Pursuit: The Founders' Guide to Happiness

Thomas Jefferson was well-known for offering advice about industry and frugality to his family members and friends, and he was passionate about expanding public education in America. Unfortunately, he did not always live up to his own ideals. Jeffrey Rosen talks with Dr. Alan Shaw Taylor and Ken Burns on what we can learn from Jefferson’s commitment to education and struggles with debt. Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr  Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube Support our important work: Donate Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Eric Slauter, a professor and expert on 18th-century literature, and Ken Burns, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker, dive into Thomas Jefferson’s curated reading list from 1771. They discuss how Jefferson viewed deep reading as critical for happiness and self-improvement. Slauter shares insights on how students engage with rare books to understand historical reading practices. Burns highlights the importance of lifelong learning and the storied friendship between Adams and Jefferson, linking their industrious lives to broader themes of virtue and creative growth.

Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, an expert on John Adams, teams up with filmmaker Ken Burns to explore the profound partnership of John and Abigail Adams. They delve into Abigail's bold advocacy for women's rights and the couple's intellectual camaraderie. Chervinsky reveals how classical thinkers shaped Adams' virtues, while Burns discusses the necessity of humility in personal growth. The duo shares insights on overcoming crises, highlighting the connections between humility, love, and the pursuit of a meaningful life.

This discussion features Stacy Schiff, a biographer and Franklin scholar, and Ken Burns, an acclaimed filmmaker. They dive into Benjamin Franklin's quest for self-improvement through his list of virtues, especially the significance of temperance. Schiff reveals how Franklin’s youthful challenges shaped this idea into a lifelong practice. Burns reflects on the impact of Franklin's civic virtues on his own life, emphasizing the importance of controlling thoughts and embracing humility in the journey towards personal growth.

Robert P. George, a prominent law professor at Princeton, dives into the founders' view of happiness, emphasizing its ties to moral character and lifelong learning. He discusses how the founders believed true liberty fosters virtue and societal flourishing. Ken Burns shares his insights on daily self-reflection, inspired by historical figures like Franklin, and how it reshapes his understanding of American ideals. The conversation explores the shift from 'being good' to 'feeling good,' highlighting the importance of civic education for maintaining democracy.

Here’s something that you probably didn’t learn in school: America’s founders spent much of their time reading about how to be better people. And that lifelong quest for self-improvement––in order to be more virtuous citizens––was what they meant by “the pursuit of happiness.” They defined happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good. However, the founders often failed to live up to this lofty goal, and many were honest about their shortcomings. Each episode of Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness expands upon one of the classical virtues that inspired Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson––like temperance, humility, silence, and justice––through the founders’ own writings and through conversations with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns joins host Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to share their own founders-inspired self-improvement practices.  As we near the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, exploring the true meaning of the “pursuit of happiness” inspires us to reflect on the importance of lifelong learning and how we can change our own lives for the better. Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, is a 12-part series hosted by Jeffrey Rosen featuring Ken Burns and leading scholars. It explores how the founders understood personal growth and lifelong learning as essential to the common good, why those ideas matter today, and how you can put them into practice. Listen to the first episode, “In Order to Be Happy," in your favorite podcast app. New episodes will be released every Tuesday.Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr  Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube Support our important work: Donate Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.