Creating America

I'm currently on vacation visiting a US National Park, and my work schedule is a bit hectic right after I get back. But we'll be back with new episodes soon!

As America approaches the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence , Creating America revisits the documents that laid the foundation of the United States. In this special Independence Day episode, host Will Sarris reads the complete text of the Declaration of Independence , followed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. E ach generation has reinterpreted these foun...

In this powerful episode of the Creating America Podcast , host Will Sarris presents a reading of the full text of Frederick Douglass’s landmark 1852 speech, “What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?” As the United States reflects on the ideals of independence, liberty, and justice—especially in the context of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—this episode confronts a difficult...

In this episode of Creating America, host Will Sarris presents one of the most influential speeches in American history: Sojourner Truth's powerful 1851 address, "Ain't I a Woman?" Born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree, Sojourner Truth became a leading voice in both the abolitionist movement and the fight for women's rights. Speaking at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, she challenged...

In this episode of Creating America , we read two foundational items (a speech and a document) that stand at the origins of the American women's rights movement. both from the historic 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. First, hear Elizabeth Cady Stanton's powerful keynote address calling for equal rights, political representation, and women's suffrage. Then, listen to the full text of the Declaration...

In this episode of Creating America , we explore one of the most consequential political debates in American history: the struggle over slavery, secession, and the future of the Union that led to the Compromise of 1850 . As new territories acquired after the Mexican-American War prepared to enter the United States, fierce disagreements erupted over whether slavery would be allowed to expand westwa...

The United States often celebrates its founding ideals of liberty and freedom, but this episode of the Creating America Podcast explores a far darker chapter in the nation’s history. Through the speeches and documents of President Andrew Jackson and the text of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, host Will Sarris examines how the U.S. government justified the forced removal of Native American tribes f...

In this episode of Creating America , host Will Sarris explores the origins of religious freedom in the United States through the First Amendment, Thomas Jefferson’s famous 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, and Jefferson’s writings on religion in Notes on the State of Virginia . You’ll hear: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution The 1801 letter from the Danbury Baptist Association Thomas...

In this episode of the Creating America Podcast , host Will Sarris explores one of the most influential speeches in American history: George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796). At the height of his power and popularity, Washington made a decision almost unheard of in world history — he voluntarily stepped away from leadership. By refusing a third term, he established the precedent of the peacefu...

In Episode 17 of the Creating America Podcast, we explore two extraordinary moments in the life of George Washingtonthat helped define the American experiment in self-government. First, we hear Washington’s 1783 resignation speech—when he voluntarily gave up power as Commander-in-Chief after the Revolutionary War. At a time when military leaders often became rulers, Washington chose a different pa...

ive into the origins of the United States Bill of Rights (Amendments 1–10) in this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States , hosted by Will Sarris. Before the Bill of Rights became law, fierce debate surrounded the ratification of the Constitution. In this episode, we explore the powerful Anti-Federalist argument against the Constitution’s lack of expl...

In this episode of Creating America , host and narrator Will Sarris presents dramatic readings of Federalist Papers No. 84 and No. 85 , written by Alexander Hamilton during the debate over ratifying the United States Constitution. These concluding essays tackle some of the most enduring questions in American history: Does the Constitution need a Bill of Rights? Can liberty be preserved without exp...

Dive into the foundations of American government in this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States . Host Will Sarris brings to life three of the most influential essays from the The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. This episode features: Federalist No. 33 – The Necessary and Proper Clause & Supremacy Clause expla...

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail—and how did that lead to the U.S. Constitution? In this episode of Creating America , we continue our exploration of the Federalist Papers with Federalist No. 15 and No. 21, written by Alexander Hamilton. These powerful essays explain why America’s first system of government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to survive—and why a stronger fe...

In this episode of Creating America , host Will Sarris introduces one of the most influential collections of political writing in United States history: The Federalist Papers . Written under the pseudonym “Publius” by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, these essays were crafted to defend the newly proposed Constitution and persuade the people of New York to support its ratification....

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...