Interviews Episodes
June 05, 2022
Interview with Peter Shea, In the Arena
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-2016 We often examine the lives and legacies of those select few who win the US presidential elections every four years, but what about their opponents? What might we learn from their unsuccessful campaigns as well as their overall careers? In this episode, I am joined by Peter Shea to discuss his book, In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls. In our conversation, we examined candidates ranging from DeWitt Clinton to Michael Dukakis and the legacies of some of the also-rans in the larger scheme of American culture and history as well as considered how losing has the potential to make individuals stronger. Additional information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.
Interviews
August 16, 2020
Interview with Jeffrey Einboden, Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives
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 dec...
Interviews
May 10, 2020
Interview with Lindsay Chervinsky
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1809 George Washington established many precedents during his tenure of office, but one that had arguably the greatest impact was his establishment, not by law but by practice, of what we now know of as the Cabinet.
Interviews
April 12, 2020
Interview with Thomas Balcerski (Bosom Friends)
Year(s) Discussed: 1786-1868 Political partnerships are nothing new to American politics, but what happens when the domestic world and the political realm overlap? To examine that question and learn more about one of the most significant political part...
Interviews
March 22, 2020
Interview with Jon Finkel (Jocks in Chief)
Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2020 The term “fit for office” is often bandied about when talking about the US presidency, but how exactly does physical fitness relate to the office or to presidential campaigning? To explore that question,
Interviews
July 21, 2019
V004 – Interview with Zacharie Kinslow
Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1891 On the anniversary of James K Polk’s death, I spoke with Zacharie Kinslow of the President James K Polk Home and Museum in Columbia, TN about the 11th President and his wife Sarah Childress Polk. Zach also shares his research on the life of Elias Polk, an enslaved individual whose life after attaining freedom following the Civil War provides insight into life for African-Americans in the Reconstruction Era and the Gilded Age. Images used for this episode as well as links to Zach’s article on Elias and video of a presentation at a conference on Polk can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.
InterviewsMay 26, 2019
V003 – Interview with Jared Cohen, Accidental Presidents
Year(s) Discussed: 1835-2009 In this episode, I talk with Jared Cohen, author of Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, about the presidents who came to the office due to the untimely demise of their predecessor and how their becoming pr...
Interviews