Successors to George Washington
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn analyzes the abilities of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who served as the third and fourth U.S. presidents respectively. Professor Bailyn explains that Jefferson was a good administrator and an excellent pol...
Second Jefferson Administration, The
Historian Peter Onuf explores Thomas Jefferson's strategy of using "aggressive commercial diplomacy" (in the form of an embargo and sanctions) as an alternative to war.
Great Division in the 1790's, The
Historian Peter Onuf talks about the deep divisions in the United States concerning how the U.S. should align itself regarding the French Revolution. "The stakes were extremely high," Professor Onuf says. "This was not gratuitous thinking about some...
Relationship Between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, The
Historian Peter Onuf explores the complicated personal relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Professor Onuf explains that the two worked very closely for years, but then went through a period of strained relations after Jefferson cha...
Election of Thomas Jefferson, The
Historian Peter Onuf explains that the primary difference between the Jefferson presidency and that of John Adams was that Jefferson emphasized state's rights over a strong centralized government, and also paid down the national debt by more than fi...
Washington, Jefferson and the French Revolution
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn talks about the challenge facing the United States (and Thomas Jefferson, in particular) when the French Revolution turned especially violent and brutal. Professor Bailyn explains that Jefferson had been close to ...
Washington Forms the Executive Branch (Part Two)
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn continues his discussion of the challenges facing President Washington as he sought to preside over the federal government during his administration. One of Washington's most difficult challenges was maintaining a...
Washington Forms the Executive Branch (Part One)
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn explains that George Washington realized that some kind of Cabinet structure would be necessary, even though there's nothing about a Cabinet written into the Constitution. President Washington named Thomas Jeffers...
Choosing The National Capital
Historian Peter Onuf talks about Thomas Jefferson's decision to allow the national capital to be located in Washington D.C. Professor Onuf explains that Jefferson agreed on Washington D.C., because he thought that the power of the federal government...
A Young Nation Moves Forward
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn talks about some of the key challenges the young United States faced in its early years. Among the most pressing was growing the economy to keep pace with the rapidly expanding population. Other challenges include...