The latest interview episode is now available!
Presidencies of the United States

02 - John Adams Episodes

The intro and outro music for the John Adams episodes unless otherwise stated is from “Hail, Columbia” as performed by the US Navy Band. The full recording can be found at Wikipedia. The song was originally called “The President’s March” and was composed for Washington’s first inaugural. More information about the history of “Hail, Columbia” can be found at Wikipedia.
2.26 – Adams Q&A
Aug. 7, 2019

2.26 – Adams Q&A

Year(s) Discussed: 1735-1848 I asked for your questions to wrap up our series on the second POTUS, and you sent in some great ones! In this episode, we discuss everything from Adams’s tenure as US Minister to the Netherl…
2.25 – Adams Post-Presidency
July 4, 2019

2.25 – Adams Post-Presidency

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1826 After leaving the presidency, John Adams searched for a path ahead. In the process, he dealt with emotions that had been building for years, rebuilt some bridges that had been burned in politi…
2.24 – The 36th Ballot
June 15, 2019

2.24 – The 36th Ballot

Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801 The nation had little time to process the news that Adams was defeated in his bid for reelection as a constitutional crisis developed regarding who would succeed him to the post. Meanwhile, th…
2.23 – The Double-Edged Sword
June 8, 2019

2.23 – The Double-Edged Sword

Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1800 As the new federal capital comes alive with government officials and newspaper publishers moving in to be on hand for the congressional session opening in November 1800, President Adams waits …
2.22 – Enter the Federal City
May 19, 2019

2.22 – Enter the Federal City

Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1801 As President Adams and the federal government transition to the new federal capital, the next presidential election looms, and both Federalist and Democratic-Republican leaders work on behalf …
2.21 – I am Gabriel, That Stands in the Presence of God
May 5, 2019

2.21 – I am Gabriel, That Stands in the Presence of God

Year(s) Discussed: 1792-1801 The revolution in Saint-Domingue inspires enslaved people in the United States to seek their freedom in the 1790s at a time that the slaveocracy was becoming more ingrained in the American eco…
2.20 – A Proper Sense of Their Duty
April 21, 2019

2.20 – A Proper Sense of Their Duty

Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1800 With the new members of the Adams Cabinet coming on board, the President travels south to inspect the work on the new Federal Capital as the US government begins its move from Philadelphia to …
2.19 – Don’t Let the Door Hit You
April 7, 2019

2.19 – Don’t Let the Door Hit You

Year(s) Discussed: 1799-1800 As the presidential election of 1800 looms and party leaders begin weighing their options, President Adams decides that the time is right to make a few changes in his administration. To the Pr…
2.18 – New Year, New à Vous
March 24, 2019

2.18 – New Year, New à Vous

Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1800 The French Directory falls, and the three US peace commissioners are left with many questions as to how to proceed before they even arrive in Paris. Meanwhile, the US government considers a ch…
2.17 – Some Awful Crisis
March 10, 2019

2.17 – Some Awful Crisis

Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 In Trenton, Adams confronted his Cabinet as well as Gen. Alexander Hamilton over the peace mission to France before the government moved back to Philadelphia for one last winter. After the new…
2.16 – High Noon in Trenton
Feb. 24, 2019

2.16 – High Noon in Trenton

Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 New unrest in the government of France in 1799 presented President Adams with an important decision as to whether to continue with his peace overtures. Meanwhile, competing agendas within his …
2.15 – Hot Time, Summer in the Country
Feb. 10, 2019

2.15 – Hot Time, Summer in the Country

Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1799 John Adams makes a fateful decision that threatens his administration and its ability to react quickly to developing events. Meanwhile, General James Wilkinson’s past collusion with the Spanis…
2.14 – The Plausible Probability of Preserving the Peace
Jan. 27, 2019

2.14 – The Plausible Probability of Preserving the Peace

Year(s) Discussed: 1798-1799 Adams throws the American political landscape into a frenzy with a special message to Congress announcing that he was appointing a new Minister to France to negotiate peace. While exploring wh…
2.13 – Destiny Written in the Stars
Jan. 13, 2019

2.13 – Destiny Written in the Stars

Year(s) Discussed: 1797-1799 Despite the wealth of evidence coming in of the sincerity of the French Directory in seeking peace, President Adams found himself at odds with his Secretary of State Timothy Pickering at the b…
2.12 – Ready, Aim, Fire!
Jan. 2, 2019

2.12 – Ready, Aim, Fire!

Year(s) Covered: 1798 As the nation gears up for the possibility of war with France, President Adams is increasingly focused on the possibility of peace as he prepares his annual message to Congress. Meanwhile, a rising …