Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, took the minutes at every debate of the American Revolution. Now he sits down with the Founding Fathers, one by one, to hear the real stories behind independence: the arguments, the risks, and the people who signed their names to a new nation.
John Adams, Part 3: Holland, the Presidency, and Jefferson
In this final conversation with Charles Thomson, ninety-year-old John Adams reflects on securing vital Dutch loans, meeting King George III, and averting war with France. He also looks back on moving into an unfinished White House and mending his fractured friendship with Thomas Jefferson.
Show Notes
John Adams Above the Fray: The Original Foreign Policy President: https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/12/john-adams-above-the-fray-the-original-foreign-policy-president/
For Students: Jefferson and Adams - New American History: https://resources.newamericanhistory.org/jefferson-and-adams-1
21 Oct 2026
John Adams, Part 2: The Colossus of Independence
Step inside the sweltering, fly-infested Pennsylvania State House in July 1776 as John Adams recounts the dramatic, high-stakes debates that forged American independence. From his extemporaneous rebuttal to John Dickinson to Caesar Rodney's legendary midnight ride, discover the behind-the-scenes mechanics of how the historic vote was truly won.
19 Oct 2026
John Adams, Part 1: Defending the Enemy
Ninety-year-old John Adams reflects on his decision to defend the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, risking his reputation to uphold the rule of law. He also discusses the courtroom strategy behind the historic verdicts and revisits Abigail Adams's famous plea to "remember the ladies."
13 Oct 2026
Benjamin Franklin, Part 3: Chess, Spies, and the French Alliance
Benjamin Franklin reflects on charming Paris, navigating espionage, and securing the crucial French alliance that turned the tide of the American Revolution. He also sets the record straight on his glass armonica and the enduring myth of the national turkey.
13 Oct 2026
Benjamin Franklin, Part 2: Humiliation at the Cockpit
Benjamin Franklin recounts his public humiliation at the Cockpit in London, an event that shattered his hopes for imperial reconciliation and forged his path as a revolutionary. He also reflects on editing the Declaration of Independence and the permanent, heartbreaking estrangement from his Loyalist son, William.
13 Oct 2026
Benjamin Franklin, Part 1: A Spark in the Powder
Benjamin Franklin joins Charles Thomson to reflect on his decades as a devoted imperial loyalist and his fateful attempt to mend colonial relations. He reveals how leaking the controversial Hutchinson Letters sparked duels, ignited Boston, and pushed him toward public condemnation.
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