Episoder
-
Lasting from 1865 to 1877, Reconstruction in the American South was an aspirational endeavor that brought with it newly enshrined rights for Black Americans, including Black male suffrage, birthright citizenship, and equal protection under the law, as well as the hope of national reconciliation. Despite early progress in education and government, lack of support and Southern resistance led to setbacks. In this conversation, Selwyn Vickers joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss how challenges to justice, citizenship, and equality persist.
Recorded on January 30, 2024
-
As the man who led the effort to create the most violent weapon in the history of mankind with the invention of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer is a divisive figure in American history. From his childhood in New York City to his career as a physicist through World War II and the Cold War, Kai Bird offers a riveting account of Oppenheimerâs life and how he weighed the complex moral implications of his lifeâs work.
Recorded on April 3, 2024
-
Mangler du episoder?
-
John F. Kennedy advised Americans to ask not what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country. Scholar Danielle Allen argues that civic engagement such as Kennedy was suggesting is the only true path to a just societyâa framework she refers to as âpower-sharing liberalism.â While liberalism more generally is the idea that a government should be based on rights that both protect and empower individuals, Allenâs proposed framework calls for a country in which no single group has a monopoly on political, economic, or social powerâa society that can only be achieved if the people stand up and speak and the government listens.
Recorded on February 28, 2024
-
Samuel Adams was called âthe most elegant writer, the most sagacious politician, and celebrated patriotâ by John Adams, his second cousin, and was applauded by other colleagues such as Thomas Jefferson. A mastermind behind the Boston Tea Party who helped mobilize the colonies to revolution, he is nonetheless an often overlooked figure amongst the Founding Fathers. Historian Stacy Schiff examines his transformation from the listless, failing son of a wealthy family into the tireless, silver-tongued revolutionary who rallied the likes of John Hancock and John Adams behind him.
Recorded on November 28, 2023
-
In a time when crossing political party lines can seem as treacherous as crossing a fault line during an earthquake, it could be difficult to believe that Abraham Lincoln, in a country even more divided than our contentious present-day one, repeatedly worked with those who disagreed with him. But Lincoln understood that as a politician it was his duty to do whatever was necessary for the betterment of the country, even if that meant reaching across a very perilous aisle. Steve Inskeep demonstrates how the 16th president used his unique brand of political acumenâincluding humor, storytelling, and self-deprecationâto push his agenda through and reunite a divided nation.
Recorded on December 20, 2023
-
What did âthe pursuit of happinessâ mean to our nationâs Founders, and why was it included in the Declaration of Independence? Listed as one of Americaâs unalienable rights, this phrase finds its roots in the classical works of the Greek and Roman moral philosophers which would have made up our Foundersâ libraries. Speaking to the moral character that the Founders hoped to imbue in the new American citizen, it also exemplified a dedication to the idea of personal self-government. Yet like so many of our founding documents, this phrase in the Declaration of Independence sat in stark contrast to the legality of slavery in the new nation. In conversation with David Rubenstein, constitutional expert Jeffrey Rosen explores the origins and implications of this iconic phrase in the American lexicon.
Recorded on March 4, 2024
-
Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, oppressive voter registration literacy tests disenfranchised Black voters across the United States. In direct response to these restrictions, community organizers and activists launched an underground Citizenship Schools project that helped tens of thousands of Black citizens not only learn to read and write, but how to navigate Jim Crow literacy tests and demand their right to vote. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Elaine Weiss takes a deep dive into the stories of four organizers at the center of this movement: Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, Myles Horton, and Bernice Robinson.
Recorded on February 27, 2025
-
Seeking to wrest control of New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the English King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, appointed Richard Nicolls to lead a flotilla to conquer Manhattan Island. Nicolls, with a blend of might and diplomatic tact, would make the integration of Dutch colonists a vital part of his takeover, birthing what was in many ways the blueprint of the modern city. Russell Shorto joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss New Yorkâs origins and how a period of 17th-century imperial conflict and diplomacy between the British and the Dutch shaped the city we know today.
Recorded on February 21, 2025
-
James Patterson is one of the most popular storytellers of our time. The creator of some of the most popular characters and series in fiction, including Alex Cross, the Womenâs Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, he has also written on fascinating true stories from the lives of the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods. As a co-author, he has also written bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, he speaks about his life and prolific career as an iconic American writer.
Recorded on January 25, 2025 -
President Theodore Roosevelt is often described as an icon of American masculinity. From his military past as a Rough Rider to his history of undertaking dangerous wilderness expeditions, Rooseveltâs image has been associated with rugged bravery and steely determination. Behind this persona, however, were the womenâfamily members, friends, and wivesâupon whom he relied and who guided Roosevelt in matters both personal and political. Author Edward OâKeefe joins David M. Rubenstein to trace the lives and influence of these women, who fundamentally shaped Rooseveltâs life and political career.
