world." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we discuss diplomacy and presidential decorum. When the British Ambassador Anthony Merry came to the White House, Jefferson went out of his way to be rude: to make it clear that the Revolution was won by us, not them. In 179...

"I was always happiest when I could direct the reading of a promising young man." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson Here at the Jefferson Hour, we love our listener mail. We try to answer as many letters as possible because they help us to open up new avenues of discourse. This week, we devote another episode to answering listener questions. Subjects covered include civil disco...

"Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts he has made his peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. It is the focus in which he keeps alive that sacred fire, which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth." — Thomas Jefferson This week, the entire episode — well, almost the entire episode — is devoted to answering...

"We have now a goodly field before us, & I have no wish superior to that of seeing it judiciously cultivated; that every Man, especially those who have labored to prepare it, may reap a fruitful Harvest" — George Washington, 1784 Nearly 50 years later, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that, "As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of eve...

"[Thomas Jefferson] could calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, try a cause, break a horse, dance a minuet, and play a violin." — James Parton, 1874 This week, we ask President Jefferson to confirm or deny these reported talents. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn more about Odyssey Tours and the summer 2017 Lewis & Cla...

"Somewhere in Jefferson, something happened where the European mindset turned and started looking to the west. He started looking toward possibility in a different way." — Kent Nerburn We welcome two special guests to the Thomas Jefferson Hour this week for an out-of-character discussion about Jefferson's policies towards Native Americans. Joining us are the independent filmmaker Steven Lewis Simp...

"Jefferson embodies — in many respects, not in all of them — the world that I want to live in. I want to live in Thomas Jefferson's America." — Clay This week, we discuss listener questions about architecture, Sally Hemings, revolutionary war, Jefferson as a scientist, recommended books and how Clay's life has been affected by performing as Thomas Jefferson. Find this episode, along with further r...

This week, we speak with Pat Brodowski, head gardener at Jefferson's Monticello . Pat shares her knowledge about how and why Jefferson grew the plants he did, the experimental nature of the household gardens and what is being done to maintain the gardens during our time. It's a fascinating conversation which provides some real insight on Jefferson the gardener. Find this episode, along with photos...

"The constitution ... is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist, and shape into any form they please." — Thomas Jefferson to Spencer Roane, 1819 Thomas Jefferson had a unique and slightly odd view of the proper place of the judicial branch in America. He thought of judicial independence as both a strength and a weakness of our system: you want judges that are indep...