Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore came to the John Adams in April of 2023 to talk about her keenly crafted and sourced historical book “New York Burning”.  It’s New York City, 1741: fires break out throughout the city. Fueled by the paranoia that accompanies hearsay, the authorities find a convenient scapegoat on which to pin the crimes: enslaved Black people and poor white settlers. But after a witch-hunt-like series of trials and vigilante justice, no specific plot was ever uncovered. Jill Lepore revisits the spring and summer of 1741 to confront a sticky contradiction at the heart of American history and society: the dual relationship between slavery and liberty. 

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The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

The latest massacres in Bucha and Mariupol have shown that Vladimir Putin has no regard for human life – he only cares about power and money. In Putin’s eyes, money is power, and vice versa. That’s why freezing the assets of Russians tied to Putin’s regime is so important. Between 1996 and 2005, American investor Bill Browder ran the largest foreign investment firm in Russia, until he was declared ‘a threat to Russian national security’ and got kicked out of the country. Browder has spent the last 14 years trying to understand the dark money flowing out of Russia.

In his book Freezing Order Browder tells the story of his quest to establish a global regime for imposing sanctions on Russians involved in corruption and criminality. 

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

For years, fringe ideologues were able to use Facebook undisturbed to promote their extreme ideologies and conspiracies. In An Ugly Truth, New York Times tech reporters Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel reveal how Facebook’s algorithms sacrificed everything for user engagement and profit, while creating a misinformation epicenter and violating the privacy of its users.

Through deep investigatory work, Kang and Frenkel came to a shocking conclusion: the missteps of the social media platform were not an anomaly but an inevitability—this is how Facebook was built to perform.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

On paper, every American has the right to vote and – thanks to the Second Amendment – to bear arms. But in reality, says Carol Anderson, both these rights are undermined by the racism which is so deeply rooted in American society. And that, in turn, undermines democracy.

Anderson is a professor of African-American studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and an influential voice on civil and voting rights in the U.S. She joined us  in May 2022 to talk about her two most recent books, 'The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America' and 'One Person, No Vote'. The Second Amendment, she contends, is not about guns, but about anti-Blackness. And the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave every American the right to vote no matter their “race, color or previous condition of servitude”, is under assault.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

In December of 2010, The John Adams Institute hosted an evening with the great film director, Spike Lee. Among many things, Spike talked about how New York City’s historically hot and dangerous summer of ‘77 got him started in filmmaking. Mr. Lee’s talk also encapsulates America at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The US and Europe were still digging themselves out of the worst recession since the crash of ‘29. Obama was still in his first term and, in response, the Tea Party movement was just getting going. Despite this, or maybe because of this, Spike talked about how young people can still make their voices heard and follow their dreams.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

On September 23, 2008, The John Adams Institute hosted an evening with David Sedaris. The humorist and author of 'Me Talk Pretty One Day' and 'Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim' brought his entourage to Amsterdam for the Dutch publication of his latest collection of wisdom, 'When You Are Engulfed in Flames'. Sedaris instructed the John Adams audience on how to buy drugs in a North Carolina trailer and how to pretend you attended Princeton University before the birth of Jesus Christ. Sedaris, the best selling author of all time, was soon after accused by The New Republic magazine of making up some of his autobiographical reminiscences.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

For 20 years, the John Adams Institute has organized a lecture program called The Quincy Club at schools all through the Netherlands to help young audiences better understand American culture. In 2020, the Quincy Club took a closer look at California and Silicon Valley. You know the names: Facebook, Apple, Google, Netflix, Tesla, Ebay, Intel and more dominate the tech industry worldwide. How did this come to be?

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

On February 04, 1999, in celebration of 150 years of Dutch constitutional law, the John Adams Institute welcomed Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

RBG sat down for an interview and waxed legal about things like how unimportant the Supreme Court used to be, why it’s good justices serve for life and what a nice place the Supreme Court is to work.

Born in Brooklyn in 1933, Ms. Ginsburg became the second woman to join the law faculty of Rutgers University in 1963 and the first tenured female law professor at Columbia Law School in 1972. She was appointed to the Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

If you don’t know Ruby Wax’s name, that’s because, even though she’s American, her career has been largely in the UK. But you may be aware of a little show called Absolutely Fabulous in which she both acted and served as the script editor.

Despite her success, she’s been open about her struggles with depression. She even dropped comedy for a while to get a degree from Oxford on mindfulness through cognitive behavioral therapy. Her book, Sane New World, based on personal experience, achieves the rare feat of addressing mental illness while being readable and funny at the same time.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...

People are passionate about Anthony Doerr. And why not, he’s one of America’s great novelists and storytellers.  

He was in Amsterdam 2015 on the back of his book, All the Light We Cannot See, a masterful and moving novel about two young people during World War II, which rapidly became a New York Times #1 bestseller.

Support the show

The John Adams Institute is Amsterdam’s home for independent American thought. John Adams himself said “Let us tenderly and kindly cherish...the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” For four decades, we have amassed a unique archive of great thinkers, speakers and writers, from Toni Morrison to Timothy Snyder, and from Jane Fonda to Jill Lepore. It has been our pleasure to share this treasure trove of thought and word with you. 

In this exclusive miniseries, we’re sitting down with a few prominent voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of the United States, two hundred and fifty years into its experiment in self-governance. We believe John Adams would have wanted it that way – in fact he explained as much in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on 3 July 1776; 

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”  And so, from Amsterdam, it’s Bright Minds; Out of Many, One?  the podcast from the Adams Institute! If you’re a friend of free thinking and the communities that support it, please, become a member. Our independence is something we cherish, and it comes with a cost. The John Adams is an independent foundation without structural subsidy, and there’s always room at our table for more.

Click here to find out about sponsorship or becoming a member...