Give Me Liberty: The Making of American Exceptionalism

The late 1980s saw a new kind of threat to liberty — one that infected sovereign nations far and wide. In one of the most famous speeches delivered by Ronald Reagan, he issued a rallying cry for liberty, exclaiming “tear down this wall!” In the final episode, Rick and Luke reflect on the everlasting power behind the words of Ronald Reagan as he worked to defeat one of the world’s most evil forces — socialism — in the name of liberty.

Around the time of World War II, the United States once again faced the question of what it means to be a force of power on the world stage and preserve liberty both at home and abroad. In this episode, Rick and Luke explore how Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s fireside chat “The Arsenal of Democracy” combined the necessity for both national security and the safety of liberty.

Famously proclaiming that we “shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold,” William Jennings Bryan delivered a plea for the coinage of silver, which he believed would help combat the rampant economic inequality of the late 19th century. Rick and Luke examine how one of the most famous pieces of American political oratory changed the meaning of economic equality.

A famous sonnet written to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, Rick and Luke discuss how “The New Colossus” set out the symbolism and impact of the Statue of Liberty for generations. Even today, Liberty Enlightening the World exists as a symbol of the uniquely American idea of liberty and represents refuge to those suffering around the world.

As Abraham Lincoln said in his famous Gettysburg Address, the United States of America was conceived in liberty. By the time the Civil War broke out, most of the country’s population had abandoned these long sought-after principles. In this episode, Rick and Luke reveal how Abraham Lincoln revived the foundation of a nation torn apart by war.

Can liberty ever fully exist when half of the country’s population is disenfranchised? In 1848, The Declaration of the Seneca Falls Convention, using the model of the Declaration of Independence, demanded the rights of women be respected in society. Rick and Luke examine how the 100 signatories changed the course of events to bring the principles of liberty to all Americans.

In the early 1800s, there was a struggle for liberty across the world. In his annual message delivered to Congress, later known as the Monroe Doctrine, James Monroe delivered perhaps one of the best known declarations of foreign policy towards Europeans nations. Rick and special guest Jay Nordlinger narrate the background of Monroe’s observation of liberty abroad and his bold stance for the preservation of American freedom when dealing with foreign nations.

In 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the most influential document in American history. Right next to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution guarantees the “blessings of liberty” to Americans of all backgrounds. In this episode, Rick and Luke discuss how the signing of the Constitution changed the course of liberty forever.

Slavery — a prevalent force in early American ideas. How did the idea of slave holding intersect with the evolving principles of liberty? Rick and Luke dive into the case study of the Constitution of the New York Manumission Society and examine how these ideas impacted each other, both as a matter of practical politics and the demands of conscience.

Long before it was ever written, the principle of liberty existed in the heart of Americans. In 1776, dozens of men famously declared that all men are endowed with “certain unalienable rights” in the Declaration of Independence. Rick and Luke celebrate this cornerstone of American history and recount the ways in which it guaranteed the principles of liberty to Americans for generations to come.