Episodes

Nov. 24, 2025

Friendsgiving 4.0: The Voyage to History

History: the final frontier. These are the voyages of four podcasting friends. Their ongoing mission: to explore strange moments in history, to seek out historical narratives to share with their listeners, to boldly go where no podcasters have gone before! That's right, it's time for the annual Fri…

Guests: Kenny Ryan , Alycia , Howard Dorre

Nov. 19, 2025

Interview with Charles Ferguson, Presidential Seclusion

Year(s) Discussed: 1935-2025 How presidents utilize the facilities put at their disposal can reveal much about the individual and their approach to the office. In my conversation with Charles Ferguson about his new book, Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David, we explore tales from the …

Guest: Charles Ferguson

Nov. 9, 2025

Interview with Howard Gillette, Greater Philadelphia Region

Year(s) Discussed: 1682-2025 Philadelphia is at the heart of American history from before there was even a United States, but how did this region come to play such a large role in the Revolution and Early Republic periods and what influence has it had in building the present-day nation? Historia…

Guest: Howard Gillette

Nov. 2, 2025

VPOTUS 006.2 - Daniel D Tompkins Part Two

Tenure of Office: March 4, 1817 - March 4, 1825 Despite talking about resigning shortly after he took office, Daniel D Tompkins managed to serve out two full terms as Vice President. His tenure, however, was filled with financial difficulties and fighting the state of New York and the federal g…

Guest: Alex

Oct. 21, 2025

VPOTUS 006.1 - Daniel D Tompkins Part One

Tenure of Office: March 4, 1817 - March 4, 1825 The only 19th century Vice President to serve two full terms (spoiler alert), in this episode, we cover Daniel D Tompkins's political rise in New York and transformation from the Clinton political machine's "Farmer's Boy" to a wartime governor who …

Guest: Alex

Oct. 12, 2025

Interview with Megan Gorman, All the Presidents' Money

Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2025 The president is responsible for administering the federal budget, but how have our chief executives handled their personal finances? My guest for this episode researched each and every one to find out. Listen to my conversation with Megan Gorman, author of All the P…

Guest: Megan Gorman

Sept. 28, 2025

SATT 032.3 - William Wirt Part Three

Tenure of Office: November 13, 1817 - March 4, 1829 In this third and final part, we examine Wirt's life after leaving the Cabinet which included a presidential campaign, arguing two monumental cases before the Supreme Court, and his bid to become the first Florida snowbird in history. At the en…

Guest: Howard Dorre

Sept. 14, 2025

SATT 032.2 - William Wirt Part Two

Tenure of Office: November 13, 1817 - March 4, 1829 After making a name for himself in some high profile cases as well as his literary endeavors, William Wirt became the 9th US Attorney General and would ultimately prove to be the longest-serving person in that post to date. What did he contribu…

Guest: Howard Dorre

Aug. 31, 2025

Frederick Muhlenberg

Year(s) Discussed: 1750 - 1801 To kick off our minisodes series looking at some of the lesser-known figures in our presidential narrative, we begin with the life and career of Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the House and first Dean of the House. Sources used for this episode can be f…

Aug. 24, 2025

SATT 032.1 - William Wirt Part One

Tenure of Office: November 13, 1817 - March 4, 1829 After a childhood marred by tragedy and drunken nights of Shakespearean recitations in a state of undress as a young adult, William Wirt went on to become one of the most well respected lawyers of the Early Republic, serving as legal counsel in…

Guest: Howard Dorre

Aug. 17, 2025

Interview with John Fagant, Buffalo Presidential Center

Year(s) Discussed: 1817 - 1963 With two presidents who made it their home, one who passed away there, and many others who have visited over the years, Buffalo has a special role in presidential history. In this episode, I am joined by John Fagant of the Buffalo Presidential Center to discuss som…

Guest: John Fagant

July 28, 2025

4.43 - Madison Q&A

You asked and I answered! As we close the book on the Madison presidency series, listeners sent in questions about topics ranging from the War of 1812 to Madison's views on the judiciary to differences between his two vice presidents. Listen in to learn a little more about the Father of the Constit…

July 13, 2025

Interview with Michael Giorgione, Inside Camp David

Year(s) Discussed: 1935-2025 Like all of us, presidents need a place where they can relax and unwind. Having served as its commanding officer under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, Michael Giorgione shares with us some of the history of the presidential retreat, Camp David, and what it…

Guest: Michael Giorgione

July 4, 2025

SATT 031.3 - John Quincy Adams Part Three

Tenure of Office: September 22, 1817 - March 3, 1825 Though his tenure as President was not as long as he would have liked, John Quincy Adams went on to have an impactful career after leaving the Cabinet (and the Presidency) by serving in the US House of Representatives. Will this earn him a sea…

Guest: Åsa and Chris

June 22, 2025

SATT 031.2 - John Quincy Adams Part Two

Tenure of Office: September 22, 1817 - March 3, 1825 Not long after his arrival in Russia, tensions between the US and Britain resulted in war, and John Quincy Adams was called on to help negotiate the peace. Following eight years in Europe, Adams got his chance to shape American foreign policy …

Guest: Åsa and Chris

June 1, 2025

SATT 031.1 - John Quincy Adams Part One

Tenure of Office: September 22, 1817 - March 3, 1825 Few figures from the post-Revolutionary generation of American politicians loom as large as John Quincy Adams, but how did he become Old Man Eloquent? Joined by my special guests, Åsa and Chris of A Flatpack History of Sweden and Kingdöm, we e…

Guest: Åsa and Chris

May 18, 2025

Interview with Dan Scudder, Presidents for Kids

Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2025 In this episode, I talk with Dan Scudder about his magazine, Presidents for Kids, and his work in educating the next generation about US presidential history. More information can be found on the website at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.

Guest: Dan Scudder

May 11, 2025

4.42 - Madison Post-Presidency

Year(s) Discussed: 1817-1836 If James Madison hoped for a retirement from public life in the final years of his life, he would find it to be anything but. From helping found and lead the University of Virginia to serving in a state constitutional convention to writing articles and coordinating w…

April 20, 2025

4.41 - The Next to the Last of the Founders

Year(s) Discussed: 1815-1817 As Madison prepared to hand off the presidency to James Monroe, numerous matters - both foreign and domestic - came to his desk. From revolutions in South America to internal improvement bills, the President continued to chart a course for his administration, even is…

April 6, 2025

4.40 - The Year Without a Summer

Year(s) Discussed: 1815-1816 While Madison's administration in its latter days worked to secure peace with Native peoples in the Gulf South, General Andrew Jackson decided to act unilaterally in Florida against a fortified settlement of people seeking their freedom from enslavement. Meanwhile, a…

March 23, 2025

VPOTUS 005.5 - John Gaillard (President Pro Tempore)

Tenure of Office: November 25, 1814 - March 3, 1817 With the death of VP Elbridge Gerry, the Senate had to choose someone from their ranks who could preside over them so that they could carry out business for the next two and a half years. Luckily, they knew a guy who was already familiar with t…

Guest: Alex

March 16, 2025

Interview with Michael Vorenberg, Lincoln's Peace

Year(s) Discussed: 1861-1871 Most of us were taught that the Civil War ended with Lee's surrender at Appomattox. However, as my special guest, Michael Vorenberg, points out, pinpointing the end of the War is not quite as simple as standard history accounts would have us believe, and there is muc…

Guest: Michael Vorenberg

March 9, 2025

4.39 - New Year, New Bank

Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1816 In the aftermath of the War of 1812, the Madison administration is faced with multiple lingering issues. Looming large is how to support the recovery of the national economy, and Treasury Secretary Alexander J Dallas's proposed solution of a new national bank meets w…

March 2, 2025

Interview with Allen C Guelzo, Our Ancient Faith

Year(s) Discussed: 1809-1865 What seems at first glance to be a simple question - What is democracy? - is one that many have pondered over the ages. In my discussion with Allen C Guelzo on his new book, we explore how Abraham Lincoln approached that question, what influences led to the crafting …

Guest: Allen C Guelzo