Episodes - Page 8 | Presidencies of the United States

April 19, 2020

S004 – Unprecedented Part I

Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801, 1816-1825, 1860-1864 While some presidential elections function in much the same way as others of the time, there are those select few that reshape the process or are noteworthy for being unique in some way. In the next two episodes of the special series, I will be …

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...

April 5, 2020

3.15 – Of Wars and Pieces: The Indigenous Nations Up to 1803

Content Note: This episode discusses the epidemics that spread through indigenous populations in the Americas upon the increased and sustained contact with Europeans starting at the end of the 15th century. Year(s) Discussed: approx. 9000 BCE-1803 Over the course of millennia, the peoples of…

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,

March 19, 2020

From Me to All of You: A Quick Note

With the current global situation, I wanted to send out a quick note to express that my thoughts are with all of you out there and to assure you that Presidencies will continue (including with a new special episode coming out on Sunday, March 22nd!).

March 8, 2020

3.14 – Can I Make a Purchase?

Year(s) Discussed: 1803 Despite US Minister to France Robert R Livingston’s best efforts to conclude a treaty with France on his own, the arrival of Special Envoy James Monroe in Paris marked the beginning of a new phase of negotiations which soon led to the acquisition of a large swath of terr…

March 1, 2020

S003 – The Super Tuesday Spectacular

Year(s) Discussed: 1976-1988 Super Tuesday happens at least once every four years in the modern US presidential election cycle, but how much does anyone really know about this date on the campaign calendar? In this episode, I explore the history of Super Tuesday and how it impacted numerous pres…

Feb. 23, 2020

3.13 – Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803, 1807 As James Monroe began his special mission to Europe in early 1803, he would come to find that the situation on the continent was rapidly changing as the Peace of Amiens was proving to be a shaky one. Meanwhile, President Jefferson had to deal with some staffing…

Feb. 8, 2020

3.12 – And the Beat Goes On

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As a new state joined the Union, state and federal leaders in the US worked to redefine the nation’s governmental institutions and its approach to foreign affairs. Jefferson put some plans into motion to stretch American influence through an expedition across wester…

Feb. 1, 2020

S002 – Primaries vs Caucuses

Year(s) Discussed: 1901-2008 What is the difference between a primary and a caucus anyway? Listen as I explore that question and discuss the various permutations of both as well as how the presidential primary calendar came to have Iowa and New Hampshire as the first contests in this episode.

Jan. 20, 2020

3.11 – Making Plans for Monroe

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As continued resistance in Saint-Domingue threatens French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte’s plans to take control of Louisiana, President Jefferson works to keep tempers cool on the domestic front while turning to a trusted ally, James Monroe, to find a permanent s…

Jan. 5, 2020

S001 – A History of Primaries

Year(s) Discussed: 1816-1976 Did you know that presidential primaries in the United States are a rather modern innovation and that for a long time, presidential primary winners often didn’t end up as the party’s nominee? Learn how the primary system came to be what it is today, the varying impac…

Dec. 30, 2019

3.10 – We Need to Talk

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803 As French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte begins to shift the balance of power in the Western Hemisphere in his favor, President Jefferson works to counter these ambitions through diplomatic efforts in both Washington and Paris. Meanwhile, a Mediterranean power decla…

Dec. 15, 2019

3.09 – Yazoo to You Too

Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1802 While the Jefferson administration made a breakthrough in settling a long-standing dispute with the state of Georgia over its western land claims in 1802, the new US Minister to France, Robert Livingston, began his mission trying to get answers on the situation with …

Dec. 1, 2019

3.08 – The Enabler-in-Chief

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1802 The Democratic-Republican reform agenda moved beyond appointments as the Seventh Congress began its session. From the federal judiciary to the organization of the west, Jefferson wielded the soft power of the presidency in order to move ideas along. However, he would…

Nov. 17, 2019

3.07 – The Door to the West

Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1801 Jefferson and his administration early on focused their attention on the civilian and military operations in the western frontier of the US and worked through the year leading up to the convening of the first session of the Seventh Congress to determine who would sta…

Nov. 3, 2019

3.06 – To Limited Arms

Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1801 Jefferson managed to get a permanent Secretary of the Navy just in time for Commodore Dale’s naval squadron to engage in combat in the Mediterranean. In addition to that key post being filled, the administration was able to make some additional structural decisions d…

Oct. 13, 2019

3.05 – Affairs, Foreign and Domestic

Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1801 The beginning of Jefferson’s administration coincided with changes in other parts of the world including France, Great Britain, Spain, and Saint-Domingue that would ultimately come to impact the United States. Meanwhile, as Jefferson continued to assemble his Cabine…

Sept. 29, 2019

3.04 – A Deadly Revenge

Year(s) Discussed: 1801 Literally and figuratively, the new President worked to get his house in order following his inauguration. With a limited number of positions available and plans to shrink the size of the federal government even further, Jefferson set ground rules for his new administrat…

Sept. 15, 2019

3.03 – The Revolution of 1800

Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801 As Jefferson assumed office and Democratic-Republicans took control of the federal government in March 1801, new leaders emerged while others exited the stage or moved to the periphery. The new administration would get its start still dealing with the aftermath of t…

Sept. 1, 2019

3.02 – Jefferson Pre-Presidency Part Two

Year(s) Discussed: 1774-1801 Between the publication of “Summary View of the Rights of British America” and his assuming the presidency, Jefferson made a name for himself by drafting the Declaration of Independence, struggled to see his home state of Virginia through the Revolution as governor,…

Aug. 17, 2019

3.01 – Jefferson Pre-Presidency Part One

Year(s) Discussed: 1612-1774 From his birth in Albemarle County, VA, Thomas Jefferson’s personality and public career began to take shape through his education at William and Mary, and his introduction to the world of politics in colonial Virginia. Along the way, he would be influenced by family…

Aug. 7, 2019

2.26 – Adams Q&A

Year(s) Discussed: 1735-1848 I asked for your questions to wrap up our series on the second POTUS, and you sent in some great ones! In this episode, we discuss everything from Adams’s tenure as US Minister to the Netherlands to his relationship with his family members to his and JQA’s legacies …

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 i…