How did Dolley Madison create bipartisan possibilities under the glow of candle light? Colleen Shogan talks with Catherine Allgor about Mrs. Madison’s famous “Wednesday nights,” the turbulent politics of the early American republic, and the burning of the White House during the War of 1812. 

Featuring Catherine Allgor, Ph.D., President Emerita, The Massachusetts Historical Society. 

Read Catherine Allgor’s essay on Dolley Madison.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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Should James Madison rightly be called the “Father of the Constitution”? Colleen Shogan talks with Jack Rakove about why we ought to see Madison as the Constitution’s chief strategist, how the diminutive politician got his start, and why he resisted a Bill of Rights. 

Featuring Jack Rakove, Ph.D., William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science and (by courtesy) law at Stanford University.

Read Jack Rakove’s essay on James Madison.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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What faith did Thomas Jefferson place in future Americans to accomplish what the revolutionary generation could not? Colleen Shogan talks with Andrew Davenport about Jefferson’s Virginia, the contradictions in the Declaration of Independence, and the Sage of Monticello’s abiding belief in the generations to come. 

Featuring Andrew Davenport, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. 

Read Dr. Davenport’s essay on Thomas Jefferson.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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How did Martha Washington create an office before women could hold one? Colleen Shogan talks with Karin Wulf about the first First Lady, the struggle to throw off monarchy in the new republic, and the search for Martha Washington herself. 

Karin Wulf, Ph.D., Librarian and Director, the John Carter Brown Library, and Professor of History at Brown University.

Read Dr. Wulf's essay on Martha Washington.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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Why did George Washington willingly give up power at the end of the Revolutionary War? Colleen Shogan talks with Douglas Bradburn to explore the man who would not be king, Washington’s extraordinary copy of the Constitution, and the formative moments that shaped the nation’s first president.

Featuring Douglas Bradburn, Ph.D., President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. 

Read President George W. Bush’s essay on George Washington.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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We call it the American experiment, and over the last 250 years, we've learned a lot about what's worked .....and what hasn't. From George Washington's willingness to surrender power to Mary Lincoln's fight for her own independence, we've aspired to the highest ideals and sometimes fallen short of them. 

So what can we learn from Americans' quest to form a more perfect union? Join Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States, along with some of our nation's most prominent historians, journalists, and public servants as we go in pursuit of lessons from America's past to write the history of America's future. In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan premiers April 7, 2026. Brought to you by PRX. 

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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In Pursuit is a landmark initiative of More Perfect