Episodes

Year(s) Discussed: 1790The new government of the United States comes grinding to a halt in the spring and summer of 1790 as Congress reaches an impasse on both Hamilton’s proposed public credit scheme and the decision of where the new government should be permanently located. Ultimately, a deci…

Year(s) Discussed: 1790Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit is sent to Congress in January 1790 and immediately causes an uproar. As congressmen divide into pro and anti-administration factions on this issue, I take a closer look in this episode at the report and Hamilton’s proposals on how t…

Year(s) Discussed: 1789After a debate over how much authority Washington would exert over its officers, the executive branch begins to take shape. I examine both the original Cabinet members and the departments as they were at the beginning of the constitutional government. Then, as Washington …

Year(s) Discussed: 1789Washington’s inauguration, while starting up the wheels of the executive branch, leaves many questions to be answered by the first chief executive and the new government. What titles will be used to address the president? How will he make himself available to the public a…

To mark the occasion of the 45th president’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, I present to you this special episode on how presidents have communicated with other politicians and government officials as well as with the general public and h...

Year(s) Discussed: c. 1755-1787In honor of Presidents’ Day, I am releasing this special mini-episode on the life of Alexander Hamilton leading up to the Constitutional Convention. As I am not Lin-Manuel Miranda and would likely drive listeners off if I attempted to sing, this is a spoken summat…

Year(s) Discussed: 1764-1789The colonies along the Atlantic seaboard declare independence and go to war with Great Britain, and George Washington is in the middle of all of the action. The lead up and the prosecution of the revolution would lift Washington from being just another Virginia plant…

Year(s) Discussed: 1732-1764Our examination of George Washington begins with his early life in Virginia. Washington has to cope with personal loss and self-improvement as he works to make his way in the world. The coming of the French and Indian War takes his life in a new direction and sets th…

In the inaugural episode of this podcast, we examine the nature of the presidency – what qualifies someone for the presidency, what powers and limitations does the president have, how was the office developed in the first place,

As a prelude to our full launch, this mini episode is an informal discussion of presidential transitions that have been less than smooth. From John Adams ducking out on his successor’s inauguration to name calling between Eisenhower and Kennedy,