The DSR Network Need to Know: How Would the Founders View This Latest Turning Point in US History?
Jul 18, 2025
Join historian Joanne Freeman from Yale as she delves into the minds of America's Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. She discusses the Burr-Hamilton duel's significance and how today’s political hostility mirrors the past. Freeman highlights events like the Whiskey Rebellion to illustrate government authority challenges. She emphasizes the importance of citizen engagement in safeguarding democracy, urging listeners to draw lessons from history to navigate current threats to democratic ideals.
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Burr-Hamilton Duel and Political Rivalry
- Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel on July 11th, 1804, exemplifying the intense political rivalry of the era.
- Early American politics involved personal attacks, hired pamphleteers, and fierce conflicts even among founders like Jefferson and Hamilton.
Founders' Fear of Demagogues
- Founders widely feared demagogues as the main threat to the republic, fearing manipulation of public opinion to seize power.
- Both Hamilton and Jefferson distrusted such leaders, seeing them as dangerous to democratic governance.
Distinctive Modern Constitutional Crisis
- Today's democratic erosion is distinct due to an administration undermining Constitution and institutions openly.
- This is a clear constitutional crisis signaling that democracy is under active threat unlike in many past eras.