Recorded on December 12, 2024
-
When President James Garfield assumed the office of the presidency in March 1881, he stood at the helm of a deeply polarized and fragmented nation. Known as a reformer as well as a broker of compromise during his time in Congress, Garfield would scarcely have time to implement change as president before being assassinated only four months into his term. In this talk with David M. Rubenstein, biographer C.W. Goodyear discusses the life and legacy of President Garfield, a complex and often contradictory figure who became a martyr for democracy.
Recorded on July 29, 2024 -
In the eyes of the nation and the world, the American presidency is a steadfast institution, one that symbolizes the United States' enduring strength and international leadership. In reality, the presidency is ever-evolving, as the contours of its powers and the expectations that come with them are continually reshaped by those who hold the office. Drawing on interviews with multiple living US presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as conversations with leading presidential historians, David M. Rubenstein sits down with Douglas Brinkley to explore the history, responsibility, and myths surrounding America's highest office.
Recorded on September 23, 2024 -
Donald Trumpâs so-called âhush moneyâ trial was a historic episode in Trumpâs unprecedented political career. The trial provided unique insight into the freedoms and limitations of the American presidency, and how our political system is and isnât equipped to respond to complex intersections of the law and the countryâs highest office. Jonathan Alterâone of only a handful of journalists present in the courtroom in April 2024âjoins us to discussTrumpâs trial, its aftermath, and the larger context in which the judicial struggle unfolded.
Recorded on December 5, 2024 -
The complex legacy of Jimmy Carterâs one-term presidency remains poorly understood by the American public. Often wholly overshadowed by the era-defining Reagan administration that would follow, Carterâs four years at the nationâs helm reflect a unique and singular American leader, one with deep moral convictions and who asked questions of the nation that may have been ahead of their time. Author Kai Bird sits down with David Rubenstein to examine the triumphs and challenges of the Carter administration.
Recorded on June 11, 2021 -
An almost mythic figure in American sports history, Jim Thorpe is remembered for his unrivaled athletic talents. He was an Olympic gold medalist, an All-American football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a Major League Baseball player. In spite of his sporting prowess, however, Thorpeâs life was marked by struggle, from the discrimination he faced as a Native American to the controversial rescinding of his Olympic medals. Author David Maraniss joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the trials and triumphs of an American sports legend.
Recorded on August 23, 2024 -
Once a dedicated general of the Confederate army, risking his life in defense of slavery, James Longstreetâs life took an unprecedented turn in the years after Americaâs bloody civil war. After fighting alongside Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg, Longstreet became a staunch supporter of Black voting rights during Reconstruction and even led an interracial militia into battle against a white supremacist insurrection in Louisiana. Historian Elizabeth Varon joins David Rubenstein for this eye-opening discussion of one of the Civil Warâs most complex figures.
Recorded on September 7, 2024 -
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Rick Atkinson joins David Rubenstein to uncover the untold stories and moral conflictsâfrom both the American and British perspectiveâof the first 21 months of the Revolutionary War. Through the lens of a rich cast of characters, Atkinson makes clear the human consequences of this epic conflict at the dawn of the American story that pitted an ersatz Continental Army against the formidable British empire.
Recorded on February 5, 2024 -
The womenâs suffrage movement was a hard-fought, decades-long campaign to extend that most essential of democratic rights to all Americans regardless of sex. That protracted struggle would rapidly come to a head in August of 1920 in Tennessee, the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. Author and journalist Elaine Weiss talks with David Rubenstein about the struggles of the suffragists against misogynistic politics, members of the church, and even other women in that fateful month when everything hung in the balance.
Recorded on September 25, 2020 -
Joe Bidenâs legacy as Americaâs 46th president is still in the making. President Biden took office shortly after the attempted coup on January 6th, during the cresting of one of the most fatal waves of COVID-19, and in a period of severe economic disruption. While his historic decision not to seek reelection may prove decisive in the 2024 presidential race, his term as president offers a fascinating picture of his political career and the Democratic party. In conversation with David Rubenstein this February, author and journalist Franklin Foer explores how President Biden attempted to tackle the challenges facing America today.
Recorded on February 20, 2024 -
Enshrined in our Constitution and etched into our currency, religion is inextricable from the fabric of American political and social life. The ubiquity of religion in our national history has also made it an elusive, at times contradictory, force in this countryâs growthâone that is associated with freedom and tolerance as often as it is with censure and control. Catherine Brekus, professor of American religious history at Harvard Divinity School, joins David Rubenstein to discuss the complex and fascinating role religious practice and expression has played in shaping the United States.
Recorded on November 20, 2020 - Se mer
