“Democracies are volatile and they’re violent.”
This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, President Jefferson (as portrayed by humanities scholar Clay S. Jenkinson) discusses the election of 1800, which he referred to as the Second American Revolution — and he helps us to see some of the parallels with the election of 2016.
This episode was recorded on November 7th, 2016.
As mentioned on the show, Odyssey Tours' Lochsa Lodge winter retreats are coming up! Learn more about "To Live Deliberately" (January 8-13, 2017) and "The American West; A New Lens: Exploring Native American Culture" (January 14-19) on our events page, or visit Odyssey Tours online. These retreats are hosted by Odyssey Tours, a div. of Bek, Inc.
1776 Club: Jefferson's Song of America
On this week's 1776 Club broadcast, Clay is in character at David's behest, to sing Jefferson's song of America. This episode is an optimistic one to combat whatever anxieties you may be feeling this election eve. It's a show — a song — meant to remind us of the boundless possibilities at the core of our republic.
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What Would Thomas Jefferson Do?
“Voting usually took place on a weekend. There would be alcohol, food, kites, balloons, some fireworks — it was a festive, county fair day.”
Tune in to your local public radio or join the 1776 Club to hear this episode of What Would Thomas Jefferson Do?
President Thomas Jefferson shares his thoughts on the proper role of government and the election of 1800. In that year, members of the Federalist Party encouraged a movement to deny Jefferson the presidency through a means of delaying the transition of power and keeping then President John Adams in office, despite the fact that Jefferson had won the Electoral College vote.
This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour Clay Jenkinson and Professor Joseph Ellis discuss what Ellis calls the “dirtiest election in American history; the presidential race between Jefferson and Adams in 1800. The election, sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800”, was the fourth presidential election held. Voting lasted from April to October, with the final outcome decided on December 3, 1800.
"The debate in American history is not between Hamilton and Jefferson, the debate is between Adams and Jefferson."
— Clay S. Jenkinson
This week, we answer listener questions on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, including a letter from a writer who wonders whether the Founding Fathers were geniuses who seized the moment, or simply average people living in extraordinary times. We also speak with our good friend Beau Wright.
Joining our conversation this week is the award-winning author Joseph Ellis. We discuss his book First Family: Abigail and John Adams in part one of two shows as our first entry for the Thomas Jefferson Hour Book Club series.