Listening to America

This week Clay Jenkinson has a conversation with regular guest Lindsay Chervinsky about the first great Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall. Marshall was a Virginia Federalist, persuaded by George Washington to run for Congress and appointed Chief Justice by President John Adams in early 1801. Topics include the mutual distrust of Jefferson and his third cousin Marshall, Marshall's mo...

This week Clay Jenkinson and Joseph Ellis answer a listener question comparing the events of January 6th with the Boston Tea Party and go on to discuss an almost forgotten founding father - Henry Laurens. Laurens was a merchant, slave trader, and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary War. He was captured at sea by the British and imprisoned for sev...

A conversation with retired Lt. Colonel Hal Bidlack, a former political science professor who is one of the nation's top Alexander Hamilton impersonators. Our focus this week is Hamilton's role in the constitutional convention of 1787. Did he really give a six hour speech in which he called for the president to serve for life, senators for life, and governors to be appointed by the national execut...

In this episode, Clay Jenkinson visits with Alexander Hamilton scholar Hal Bidlack exploring the character of Hamilton, his rags to riches story, his essential friendship with George Washington, but also his self-destructive prickliness about his honor. The wide-ranging conversation inevitably leads to the dueling grounds of Wehaukon, New Jersey, where on July 11, 1804, the sitting vice president...

The Jefferson Hour's Enlightenment correspondent David Nicandri, author of three books and formerly the director of the Washington State Historical Society, discusses the current state of the Enlightenment with host Clay Jenkinson. The Enlightenment (1680-1826) with its faith in progress, science, reason, and the modest perfectibility of humanity, has been under assault by the academic elites for...

David Nicandri and Clay Jenkinson discuss the return journey of Lewis and Clark in 1806. Nicandri is the author of the acclaimed book, River of Promise: Lewis and Clark on the Columbia . Both scholars of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Clay and David explore the challenges of getting the Corps of Discovery back from the Pacific coast to St. Louis. The men were not in great physical or mental condi...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Clay Jenkinson visits with Pat Brodowski, formerly the head gardener at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Pat explains how she found her way to Monticello, what she learned about Thomas Jefferson from working every day in his extensive garden, and how she is occupying her time now as a retiree. Plus, Pat gives tips to our listeners about how to grow something i...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Clay Jenkinson and Lindsay Chervinsky continue their discussion prompted by a letter from a teacher in Iowa who asks what they think are the ten most important American historical events she should teach to her students. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson H...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Clay Jenkinson and Lindsay Chervinsky respond to a letter from a teacher in Iowa who asks what they think are the ten most important American historical events she should teach to her students. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn mor...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, we look back and listen to excerpts from some of our favorite conversations from 2022, and wish all our listeners a very happy New Year. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours and retreats at  jeffersonh...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, we have a virtual gathering (via Zoom) with some of our favorite friends and contributors to the Jefferson Hour. Brad Crisler debuts a new song written and gifted to the show. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cul...

Clay Jenkinson responds to listener comments and questions. He speculates on how Jefferson would have responded to social media — spoiler alert — Clay says he would have been great at it, and he guesses how Jefferson would have responded to some of the social phenomena of our time. Clay also responds to a letter from a teacher in Iowa who says it is important to teach all sides of history. Subscri...

Clay Jenkinson and the historian Joseph Ellis have a wide-ranging conversation beginning with Jefferson's failing reputation, and ending with both of them sharing their thoughts on the future. They also discuss our recent elections and the need for young and vibrant new leaders in America. Send us a message on our website. Books and articles mentioned on this episode include: "Hear what the founde...

President Jefferson shares his core principles. During the out-of-character segment, Clay Jenkinson addresses some of the extreme contradictions between what Jefferson said he believed in and what he actually did. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultu...

Clay Jenkinson and host David Swenson talk about the Thanksgiving holiday this week. They discuss the history of Thanksgiving and why Jefferson didn't endorse it, and also take time to recognize how grateful they both are for the listeners of the Jefferson Hour. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas Jefferson...

On November 9th, the day after the midterms, Clay Jenkinson and Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky share their early impressions and insights on what occurred during the 2022 election. Most administrations lose many congressional seats in off-year elections, but it didn't happen this year. They speculate on what message this sends to both political parties and discuss issues that affected the results. Subscri...

President Thomas Jefferson shares his thoughts on the proper role of government and the election of 1800. In that year, members of the Federalist Party encouraged a movement to deny Jefferson the presidency through a means of delaying the transition of power and keeping then President John Adams in office, despite the fact that Jefferson had won the Electoral College vote. Mentioned on this episod...

Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay Jenkinson discuss the election of 1800 in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied with 73 electoral votes each. This resulted in the vote being decided in the House of Representatives after 36 ballots. They discuss Federalist plans to delay the process and keep John Adams in office, along with threats of troops being used to contest the election. Subscribe to the  Th...

Clay Jenkinson has returned from his cultural tour in France and speaks to us this week about Jefferson's time there and the sites in France that were visited. Clay also shares insight on the relationships between Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John and Abigail Adams. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joining the  1776 Club  or by  donating  to the Thomas J...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, President Jefferson returns to discuss the famous letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists association saying it was not the duty of government to do anything that might be interpreted as the establishment of religion. In this letter, he used the famous phrase "wall of separation between church and state." Jefferson explains that the first amendment o...

This week, David speaks with President Thomas Jefferson as portrayed by humanities scholar Clay S. Jenkinson. Jefferson responds to listener questions about banning books, as well as citizens' rights and responsibilities. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Clay will be performing as Theodore Roosevelt in Downers Grove, IL on October 22nd. Support the show by joining the  1776 Clu...

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay Jenkinson discuss Jefferson's daughters. Thomas Jefferson was highly expectant of their behavior and let them know it through a series of letters. When he died in bankruptcy, his daughter Martha was left nearly penniless and had to deal with the aftermath of Jefferson's poor money management. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Clay will be performi...

This week, we discuss Clay Jenkinson's upcoming cultural tour through Thomas Jefferson's France stopping in Paris, to Nice along the Cote d'Azur, the French Alps to the village of Saorge and continue in Jefferson's footsteps with stops in Orange, Pont du Gard, and finally Nimes and the Maison Carrée, which Jefferson called "the most precious morsel of antiguity." Jefferson said every man's first c...

In August, President Biden met with a group of historians at the White House who, for nearly two hours, provided historical perspectives as well as their concerns about the dangerous state of democracy in the United States and the world. Clay Jenkinson and Lindsay Chervinsky discuss this meeting and share some of the things they would have said to the President. Clay will be performing as Theodore...

We're joined by longtime contributor to the show, author Joseph Ellis. He and Clay Jenkinson discuss the passing of the noted historian David McCullough. They also discuss the Constitution and what might happen if it is ever re-written. Clay will be performing as Theodore Roosevelt in Downers Grove, IL on October 22nd. Subscribe to the  Thomas Jefferson Hour on YouTube . Support the show by joinin...