In this engaging discussion, Patrick Spero, the incoming CEO of the American Philosophical Society’s Library & Museum, unveils the thrilling tale of André Michaux and his conspiracy entanglement with Thomas Jefferson in 1793. They explore Jefferson's possible role in a French government plot aimed at establishing an independent Louisiana. Spero sheds light on the ideological clash over American expansionism and the significance of Michaux's botanical discoveries, intertwined with the political dynamics of early America.