"I feel an Awe upon my Mind, which is not easily described."
— John Adams
Clay and David discuss the book Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence, referred to as "a distinctive portrait of the crescendo moment in American history from the Pulitzer-winning American historian, Joseph Ellis." The book chronicles the events of the summer of 1776 as America’s war for independence began, and how America was nearly defeated by the British.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"There's a perfect alignment between Jefferson's own contradictions and the rest of American history."
— Joseph J. Ellis
Clay speaks with Dr. Joseph J. Ellis, author of more than ten books, including American Sphinx, Passionate Sage, and Revolutionary Summer. His forthcoming book is American Dialogue: The Founders and Us.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"You cannot understand the founding of this country without understanding the Founding Fathers’ obsession with classical languages and literature."
— Clay S. Jenkinson
Guest host Catherine Jenkinson has an extended conversation with President Jefferson about the classics, and Jefferson’s understanding and support of the classics.
Find this episode on the blog, along with 15 Greek and Latin Classics recommended by Clay and Catherine.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"I'm just thrilled to see that people can still have intelligent and thoughtful conversations and walk away still feeling friends."
— Rick Kennerly
We speak with three friends of the Jefferson Hour this week: Rick Kennerly, who talks tomatoes and why they don’t taste as good as they used to, Pat Brodowski, Head Gardener at Monticello who speaks about the gardens and upcoming events at Monticello, and Beau Wright, Director of Operations at Protect Democracy.
In this week's podcast intro, we discuss Keeping All the Pieces, the new documentary film from Badlands Conservation Alliance, produced with David Swenson at Makoche Studios. You can watch the film in its entirety at BadlandsConservationAlliance.org.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
Catherine Jenkinson returns as host this week for an extended conversation with President Jefferson about Sir Walter Raleigh.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
We speak with President Jefferson about current events including the government shutdown, philanthropy, and water shortages in Cape Town.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"It really upsets me that Jefferson should be anti-canine, but there you are."
— Clay S. Jenkinson
This week, we answer listener questions about Jefferson’s personality traits, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, the State of Jefferson, the Hamilton Soundtrack, fashion during Jefferson’s time, touring Monticello, and Jefferson’s distaste for dogs.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
Margaret Bayard Smith was a friend of Thomas Jefferson. Her writings provided the content for the book The First Forty Years of Washington Society which includes first hand accounts of her interactions with Jefferson. This week we speak with Mister Jefferson about Mrs. Smith. He shares his recollections of their relationship.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Most revolutions end with the establishment of a dictatorship."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
We speak with President Jefferson this week about America’s tradition of the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"I had a canine appetite for reading."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
This week, President Jefferson shares his views on reading fiction versus non-fiction and recommends works of fiction from his time.
On this episode, Jefferson recommends five books: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
This week on the Thomas Jefferson Hour, we look back at the conversations we had with President Jefferson and the many subjects we discussed during 2017.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
Special guest host Catherine Jenkinson speaks with President Jefferson about Christmas during Jefferson’s time.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"It's so hard for me to think that one citizen, for whatever reason, would commit such mayhem."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
President Jefferson answers listener questions this week. He is asked about District of Columbia citizens being deprived of the right to vote, the future of the American experiment of self rule, and the Second Amendment.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"I saw the future of the American experiment in the West."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
Catherine Jenkinson returns to host a conversation with President Jefferson about his travels in France, Europe and the United States.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Two seraphs await me long shrouded in death; I will bear them your love on my last parting breath."
— Thomas Jefferson, July 1826
We conclude our Jefferson 101 biographical series by discussing his final days at Monticello, his legacy, and the deaths of both Jefferson and John Adams on July 4th, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Literally everyone in Washington, D.C. wanted invitations to my White House dinners."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
Catherine Jenkinson returns as guest host this week to speak with President Jefferson about all things food and to wish all our listeners a happy Thanksgiving.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"at best it is but the life of a mill-horse, who sees no end to his circle but in death. to such a life that of a cabbage is paradise."
— Thomas Jefferson, 27 June 1822
This week, we return with part two of the last three shows of the Jefferson 101 biography series, and continue our discussion of Jefferson’s final years in retirement at Monticello.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"The last years of his life were increasingly characterized by debt and disillusionment."
— Clay
We return to Jefferson 101 with part one of the final three shows of the Jefferson biography series to discuss Jefferson’s years in retirement at Monticello.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
Anything that is non-violent is an acceptable form of protest in a Republic."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
President Jefferson shares his view on what he calls an essential need for citizens to speak out about issues they disagree with and he explains why dissent is necessary for the health of American democracy.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club or by donating to the Thomas Jefferson Hour, Inc.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Jefferson was a gentleman. Mountains weren't climbed in his time."
— Clay
This week, we speak with Clay about his recent mountain climbing experience and answer listener questions.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Learn about Clay's upcoming cultural tours and humanities retreats by visiting Odyssey Tours.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
— Samuel Johnson
We speak with President Thomas Jefferson about patriotism and Jefferson’s concept of what it is to be truly free.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
Prompted by a listener letter, Clay answers the question, “If Thomas Jefferson appeared before you today, what would you want to show him from our time?”
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Nobody ever used the English language to greater effect than William Shakespeare."
— Clay
Clay discusses his new show, "Clay Jenkinson's Shakespeare the Magic of the Word" — which held its world premiere in Norfolk, VA in September — and shares Jefferson's thoughts and regard for the work of William Shakespeare.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science by rendering them my supreme delight."
— Thomas Jefferson
We return to the Jefferson 101 biographical series and explore Jefferson’s second term as President. We discuss the many difficulties he had, including the Burr conspiracy and the Embargo Act of 1807 to 1809.
This is Jefferson 121.
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Support the show by joining the 1776 Club.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.
"I am more candid in your era than I ever would have been in mine."
— Thomas Jefferson, as portrayed by Clay S. Jenkinson
This week, we speak with President Jefferson about his hospitality and good manners. In her book, The First Forty Years of Washington Society Margaret Bayard Smith quotes federalist Supreme Court Justice William Paterson’s opinion of Thomas Jefferson. Of Jefferson he said, “No man can be personally acquainted with Mr. Jefferson and remain his personal enemy."
Clay Jenkinson’s "Shakespeare and the Magic of the Word" will premiere in Norfolk, VA, Friday, September 22 at 8 PM. You can purchase tickets at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center one hour before the show, in advance by calling: 757-822-1450 or order online. Don't forget to RSVP on Facebook!
Find this episode, along with recommended reading, on the blog.
Thomas Jefferson is interpreted by Clay S. Jenkinson.