It’s no easy task to follow in the footsteps of George Washington. But author Nathaniel Philbrick did just that — albeit 229 years later. For his latest book Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy, Nathaniel followed George Washington’s 1789 tour of the country and pieces together the story of how one man traveled to 13 colonies in an effort to understand — and ultimately unite — them. On the pod, Nathaniel talks about how retracing George Washington’s travels helped him understand the U.S. president as an individual far more complex than the figure he presents on the dollar bill. He also parallels the current state of the United States to the country as it was in 1789, and what he thinks George Washington would say if he saw the state of our union today.