Year(s) Discussed: 1814-1815
In the latter days of the War of 1812, President Madison had to rebuild a shattered administration and a decimated capital city while still working to bring the military conflict to a resoluti…
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1813 - November 23, 1814
Despite being elected to the First Congress under the Constitution, Elbridge Gerry would hit some rocky patches in his career of public service after 1789. Still, the tw…
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1813 - November 23, 1814
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts quickly rose to become one of the key leaders in Congress du…
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, I pick up my annual tradition of gathering with fellow podcasters Alycia from Civics & Coffee, Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories, and Howard Dorre from Plodd…
Year(s) Discussed: 1790-1863
In this episode, I am joined by historian Jordan Cash to discuss two pivotal figures in the push for Texas annexation: Sam Houston and John Tyler. Each dealt with unique challenges in their re…
As election day draws closer in the United States, I wanted to share a few thoughts in light of what's been an interesting campaign season to say the least and reflections on the future. For our American listeners, if you ha…
Year(s) Discussed: 1807-present
In this episode, I am joined by the Presidential Grave Hunter himself, Kurt Deion of the Congressional Cemetery to learn more about the history behind the site known as DC's greatest undert…
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1815
After failing to take Baltimore, the British turn their attention to the Gulf South in an attempt to land another blow to the Americans before the work of the peace commissioners brought the w…
Tenure of Office: January 16, 1815 - September 30, 1818
A merchant from Massachusetts, Benjamin Crowninshield assumed office as Secretary of the Navy in the latter days of the War of 1812. Join me and my special guest, Ap…
Year(s) Discussed: 1814
In the aftermath of the burning of Washington, DC, the Madison administration hardly had time to pick up the pieces before they had to turn their attention to a new British invasion of Baltimore. M…
As an extra bonus to our special episode discussing the post-presidencies of the Early Republic, check out an episode of guest Peter Zablocki's podcast, History Shorts, where he interviews the podcasting legend himself, Dan …
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1836
When he left office after his second term, George Washington had one more precedent to set: namely, what exactly did a president do once they were no longer president? In this episode, I am jo…
Tenure of Office: April 24, 1812 - March 3, 1813
What happens when a Vice President dies? Prior to the 25th Amendment, that meant that a President Pro Tempore (or "for the time being") was chosen to preside over the Senat…
Tenure of Office: October 6, 1814 - October 21, 1816
When Alexander J Dallas assumed office as Secretary of the Treasury, the federal government was nearly bankrupt. With my special guests, Cody and Stephen of the Imperfe…
Tenure of Office: October 6, 1814 - October 21, 1816
In this episode, I am joined by Cody and Stephen of the Imperfect Men podcast to discuss a lesser known yet quite influential Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander J Dal…
Year(s) Discussed: 1904-1944
They happen every four years, but how much do you know about the history of presidential nominating conventions in the US? In this episode, I am joined by Stan Haynes to discuss his research i…
Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1801
The presidency of John Adams often gets overshadowed by those of his predecessor and successor, but as highlighted in Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky's latest book, Making the Presidency: John Adams an…
Year(s) Discussed: 1813-1814
President Madison and his administration learned that the British were sending seasoned veterans of the Napoleonic Wars to fight American forces in the north as the new commander of the Britis…
Year(s) Discussed: 1908-1921
Four candidates. Forty-eight states. Only one can come out on top with at least 266 electoral votes needed to win. To discuss the knock down, drag out brawl that was 1912, I am joined by Josep…
While I typically try to avoid talk of current events on the podcast, the events of July 13th, 2024 did necessitate a delay in the release of the next episode, and I wanted to offer support and thoughts in the face of this l…
Year(s) Discussed: 1812-1815
As the second year of the war against Britain wrapped up, the Madison administration found that little progress had been made. The invasion of Canada had stalled, and merchants in New England …
Year(s) Discussed: 1781-1815
The early republic was a tumultuous time for the United States both domestically and in the realm of diplomacy, and one man who rather consistently found himself at the center of its all in th…
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1805 - April 20, 1812
After coming out of retirement for one more term as governor of New York, George Clinton went on to become Jefferson's vice president. Find out how he became the first of o…
Tenure of Office: March 4, 1805 - April 20, 1812
No, he's not *that* George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic fame, but there are still so many interesting points to discuss about the life and career of Revolutionary War g…
