The American Idea

• When in the Course of Human Events: Creating the Declaration of Independence

  Summer, 1776: the war for independence is over a year old and the leaders of the 13 colonies have finally decided that independence is their goal. How shall they explain America’s aims and reasons to her own people and to the world?A committee of five was selected to draft the document; the Second Continental Congress debated, revised, and voted on the document; and the world was never the same again.Read the document: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/declaration-of-independence/Read the original draft: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/draft-of-the-declaration-of-independence/Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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• “If they mean to have a war...”: The Causes of the American Revolution

  The American Revolution, born in the hearts and minds of Americans in response to British tyranny, is one of the most pivotal moments in human political and national history. But what caused it? It’s a lot deeper than taxes or tea, and as we prepare for America’s 250th birthday, it’s a good time to look back, and look deeply at the roots of the revolution, and what our Founders thought about the relationship between individuals and the state, and the appropriate limits of government - enduring ideas for all times.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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• What Did Frederick Douglass Think of Abraham Lincoln?

  What Did Frederick Douglass Really Think of Abraham Lincoln?Discover the complex relationship between two of America's most influential figures in this revealing conversation about a groundbreaking new book. Historians John White and Lucas Morel unveil previously unknown letters and documents that transform our understanding of how Frederick Douglass viewed Abraham Lincoln—from harsh critic to reluctant admirer.Featured Guests:Dr. John White, Professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and co-winner of the 2023 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln PrizeDr. Lucas Morel, Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University and trustee of the Supreme Court Historical SocietyWhat You'll Learn:Why Douglass initially called Lincoln "the South's greatest slave hound" and "abolitionism's worst enemy"The surprising letters revealing Douglass believed Andrew Johnson would be a better Reconstruction president than LincolnHow three private meetings between Douglass and Lincoln changed the abolitionist's perspectiveDouglass's "rail-splitting" philosophy explaining Lincoln's strategic approach to black voting rightsWhy Douglass spent the rest of his life honoring Lincoln's legacy despite early criticismsThe newly discovered correspondence with British abolitionists that historians hadn't seen in over 150 yearsWhite and Morel's book "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln" compiles every known statement Douglass made about Lincoln, including a dozen previously unknown documents uncovered through digital archives and London newspaper microfilm.This episode explores themes of emancipation, political strategy, black suffrage, Civil War leadership, and the tension between radical abolitionism and practical statesmanship during America's most defining era.Get the book: https://a.co/d/1axh4FLHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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• The Constitution and the Rule of Law

  Jeff is joined by Justice Sharon Kennedy, Chief Justice of the Ohio State Supreme Court to discuss the Rule of Law - what is it? Why is it so essential to limited, fair government? How is it promoted, protected, and how can we understand it better so as to pass on its value to future generations?Join us as we look at some of the most foundational, essential ideas, moments, and events in our history as we look forward to America's 250th birthday.Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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• Want to Understand America? Study the Gettysburg Address

  America is, at its core, a nation founded on ideas, and those ideas have faced criticism, revision, and review over the centuries. Abraham Lincoln, who once said that he didn’t have a political idea that didn’t spring from the Declaration of Independence, not only reframed the meaning of the Civil War, but also pointed back to America’s Founding to assert what America should and could be in the future.The Gettysburg Address is far more than commentary on the Civil War; it was a critique of how America had, by 1863, let down the promise of the Founding, and how she could rediscover herself for a more glorious future.What can we learn from Lincoln today?Host: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

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