We return to our “Jefferson 101” series with a continued discussion about Jefferson’s period of retirement after his term as Secretary of State ended in 1793 and he returned to Monticello. Subjects include Jefferson’s reasons for leaving Washington, the Jay treaty, slavery and a revealing letter Jefferson wrote to his daughter Maria. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog.  

Clay S. Jenkinson discusses Thomas Jefferson’s election as President in 1801, his first 100 days in office, and notes the sometimes-uncanny parallels with our time. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog. Learn more about "John Steinbeck’s California", the Spring 2017 Tour & Retreat hosted by Odyssey Tours, a division of Bek, Inc. For more information, visit Odyssey Tours online or contact Becky Cawley: (208) 791-8721 or bek@odytours.net

In this 16th installment of the Jefferson 101 Series, we discuss the period from 1794 to 1797 and Jefferson’s return to Monticello after his tenure as Secretary of State. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog. Learn more about "John Steinbeck’s California" Spring Book Retreat/Tour 2017, hosted by Odyssey Tours, a div. of Bek, Inc. For more information, visit Odyssey Tours online or contact Becky Cawley: (208) 791-8721 or bek@odytours.net

President Thomas Jefferson is asked to provide context for presidential inaugurations. Clay & David discuss our third president's inaugural address — its content & its tone — while comparing it to the address of our forty-fifth president, Donald Trump. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog. From “The People’s Friend”, which was written & composed for the inaugural celebration of March 4th, 1801: What joyful prospects rise before Peace, Arts and Science hail our Shore And through the Country spread Long may these blessings be preserved And by a virtuous Land deserved With Jefferson our head Read Clay's essay on Donald Trump inaugural address, The Jefferson Watch: The Inauguration. Listen to this week's 1776 Club broadcast, Forward Motion. Clay: "It's going to be an interesting year, let's put it that way. My goal is the same always: I want the Jefferson Hour to proliferate because I believe that Jefferson is the answer." "John Steinbeck’s California", the spring book retreat & tour with Clay S. Jenkinson, will be held March 4-10, 2017. This retreat is hosted by Odyssey Tours, a div. of Bek, Inc. For more information, visit Odyssey Tours online or contact Becky Cawley: (208) 791-8721 or bek@odytours.net

We speak with President Thomas Jefferson this week about the unexpected emergence of the two-party political system during his time. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog. Learn more about "John Steinbeck’s California" Spring Book Retreat/Tour 2017, hosted by Odyssey Tours, a div. of Bek, Inc. For more information, visit Odyssey Tours online or contact Becky Cawley: (208) 791-8721 or bek@odytours.net

In the first of a new series of essays, Clay draws comparisons between the inaugurations of Presidents Donald Trump and Thomas Jefferson. The full essay can also be found on the blog. "By not acknowledging the fact of the opposition—and making some gesture of his desire to represent them too, to find a way to win their approval—Trump spoke about 'the People' in a way that is merely demagogic and symbolic but without any fundamental truth or reality. ... Had he been a Jeffersonian, Trump would have acknowledged the polarization of the country." Learn more about the 1776 Club.

This bonus episode is an excerpt from #752 Inaugural, originally published in January of 2009. Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson, discusses his inaugural address of March 4th, 1801. You can hear the original episode in full on the blog. Yale provides the full text of Jefferson's First Inaugural Address.

This week, we return with the 15th installment of the “Jefferson 101” series. In this second of two shows discussing Jefferson’s time as the first Secretary of State, we learn more about Jefferson’s vision of America and the strong disagreements he had with Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog.

This week, we return with the 14th installment of the “Jefferson 101” series. The program is the first of two shows discussing Jefferson’s time as the first Secretary of State. It begins with the story of Jefferson’s return from Europe and the effect his time in France had on his own political sentiments. Find this episode, along with further recommended reading, on the blog.

Clay S. Jenkinson, the creator of the Thomas Jefferson Hour, shares stories about his 2016 trip to Rome. Clay talks about the effect Rome had on Jefferson, despite the fact that Jefferson never visited the city. Read more on the blog, where you can find images of the art and architecture discussed on this episode, along with additional recommended reading. "I think [Jefferson] would have been a little offended, aesthetically, by the bulk and the weight and the density of the Pantheon. I think he would have said, 'That's not exactly the message we're trying to create in the United States. The message we're trying to create is of order, symmetry, an inspirational lift to the human spirit.'"