Listening to America

"The debate in American history is not between Hamilton and Jefferson, the debate is between Adams and Jefferson." — Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we answer listener questions on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, including a letter from a writer who wonders whether the Founding Fathers were geniuses who seized the moment, or simply average people living in extraordinary times. We also speak with our good...

"He's a bit of a Tea Party guy, he's a bit of a libertarian, he's certainly for small government." — Clay S. Jenkinson This week's episode is devoted to answering listener questions, and many of the questions are about the current administration. We anticipate and appreciate comments on the issues discussed during this episode. Thanks for listening. Find this episode, along with recommended readin...

"Lightly governed, lightly taxed, highly educated, isolationist, farmer's paradise." — Clay S. Jenkinson This week, President Thomas Jefferson explains his own vision for America. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by  Clay S. Jenkinson .

"I think that an ideal citizen is a bit grumpy, is always concerned that government is up to no good." — Thomas Jefferson, Second Inaugural Address We begin our conversation with President Thomas Jefferson asking about the actual location of his tombstone. We also discuss truthfulness, free speech, personal freedoms, upholding international agreements, and what Thomas Jefferson thinks about execut...

"I don't think that it's very useful to compare the burden of the presidency of 1803 … with the burden of the presidency in your time." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson We talk with President Jefferson about an article written by John Dickerson of CBS regarding how difficult the office of the president has become. The article is titled "The Hardest Job in the World" and was pu...

"I'm just thinking of your career, here." — Joseph Ellis We continue our conversation this week with the award-winning author Joseph Ellis, and we conclude our discussion about his book First Family: Abigail and John Adams as part of our first entry of the Thomas Jefferson Hour Book Club series. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural...

Joining our conversation this week is the award-winning author Joseph Ellis. We discuss his book First Family: Abigail and John Adams in part one of two shows as our first entry for the Thomas Jefferson Hour Book Club series. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting  Odyssey Tours . Support the...

"peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none" — Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1801) This week on the Jefferson Hour, we talk with President Jefferson about his struggles with foreign entanglements, and his disappointment with the American people's reactions to his decisions. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the...

"I would never consider [the Constitution] to be a sacred text." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson We present President Thomas Jefferson with a listener question about what the phrase "promote the general welfare," found in the Constitution, actually means. We answer letters from Richard Tucker and Rich Nieves. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . L...

We answer listener questions in response to episode #1277 Gerrymandering , and then turn to a discussion about an important discovery of an 1805 Lewis & Clark related map. It was found after being stored for 200 years in a French archive. The map and its background story appear in this month's issue of We Proceeded On , published by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. The letters discusse...

"History is like a picture puzzle and half of the pieces or more are missing. There is something about Jefferson that makes us want to expose contradiction." — Clay S. Jenkinson Our show this week revolves around a question from listener Gino Cukale about the purported relationship between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. We discuss the historical record and look to first-hand accounts in an at...

"That is one of the most fun things that I try to do, reacquaint people with the joyous flavor of the tomato that they crave." — Craig LeHoullier Inspired by a letter from Alison Hagan, we talk with three tomato experts: Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes; Harry J. Klee, Ph. D. from the University of Florida; and Pat Brodowski, Head Gardener at Monticello. They speak about the best-tasting...

"Every letter has a basis and a purpose … I spent an enormous amount of time thinking about the recipient." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson We speak this week with President Jefferson about the art of letter writing. Prompted by a letter from a listener, Jefferson shares his insights on the process. The exact number of letters Jefferson wrote is not known, but it is safe to s...

"I believe that we have the right to revolution." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson President Jefferson answers listener questions about his relationship with John Adams, replacing the Constitution once every generation, bees at Monticello, and the Second Amendment. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and...

"You could redistrict so that you could maximize competitiveness. That would be my suggestion: maximize competitiveness." — Clay S. Jenkinson On this week's Thomas Jefferson Hour, we discuss gerrymandering, its origin, how it works in American politics today, and the potential effects it has on our democracy. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upco...

"I feel an Awe upon my Mind, which is not easily described." — John Adams Clay and David discuss the book Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence , referred to as "a distinctive portrait of the crescendo moment in American history from the Pulitzer-winning American historian, Joseph Ellis." The book chronicles the events of the summer of 1776 as America's war for independence bega...

"There's a perfect alignment between Jefferson's own contradictions and the rest of American history." — Joseph J. Ellis Clay speaks with Dr. Joseph J. Ellis, author of more than ten books, including American Sphinx , Passionate Sage , and Revolutionary Summer . His forthcoming book is American Dialogue: The Founders and Us . Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn...

"You cannot understand the founding of this country without understanding the Founding Fathers' obsession with classical languages and literature." — Clay S. Jenkinson Guest host Catherine Jenkinson has an extended conversation with President Jefferson about the classics, and Jefferson's understanding and support of the classics. Find this episode  on the blog , along with 15 Greek and Latin Class...

"I'm just thrilled to see that people can still have intelligent and thoughtful conversations and walk away still feeling friends." — Rick Kennerly We speak with three friends of the Jefferson Hour this week: Rick Kennerly, who talks tomatoes and why they don't taste as good as they used to, Pat Brodowski, Head Gardener at Monticello who speaks about the gardens and upcoming events at Monticello,...

Catherine Jenkinson returns as host this week for an extended conversation with President Jefferson about Sir Walter Raleigh. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting  Odyssey Tours . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. Thomas Jefferson...

We speak with President Jefferson about current events including the government shutdown, philanthropy, and water shortages in Cape Town. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting  Odyssey Tours . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. Thom...

"It really upsets me that Jefferson should be anti-canine, but there you are." — Clay S. Jenkinson This week, we answer listener questions about Jefferson's personality traits, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, the State of Jefferson, the Hamilton Soundtrack, fashion during Jefferson's time, touring Monticello, and Jefferson's distaste for dogs. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog ....

Margaret Bayard Smith was a friend of Thomas Jefferson. Her writings provided the content for the book The First Forty Years of Washington Society which includes first hand accounts of her interactions with Jefferson. This week we speak with Mister Jefferson about Mrs. Smith. He shares his recollections of their relationship. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn...

"Most revolutions end with the establishment of a dictatorship." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson We speak with President Jefferson this week about America's tradition of the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. Find this episode, along with recommended reading,  on the blog . Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visi...

"I had a canine appetite for reading." — Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson This week, President Jefferson shares his views on reading fiction versus non-fiction and recommends works of fiction from his time. On this episode, Jefferson recommends five books: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne, Robinson Cruso...