Clay's been in Rome this month but he called David today to give us an update on his travels and to extend his gratitude to the members of the 1776 Club. In this debut Club-member-exclusive show, Clay wonders why Jefferson never made it to Rome considering that it would have been a high point of Jefferson's life. David lists three character traits that Clay has in common with Jefferson — both good and bad! Finally, the hosts discuss listener questions and international views on the presidential elections of the Unites States.
Interested in becoming a member of the 1776 Club and gaining access to exclusive episodes like this one? Visit our episode archive to learn more.
The 1776 Club includes bonus material and unlimited access to the episode archive which, when completed, will date back to the origins of the show in the early 2000s — about 15 years of the Thomas Jefferson Hour.
Your support keeps the show running and helps it grow. Please note that membership in the 1776 Club is not tax-deductible. To make a tax-deductible donation to The Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc., visit our donate page.
More from the Thomas Jefferson Hour
The public domain image comes from the New York Public Library Digital Collections: "Roma--Pantheo d'Agrippa."
This week, we welcome back Catherine Jenkinson as guest host. She and Clay Jenkinson discuss the celebrations of the new year and how the calendar has changed over the course of several millennia. They also discuss new year's resolutions, and the ways celebrations have changed since Jefferson’s time.
"Our society should be a way of encouraging human possibility and human community."
— Clay S. Jenkinson portraying Thomas Jefferson
Prompted by a letter from a listener, President Thomas Jefferson shares his views on American exceptionalism and his hope that America will stand as a strong and good example for the rest of the world to follow.
"This book reveals [Washington] as a man of emotion, raw emotion."
— Clay S. Jenkinson
In anticipation of our conversation next week with Peter Stark, the author of Young Washington, we speak with Jefferson about our first president. Jefferson also comments on the time change, and the importance of using available daylight.
We answer listener questions this week, and the most mail we received was about Robert Kagan's new book, The Jungle Grows Back, which Tom Friedman of The New York Times called "An incisive, elegantly written, new book about America’s unique role in the world."