President Jefferson shares his core principles. During the out-of-character segment, Clay Jenkinson addresses some of the extreme contradictions between what Jefferson said he believed in and what he actually did.
#1516 Books and Responsibilities
#1469 Locked Down
We speak with President Jefferson about how the Articles of Confederation led to the creation of our constitution. Jefferson also answers questions from listeners about how money and credit worked during his time, and what the pursuit of happiness meant to him. Later in the show we hear from Lindsay Chervinsky and former ND Senator Heidi Heitkamp.
#1466 Tread on Me
#1464 Jouett's Ride
We spend this week answering listener questions, including one asking us to discuss Jack Jouett. On June 3, 1781, Jouett made a 40-mile "midnight ride" on horseback to Charlottesville, Virginia and gave advance warning to Thomas Jefferson and Virginia legislators that the British were coming. Jouett’s extraordinary ride that night enabled them to escape to safety.
#1457 A Poem from the Garden
#1453 Fourth of July Questions
#1446 The Signers
#1445 No Enlightenment, No America
President Jefferson answers listener questions including comments about American views of British monarchy, Jefferson's thoughts on the work of Edmund Burke, and the importance of Enlightenment thinking in the formation of America. In the last segment of this week's episode, Clay and David are joined by Michael Khandelwal of The Muse Writers Center.
#1442 Questions and Books
#1435 Rebellion Revisited
#1433 Sedition Act
We speak with President Thomas Jefferson this week about the Sedition Act of 1798. Jefferson points out the importance of free speech and says that "its value comes in times of crisis. We don’t need to protect what is comfortable, responsible and harmonious. If we’re a free society, we need to protect speech that is critical, offensive, obnoxious, that which challenges the status quo, and that which will be seen by the government in power as horrific. That’s why we need the 1st Amendment."
#1429 I Have Some Questions
Clay S. Jenkinson answers listener questions and speaks about the Wall Street Journal's erroneous reporting of Jefferson’s impeachment (he was not impeached), and also talks about Jefferson’s literary tastes and writing. Questions presented include a request for a good biography on Abigail Adams, Jefferson’s daily cold water foot baths and reliable resources for Jefferson quotations.
#1424 The Bill of Rights
#1419 Our Weariness
We begin this week with a discussion about Clay Jenkinson’s online public humanities course, The Future of Constitutional Democracy, and spend time responding to listener questions, including one on representation in the Senate. Clay also responds to many letters about the recent election and acknowledges how weary we all are with both the pandemic, and the divisive nature of today’s politics.
#1416 What Just Happened?
On November 4, 2020, the day after the election, The Thomas Jefferson Hour held a Zoom "Town Hall" to hear our listeners share their thoughts on the Presidential election. For two hours we heard from supporters of both candidates, along with insight and analysis from Clay Jenkinson, the creator of the Jefferson Hour. This week's show presents an edited version of that conversation, including comments from 17 participants.
#1413 Jefferson and the Law
Thomas Jefferson practiced law from 1767 until early 1774. Much of his work involved land disputes, however one case in April of 1770 found him acting pro bono defending Samuel Howell, a mixed-race man being held as an indentured servant because his grandmother was white and his grandfather black. He lost the case, but argued that “under the law of nature, all men are born free.” This week Jefferson (as portrayed by humanities scholar Clay S. Jenkinson) answers questions submitted to him by an incarcerated person.
#1410 Monticello Overtime
Clay recently joined Monticello Senior Historian Ann Lucas for "Getting Noticed on the Lewis and Clark Trail," a public Zoom conference during which Clay answered questions from attendees. Time did not allow for all the questions to be answered, and this week we remedy that. Additionally, we are joined by Joe Ellis who helps to answer questions.
#1404 Humor Me
Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson has returned from his annual Lewis and Clark tour, and gives us a report on the trip along with updates on his other projects. Also discussed is the poor state of humor and jokes during Jefferson’s time and a discussion about whether or not Jefferson had a sense of humor.
#1401 Match Recap with Joseph Ellis
Joseph Ellis and Clay Jenkinson revisit their debate about who the “Indispensable Man” of the American Revolution truly was. We share listener comments about the debate and answer additional questions sent in, including a request for discussion about the history of the women’s rights movement, Jefferson’s subpoena during the Burr trial and how slavery affected the economy of the southern states.