styled by jefferson abuse. it discovers a littleness of mind unworthy of the president of united states. as president he ought never to act towards an individual as if he knew what was said for or against him or his measures on floor of the house. plumber, i realize, in jefferson's behavior at least in the way he doled out dinner invitations to his white house stifled debate and stifled initiative. in the first few days of january, 1802. in fact, on new year's day we pick up again with cutler's journal. he writes, although the president has no levys, a number of federalists agreed to go from the capitol in coaches to the president's house and wait upon him with the compliments of the season. we were received with politeness, entertained with cake and wine. the mammoth cheese having been presented this morning with democratic parade and etiquette, the president suggested we go to the mammoth room and see the mammoth cheese. this then we see this monument of human weakness and folly as long as we wished and then

it's the influence of jefferson. there's the age of jefferson that you think of and that's part of his presidency. >> host: were you asked to write and andrew johnson biography by the american presidents series or did you volunteer? >> i was astrid arthur schlessinger on the board of advisers the papers of thomas jefferson out of princeton. i knew him from that and the other editor had been the editor on the book i did on vernon. between the two of them asking me to do this, it was only 40,000 words and i said sure. it was not something i would have ever out of the blue thought of doing but once i started doing it and started looking into it i realized e evn though johnson is not a terribly pleasant person which shouldn't be a consideration but it always is whenit you spend time writing about them he was president during a pivotal moment. he made fateful decisions that put d in place other fateful decisions. even if he's not attractive as a manor is a character the role that he played as president people should know

he admired jefferson even though the jefferson didn't admire himso it's the influence of jefferson . there is an age of jefferson that you think of that part of this residency. >> were asked to write the bi andrew johnson biography by the american presidents series or did you volunteer? >> i was asked to write. marvelous lessons are junior who was on the board of advisors of the papers of thomas jefferson that were being edited, i knew him from that and the other editor, paul goddard had been the editor on the book i did it with vernon jordan. it was between two of them asking me to do this but both of them i knew and liked and it was only 40,000 words. i said sure. is not something i would ever have out of the blue part of doing but once i started doing it, started looking into it i realized even though johnson is not a terribly pleasant person which shouldn't be a part of consideration but it alwaysis . you want to spend time with someone, writing about them. he was president during a singular moment and he made fateful decisions that put in place other people decisions so even if

one noted note that jefferson's introductions were sent out under thomas jefferson, not president jefferson. in fact, inviting people under his own name, rather than in the name of his office as president was an excuse for him to invite who he wished and that's why he ends up being able to invite just federalists or just democrats. and as time goes by, we learned he uses the dinner invitations as way to punish members. you know this frump some of the words by plumber. plumber decided jefrson used friendly conversation and good food and wine to bind congressman from himself and bind them from one another. "i myself no doubt of adopting the present form. and there were gentleman who were not invited to dine with him. it's true they reasoned against some of mr. jefferson's favorite measures. and it made his aarguments seem rather ridiculous. this is styled by him, abuse. it is worthy of the president of the united states. as president, he ought nevr to act as if he knew what was said for or against him or his measures on floor of the house. plumber, i realize jefferson's behavior, at least the

washington george washington carvers thomas jefferson and i read the jefferson biography during that year in third might -- my third-grade year inng the book s supposed to be like a biography but something that was told by a fictional enslaved boy. the book bothered me because it portrayed the enslaved boy as silly and not wanting to learn exacerbated and i knew that my classmates would send a message about black people and at the same time they were sending message about jefferson and his intelligence and i thought of myself as intelligent and curious and i wanted to learn how to read. i loved reading and i couldn't see why a slave boy had to be portrayed that way. that was my introduction to jefferson and at that time i read other age-appropriate books about monticello and thinking about slavery as well and this was a person or wrote the declaration of independence but at thee'rs same time was a slave owner and what's that about? so my interest started in school and continued up until now i guess. >> host: wisher schools segregated at that point or had he been integrated? >> guest:

jefferson in the concern about jefferson and the slaveholders. host: kayden sacramento follows up on that incense and says in her question is your thoughts removal of statutes of prominent confederates. annette: i've been on the record to sayay that i've seen a reason why there should be statutes of confederates in public spaces. in america, not just the racial question prayed me people of finance united states of americn who tried - battlefields, were coming up the getty springs is on everybody's mind rated and te battlefields was one thing cemeteries another thing that public squares, i mean, in itself, to the union show soldiers when you canul talk abt reconciliation and we can't make that choice for the people who were killed a dude who died during that war. in the values of the confederacy which are announced in this constitution and the cornerstone speech and the vice president that is sensually it says that africans were meant to be enslaved. their inferiority and that's the cornerstone in their society. there's nothing that we could get f

i mean, that's why jefferson you would name a school after jefferson. i don't see any purpose -- i wouldn't say that jefferson hemmings schools solves the problem, solves the issue with that. i don't have a problem with a jefferson school so long as people talk about all aspects of jefferson's life. because, i mean, he's a person who had such an effect on so many aspects of american history that it's kind of hard to move him to the side, in a way. so, i am for in that situation, you know, if you're named that, to keep that name if you want. on the other happened, jefferson himself said, you know, the earth belongs to the living and every generation of people has a right to pick its heroes, and if you want to rename your school for somebody today who is doing something that you think represents your generation, represents your place better, then i can -- he would probably say and i would say as well do that, but i wouldn't see it as imperative the denaming, as we call it, at harvard, versus renaming, and, but jefferson hemmings, i wouldn't be opposed to

jefferson teams up. hamilton and washington teams up and marshall finds a teammate, the great joseph story and they work particularly well when they combine north and south. in particular massachusetts and virginia, okay? so marshall is virginia, story is massachusetts. think about all of the other virginia-massachusetts teams. retorically, james otis from massachusetts and patrick from virginiament and first president and vice-president, george washington and adams, worked together in 1776 and so did jefferson and adams, again virginia and a massachusetts person. adams is vice-president, is a virginian, thomas jefferson. one of jefferson's vice-presidents is massachusetts gary, he's going to be one of madison's vice-presidents. so the north-south team, massachusetts and virginia is important, so, the answer to your question, the last founder, he strengthens the judiciary and he's a washington man, a hamilton man and a continentalist and he finds a partner for another reason and he and story together mak

jefferson davis demand as a contradiction jefferson davis in this early life was a graduate united states military academy. he served in the frontier with the united states army. he was secretary of war under president pierce. he served the united states congress. they also served in the united states senate. and he and his wife. were the host during james buchanan's administration in washington, dc? when the south left and formed their own government, they invited jefferson davis. to become its first and only president. jefferson davis would accept that invitation and become the president of the confederate states of america. we're standing in the cell where jefferson davis was held at the conclusion of the american civil war. in 1965 jefferson davis received word from general robert e. lee the commander of the army of northern virginia that they no longer could hold the federal army back from attacking the city of richmond. with that news jefferson davis adjourned his cabinet and sent his family on the road for their protection. jefferson davis soon after that would follow he would fina

that's right jefferson was named after jefferson. i don't see any purpose -- i wouldn't say jefferson hemmings school saw -- solved the issue with that. i don't haves' a problem that jefferson school so long as people talk about all aspects of jefferson's life because he's a person who had such an effect on so many aspects of american history that it hard to move him to the side in a way so i am four, in that situation if you name it, to keep the name if you want. on the other hand, jefferson said the earth belongs to the living and every generation ofas people has a life if you want to rename your school for somebody today doing something you think represents your generation, your place better he would probably say, and i would say as well do that. i wouldn't see it as imperative renaming harvard versus renaming but jefferson hemmings i wouldn't be opposed to it but i don't think it solves the problem is to what people were concerned about as a slave owner katie sacramento question is your thoughts on removal of statues of prominent

