Listening to America

We present the second of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this second episode, they discuss some of what the letters reveal about both men including their thoughts on slavery in America. As Joseph Ellis says in the program, "Jefferson is the most resonant figure in American history because he straddles the greatest insights and the worst instincts." Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

We present the first of four conversations between the author and historian Joseph J. Ellis and The Thomas Jefferson Hour creator Clay S. Jenkinson about the letters exchanged between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams from 1812 until the death of both men on July 4, 1826. In this first episode, we discuss how the correspondence began. As John Adams wrote to Jefferson on July 15, 1813, "You and I, ought not to die, before we have explained ourselves to each other." Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

Join us for a conversation with Joseph J. Ellis, an American historian whose work focuses on the founders of the United States of America. His books include American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson and Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. Ellis speaks about how important presidential leadership is during times of crisis. Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

"The Yellow Fever was the first epidemic after America became America." — Stephen Fried We are joined this week by Stephen Fried, the award-winning journalist and best-selling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss his biography of Doctor Benjamin Rush and his more recent article, "Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders," published in spring 2020 issue of American Heritage magazine. Fried speaks about how doctors in Philadelphia in 1793 dealt with contagious disease. "Doctors", Fried writes, "believed that building fires to change the air would be ineffectual, but burning gunpowder could work. In the aromatherapy department, citizens were soon eating or rubbing themselves with garlic, smoking constantly or chewing tobacco, and even dipping pieces of rope into tar to wear around their necks." Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

This week in the second of a two part program we hear from Jefferson Hour listeners from around the country about how the coronavirus is affecting them and their communities. Included are reports from authors Joseph Ellis and David Nicandri, Jefferson Hour contributors Beau Wright, Russ Eagle and Rick Kennerly along with the perspectives of a 5th grader from Oregon and a University student from Iowa. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

This week in the first of a two part program we hear from Jefferson Hour listeners from around the country about how the coronavirus is affecting them and their communities. Included are reports from Clay's daughter Catherine who finds herself somewhat stranded in Britain and Pat Brodowski, the head gardener at Monticello. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

On February 25, 2020, Clay Jenkinson appeared before a sold out crowd at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk, Virginia for his new performance, "Talking out of Tights," an evening of humor and storytelling in which Jenkinson reflects on the comedic side of a life performing as Thomas Jefferson – the surprising encounters, the wigs, the arrests (!) – all for the love of the humanities. The show was sponsored by WHRV public radio. On this week's Jefferson Hour we hear excerpts from that performance, and also answer listener questions. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

We discuss the Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793. Philadelphia's population at that time was approximately 50,000, and before it was over 1 in 10 died from the outbreak despite the best efforts of physicians of the time. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

President Jefferson responds to questions submitted by listeners including inquiries about the rise of political parties during Jefferson's time, Jefferson's office space in the White House, his immediate family and how he feels about America's fascination with the British royals. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.

"I candidly confess that I have ever looked on Cuba as the most interesting addition which could ever be made to our system of states." — Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, October 24, 1823 Clay Jenkinson returns from his recent cultural tour to Cuba. He gives an in-depth report on the country, its history and people, and Thomas Jefferson's thoughts on Cuba. Ask President Jefferson a question! You can send your written questions at jeffersonhour.com/ask or by calling in to the TJH Hotline: (701) 575-0727 Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog. Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc. You can learn more about Clay's cultural tours & retreats at jeffersonhour.com/tours. Check out our new merch. You can find Clay's publications on our website, along with a list of his favorite books on Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and other topics. Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.