Presidencies of the United States
A journey through presidential history from the beginning to the present day
Episodes
May 2, 2021 • 38 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1805 President Jefferson had much to celebrate in the latter half of 1805 as he finally secured a new Attorney General, envoys arrived from distant lands in the east and the west, and his daughter and her family joined him in the President’s House for the winter. Little did he know, though, that … Continue reading 3.29 – A Winter to Remember ?
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April 4, 2021 • 101 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1748-1836 Studies of Thomas Jefferson’s life often discuss the impact of the two Marthas – his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, and his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph – on him, but few studies examine matters with the focus on the lives of the two women. While our knowledge of Martha Jefferson is limited, … Continue reading 3.285 – The Two Marthas →
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March 21, 2021 • 33 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 With the war with Tripoli continuing to drag on year after year, Jefferson and his administration had to determine whether the best course to bring it to a conclusion lay with opening up a new front by partnering with foreign agents or through engaging in a new round of diplomacy. Meanwhile, a … Continue reading 3.28 – The Calming Seas →
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March 16, 2021 • 2 min
As there have been some recent developments here at Presidencies HQ, I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. Spoiler: The podcast is not going away, though there may be some delays in the next couple of months.
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March 1, 2021 • 1 min
I’m excited to share that I will be presenting at the Intelligent Speech Conference on Saturday, April 24th, 2021! If you would like to attend, please take a moment to listen to this quick trailer for more information, go to www.intelligentspeechconference.com, and use the promo code “presi” to get 10% off your ticket to 24 … Continue reading Intelligent Speech Conference 2021 →
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February 27, 2021 • 33 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 Jefferson’s second inauguration may have been a non-event, but on numerous fronts, various tensions were building in early 1805 that threatened to make his second term one to remember. Cabinet members plotted to further their own ambitions while Aaron Burr schemed with foreign powers and domestic discontents in order to return to … Continue reading 3.27 – Second Term, Same as the Worst →
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February 14, 2021 • 12 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1804-1805 With the Lewis and Clark expedition underway to explore the upper reaches of the Missouri River, President Jefferson at the end of his first term turned his attention to gathering support and talent for expeditions in the southern portions of the Louisiana Purchase. Meanwhile, the Corps of Discovery arranged for Jefferson to … Continue reading 3.235 – A Western Interlude →
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February 1, 2021 • 75 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1735-1873 Throughout Jefferson’s life and career, he was surrounded and served by various enslaved individuals of three generations of the same family. In this episode, we examine the lives of the Hemings family as some worked to attain their freedom, other Hemingses disappeared from the historical record without a trace, and one became … Continue reading 3.26 – Present but Absent: The Hemings Family of Monticell...
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December 31, 2020 • 69 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1875-1877 Though the US takes pride in the regular practice of peaceful transitions of power from one presidency to the next, sometimes the transition is not quite so peaceful, especially when the results are in dispute. Such was the case in the aftermath of the presidential election of 1876 where, for months, allegations … Continue reading S008 – Transition Gone Wrong →
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December 6, 2020 • 46 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1805 As James Monroe set off for his new special mission to Spain, a new congressional session began with Democratic-Republicans aiming to settle a long-standing issue as well as put their mark on the judiciary branch. However, they would find that their plans quickly went awry, and the events of early 1805 would … Continue reading 3.25 – What’s Next →
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November 15, 2020 • 45 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1805 With a presidential election looming, the Jefferson administration had to consider how to wrap up the first term and transition to the second. For some, that meant moving into new positions. For others, retirement was in their future. As the campaign worked to rally the public, the decisions of 1804 made at … Continue reading 3.24 – Truth and Consequences →
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November 2, 2020 • 188 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1907-1968 In a year of domestic unrest, social strife, and uncertainty at home and abroad, the United States prepared for a presidential election in 1968. Little did they know that it would be a contest unlike any other. In the midst of a turbulent campaign, political norms were challenged, rivalries were intensified, and … Continue reading S007 – Unprecedented Part III: 1968 →
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September 27, 2020 • 41 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 While diplomatic disagreements occupied the attention of the Jefferson administration, Vice President Aaron Burr was occupied with a dispute of a more personal matter in the aftermath of his failed gubernatorial bid. Alexander Hamilton’s opposition to his campaign did not go unnoticed, and Burr was determined to have Hamilton answer for his … Continue reading 3.23 – One Man Left Standing →
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September 13, 2020 • 26 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 While Vice President Burr worked to secure his political future in his bid for the New York governorship and New England Federalists plotted to separate from the Union, the Jefferson family suffered the untimely loss of one of its members in the early months of 1804. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, both the … Continue reading 3.22 – A Death in the Family →
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August 30, 2020 • 31 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1803-1804 In the wake of multiple political losses in the first few years of the 19th century, as the election of 1804 neared, numerous Federalist leaders from New England began to consider the possibility of whether their prospects and those of their home region would be better served by breaking away from the … Continue reading 3.21 – A Plotting We Will Go →
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August 16, 2020 • 57 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1776-1863 Interactions between people from various parts of the globe are a common occurrence in the 21st century, but though more infrequent in the late 18th and early 19th century, cross-cultural interactions in that time had a decisive impact. To explore this topic in the context of the life and presidency of Thomas … Continue reading Interview with Jeffrey Einboden, Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives →
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August 13, 2020 • 4 min
As we continue to face many challenges around the world, I wanted to send a quick note to all of you to hopefully provide some comfort as well as share a couple of updates about what’s coming with Presidencies. Take care, everyone!
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August 2, 2020 • 42 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1824-1992 Since the first national party convention in the United States in September 1831, party conventions have played a key role in American politics. In this episode, we explore the role of these gatherings in determining presidential nominees as well as setting agendas through the party platform and examine a few notable conventions … Continue reading S006 – It’s Convention Time! →
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July 19, 2020 • 45 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1804 As Jefferson’s first term entered its final year, numerous developments at home and abroad would start chains of reactions with long-reaching consequences. In the Caribbean, a nation declared its independence that would prove to be of particular concern to white Americans in the southern US. Meanwhile, Congress debated what kind of government … Continue reading 3.20 – Action and Reaction →
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July 3, 2020 • 57 min
Year(s) Discussed: 1802-1803 The new British Minister to the US, Anthony Merry, arrived in Washington, DC in late 1803, and though his arrival was initially seen as a strengthening of British-American relations, it would soon prove to be quite the opposite. Meanwhile, the end of the year saw representatives of the Jefferson administration on both … Continue reading 3.19 – The Not So Merry Merry →
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