Historian David Beito joins Jeff this week to discuss the dark side of FDR: a seeming disregard for constitutional process and a lack of respect for the fundamental freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights. Long lauded as a great president, is there more to his story and impact on America?

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

When we think of the American Revolution, we usually consider the ideas and animated the patriots and those leaders who organized and directed the war. Largely forgotten in all of this is a simple question: how was it all financed? And who did it?

Thomas Willing, one of the most prominent merchants of the Middle Colonies, was at the forefront of solving the logistical and financial problems that plagued the American cause from the outset. Why, then, is he overlooked in all mainstream histories?

Jeff meets with author Richard Vague to discuss Willing’s place in American Founding. You can get his book about Willing here: https://a.co/d/05py4B72

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

The Anti-Federalists are often overlooked in the story of America's founding, but their arguments helped shape the Constitution we live under today. In this episode of The American Idea, host Jeff Sikkenga sits down with Professor Adam Carrington of Ashland University to explore what the Anti-Federalists actually stood for, why they opposed ratification of the Constitution, and why their warnings still resonate in American political life. From fears of consolidation and judicial overreach to the "fetus of monarchy" critique of the presidency, the Anti-Federalists raised serious constitutional questions that the Federalists could not simply dismiss.

Together, Jeff and Adam trace the Anti-Federalists' most lasting contribution — the Bill of Rights — and examine how their concerns about government size, the Necessary and Proper Clause, standing armies, and the gap between constitutional text and political reality continue to echo today. Whether you're a student, teacher, or engaged citizen, this conversation offers an essential and often missing perspective on the American founding.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

James Madison was one of the two primary authors of The Federalist. What ideas did he promote through his essays? Where did he disagree with the points he argued? As we consider the American Founding and try to understand how the Founders turned goals into ideas in systems, we examine Madison’s contributions to The Federalist and what they meant over 200 years ago, and what we can learn from them now.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

The Federalist, or more broadly known as the Federalist Papers, is looked on as the definitive defense of the Constitution as written in 1787, and by that, a clear explanation of its contents and rationale. Whether it’s those things or not, how should you study them? Should you at all? If so, what do you need to know before turning to Hamilton’s Federalist 1?

Chris Burkett, Professor of Political Science, joins Jeff to explain the historical and political context around this collection of essays when they were written, and how best we can read and understand them today.

Read Chris's outline of The Federalist - this is a great way to conceptualize how the essays are grouped and what topics they address: https://tinyurl.com/ax3p4h5x

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

George Washington has been referred to as the “indispensable man,” and was looked to during and after the Revolution as the one person who could be trusted to lead the country. Why? What made him such a trusted figure then and for generations after his death? What can we learn from him today?

Read his Farewell Address: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/farewell-address-5/

Read “Washington’s Crossing”: https://a.co/d/16aXe2p

Read: “Washington & Hamilton”: https://a.co/d/cnPC6xb

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

Thomas Jefferson: “Author of the Declaration of American Independence [and] of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia.”

So says his tombstone, as he requested. Who was Jefferson, beyond the Declaration’s author? What were his beliefs and hopes? What else did he write and how can we better understand this essential American Founder today?

Join Jeff as he discusses Jefferson with Todd Estes, Professor of History.

Read “A Summary View of the Rights of British America”: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/a-summary-view-of-the-rights-of-british-america-2/

Read the Rockfish Gap Report: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-13-02-0197-0006

Read this excerpt from the Notes on the State of Virginia: https://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/2260

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

Huey Long of Louisiana casts a long shadow over American populist politics. Often cast as a villain or troublemaker, author Thomas Patterson offers a nuanced look at the politics and impact of this important figure in 20th Century history.

Find his book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0sS3baz

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and why is she largely forgotten in popular history? How did she show that the Declaration of Independence promised women’s rights, too? Dr. Natalie Taylor, Professor Political Science at Skidmore College, discusses this fascinating American, who formed much of the intellectual foundation of the Suffrage Movement in the 19th Century.

Read her Declaration of Sentiments and see how it parallels the form and substance of the Declaration of Independence: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/declaration-of-sentiments/

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/

The Declaration of Independence is not, properly understood, a historical document. It is a statement of beliefs and principles describing the proper relationship between the individual and the state, and how the individual should view others in political matters. As such, it is not tied to a moment in time - 1776 - but should serve as the foundation of the American Idea for all time.

What does that mean, and what can it mean for you? Join Jeff and Dr. Adam Seagrave as they discuss our Declaration, and how “faith, hope, and love” informed the American founding, and can guide us today.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea