AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
3min chapter
The Death of a Monarch and a Divided Nation, with Robert Harris
Intelligence Squared
The Land of the Free, Isn't It?
In 1786 John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were actually walking the battlefield of Worcester, the final battle of the Civil War in 1651. I find that so striking that that sense of liberty, even though so often with the Puritans with people like poor up Davenport with gone or rear,. It's a very restrictive sense of liberty but that that seems to sort of transcend. And just this sort of sense the land of the free, isn't it?
00:00
Transcript
Episode notes
Speaker 2
And just this sort of sense the land of the free, isn't it? I kind of, it strikes me we were talking about how in Britain today, we don't talk about the Civil War as much as we should. And I think in America, the Civil War is their civil war and quite rightly. But in 1786 John Adams and Thomas Jefferson that the future second and third presidents of the United States were actually walking the battlefield of Worcester, the final battle of the Civil War in 1651. And they asked the locals, you know, questions about this great great battle and the locals don't know anything about it and and Adams berates them and says, you know, this is the land where liberty was fought for. Tell your children and your neighbors. I find that so striking that that sense of liberty, even though so often with the Puritans with people like poor up Davenport with gone or rear. It's a very restrictive sense of liberty, but that that seems to sort of transcend. Oh
Speaker 1
yes, and you know the these two characters of mine, websites, we call them, they were called the judges over there. They were the judges of the king and where they hid near New Haven is still called judges rock. They were heroes. Sorry, we went to this place. It was a sort of place of pilgrimage where people had stood against the men who had stood against tyranny in England had come to America and had survived. And there is an intersection in New Haven, the town to this day of Wally Street and Gulf Street. They were they were heroes certainly by the time of the American Civil War. They weren't regarded as a villainous murderous fugitives at all. And that sense, I think continues they are to a degree honored in America in a way that they simply aren't here. So, you know, this is a fascinating thing about the history of two countries which sprang from this common route and one, I think the Cromwellian Revolution floured and in the other place, it was quietly buried by the active oblivion and people tried to forget about it. Fantastic.
Speaker 2
We are sadly out of time now, Robert. Thank you so much for coming on. Activoblivion is a belter of a book. The Times calls it. And I completely agree. My thanks again to you, Robert Harris, to our audience
Speaker 6
and to Intelligence
Speaker 3
Square. Thanks for listening to today's episode. Head to iq2premium.supercast.com for even more content made just for our premium listeners, including extended Q&As, event discounts and our newsletter too. Thanks for being a part of Intelligence Squared.
Speaker 6
A special night of live music from Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros. Tickets on self-right at today at livenation.com. Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros. produced by Live Nation.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode