Episode 57: George Mason [The Virginians, Part 7]

02/26/20 • 41 min

In this final episode of the Virginians miniseries, Jay and Luke discuss George Mason, the godfather of Virginia republicanism. Mason was instrumental in writing the Virginia Constitution in 1776. He was the primary author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, upon which James Madison relied heavily for writing the Bill of Rights. Yet though Mason was a constructive participant at the Constitutional Convention, he eventually opposed the Constitution in strident and bitter terms because he thought it a bad deal for Virginia. Mason thus represents the competing instincts of the Founding Era — embodying a broadminded nationalism but also parochial prejudices.

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Episode 56: Patrick Henry [The Virginians, Part 6]

In this episode of the Virginians miniseries, Jay and Look look at the life of Patrick Henry. Perhaps the greatest orator in the history of the United States of America, Henry was an essential part of the “revolutionary vanguard” in the 1760s and 1770s, men who were committed to the project of revolution long before the rest of the country embraced the idea.

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Episode 58: Alexander Hamilton on Impeachment

No Founding Father thought more deeply about the presidency than Alexander Hamilton. He was an enthusiastic supporter of a strong chief executive and believed the president had a central and vital role to play in American government, both at home and abroad. Hamilton was also a realist when it came to the nature of politics and, unlike some of his contemporaries, did not shy away from the fact that politics can be a rough business. As a result, Hamilton jumped at the chance to define what impeaching the president would mean in The Federalist. We are still working within the parameters of the impeachment system as he understood it. This talk explains what Hamilton thought and how his ideas can shed light on the recent impeachment. This talk was given at the Down Town Association in New York City, with support from the St. Andrew's Society, the First Families of New York, and the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society.