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#1530 A Conversation with Jeffersonian Gardener ...

This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Clay Jenkinson visits with Pat Brodowski, formerly the head gardener at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Pat explains how she found her way to Monticello, what she learned about Thomas Jefferson from working every day in his extensive garden, and how she is occupying her time now as a retiree. Plus, Pat gives tips to our listeners about how to grow something in the next year.

#1530 A Conversation with Jeffersonian Gardener Pat Brodowski
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#1515 Ten Things About Jefferson's Daughters ...

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay Jenkinson discuss Jefferson's daughters. Thomas Jefferson was highly expectant of their behavior and let them know it through a series of letters. When he died in bankruptcy, his daughter Martha was left nearly penniless and had to deal with the aftermath of Jefferson's poor money management.

#1515 Ten Things About Jefferson's Daughters with Lindsay Chervinsky
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#1511 The Densmore Repatriation Project

Clay Jenkinson speaks with David Swenson about the ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore and her work with the Lakota in the Dakotas beginning in 1911. David has spent the last year working on The Densmore Repatriation Project, re-cataloging and restoring her wax cylinder recordings.

At Standing Rock in 1911, Frances Densmore met with dozens of tribal elders and recorded traditional songs on wax cylinder. Densmore documented this work in her book Teton Sioux Music which became a touchstone for learning about Lakota/Dakota culture. The Densmore Repatriation Project reintroduces the songs with new recordings made by contemporary Native singers.

#1511 The Densmore Repatriation Project
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Staff
#1502 Ten Things About the Supreme Court

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay Jenkinson present ten things about the Supreme Court.

#1502 Ten Things About the Supreme Court
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#1492 Ten Things About King George III

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay Jenkinson discuss King George III and his effect on the American Revolution. According to the British historian George Otto Trevelyan, the King was determined to "keep the rebels harassed, anxious, and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse."

#1492 Ten Things About King George III

#1391 Jefferson​-​Adams Letters (Part Four)

#1391 Jefferson​-​Adams Letters (Part Four)

This week we present the fourth and final of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this fourth episode, Clay and Joe discuss the vision Jefferson and Adams held for for America and Joe questions Clay’s assertion that we are no longer a republic, while Clay offers 10 ways we can correct that.

#1390 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part Three)

#1390 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part Three)

This week we present the third of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this third episode Ellis says that during this age, “letter writing was an art and these are two of the best letter writers in in late eighteenth century America. I don’t know that anybody is better. Franklin is pretty good, but Madison’s letters read like the footnotes of an insurance policy.”

#1389 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part Two)

#1389 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part Two)

We present the second of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this second episode, they discuss some of what the letters reveal about both men including their thoughts on slavery in America. As Joseph Ellis says in the program, “Jefferson is the most resonant figure in American history because he straddles the greatest insights and the worst instincts.”

#1388 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part One)

#1388 Jefferson-Adams Letters (Part One)

We present the first of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this first episode, we discuss how the correspondence began. As John Adams wrote to Jefferson on July 15, 1813, “You and I, ought not to die, before we have explained ourselves to each other.”

#1387 Leadership During Crisis

#1387 Leadership During Crisis

Join us for a conversation with Joseph J. Ellis, an American historian whose work focuses on the founders of the United States of America. His books include American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson and Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. Ellis speaks about how important presidential leadership is during times of crisis.

#1386 Yellow Fever with Stephen Fried

#1386 Yellow Fever with Stephen Fried

"The Yellow Fever was the first epidemic after America became America."

— Stephen Fried

We are joined this week by Stephen Fried, the award-winning journalist and best-selling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss his biography of Doctor Benjamin Rush and his more recent article, “Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders,” published in spring 2020 issue of American Heritage magazine. Fried speaks about how doctors in Philadelphia in 1793 dealt with contagious disease.

#1385 Virtual Virus (Part Two)

#1385 Virtual Virus (Part Two)

This week in the second of a two part program we hear from Jefferson Hour listeners from around the country about how the coronavirus is affecting them and their communities. Included are reports from authors Joseph Ellis and David Nicandri, Jefferson Hour contributors Beau Wright, Russ Eagle and Rick Kennerly along with the perspectives of a 5th grader from Oregon and a University student from Iowa.

#1383 Out of Tights

#1383 Out of Tights

On February 25, 2020, Clay Jenkinson appeared before a sold out crowd at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk, Virginia for his new performance, “Talking out of Tights,” an evening of humor and storytelling in which Jenkinson reflects on the comedic side of a life performing as Thomas Jefferson – the surprising encounters, the wigs, the arrests (!) – all for the love of the humanities. The show was sponsored by WHRV public radio. On this week's Jefferson Hour we hear excerpts from that performance, and also answer listener questions.

#1381 No Kings, No Queens

#1381 No Kings, No Queens

President Jefferson responds to questions submitted by listeners including inquiries about the rise of political parties during Jefferson’s time, Jefferson’s office space in the White House, his immediate family and how he feels about America’s fascination with the British royals.

#1380 Cuba Libre

#1380 Cuba Libre

"I candidly confess that I have ever looked on Cuba as the most interesting addition which could ever be made to our system of states."

— Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, October 24, 1823

Clay returns from his recent cultural tour to Cuba. He gives an in-depth report on the country, its history and people, and Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts on Cuba.