and adams is vice president and virginia and thomas jefferson's and one of jefferson's vice president since the massachusetts and also going to be madison's vice president soap north and south team, a massachusetts and virginia is important. so the answer to your question about john marshall is the last founder emma strengthens the judiciary and is a washington man, hamilton man in a continental list. any finds a partner from another region predict and story together and build really impressive teams just as washington and hamilton do. and also as madison and jefferson do. richard: i think it's fair to say the both of us, minerals under the numbers of the federalist party, we are synthetic to it. and i think but very good words for thomas jefferson. we agree with what you say but after all, he is who he is. so what does he add. akhil: let me begin by saying that as a young person, i adored if jefferson was very skeptical of hamilton. and you and other people change my ideas about hamilton. and miranda and change my ideas and are somewhat but then as much as anyone change my idea about

jefferson davis the man is a contradiction. jefferson davidson in his early life was a graduate of the united states military academy. he was secretary of war, he served the united states congress also served united states senate. he was a host during the james buchanan administration in washington. when the southwest formed their own government they invited jefferson davis to become his first and only president. jefferson davis would accept that invitation and become the president of the confederate states of america. we are standing in the cell or jefferson davis was held at the conclusion of the american civil war. 1965 jefferson davis received word from general robert e lee the commander they will hold the federal army back from attacking the city of virginia. with that news, jefferson davis directed his cabinet, and sent his family on the road for protection. jefferson davis soon after that would follow. he would finally catch up with his family right above the florida state line. it was here where the federal mounted unit

and adams vice president is a virginian of thomas jefferson and one of jefferson's vice president is the massachusetts also going to be one of madison's vice presidents of the north and south team of massachusetts and virginia is important so the answer to your question about john marshall is the last founder and he strengthens the judiciary and is a washington man and hamilton man continental list and he finds a partner from another region and he is regular, they bill brilliant and impressive teams. and madison and jefferson orbiting. richard: think that it is fair to say that both of us are not exactly members of the fabulous party, we are very sympathetic get too it. this is animating our talk for the last few minutes. so say good work for thomas jefferson pretty i agree with what you said but after all, he is who he is so what does he add to this pressure. sue and let me begin by saying as a younger person, i adored jefferson's were skeptical of hamilton. and yet other people have changed my ideas about hamilton, miranda, she's my idea and others. and i change my idea about hamil

, he admired jefferson even though jefferson didn't admire him so is the influence of jefferson. there is an age of jefferson that we think of and that's part of his residency. >> were you asked to write the andrew johnson biography by the american presidents series or did you volunteer ? >> i was asked. arthur schlesinger junior who was on the board of advisors, the papers of thomas jefferson, those were being edited princeton and i knew him fromthat. and the other editor , paul gottlieb had had had been editor on the book i did with vernon jordan so betweenthe two of them asking me to do this , both of them i knew and liked and it was only 30,000 words and i said sure. it was not something i would ever have out of the blue thought of doing. once i started doing it and started looking into it i realized even though johnson is not as terribly present person which shouldn't be a part of consideration but it alwaysis . if you want to spend time with someone, writing about them, he was president during a pivotal moment and he made fateful decisions that put in place other fateful de

my views on jefferson have changed what he asked me too see a good word, especially the young jefferson, he is such an idealist. he dreams of the world that could be better. he is the architect of what would be a northwest ordinance to end slavery not just in the northwest but all western territory. agree on smart kids were not born privilege to rise because of their native ability aptitude. in ordinary people. they were all his impressive attributes does not get the common man. he is too stiff from a geo- strategic perspective, that nancy says lots of silly things truthfully. running his present he tends to do smart things. one of the smartest things he ever does is double the landmass of the united states it's an epic achievement. >> is completely consistentst with it geostrategic idea. i am not sure the federals could have done that because theer french like jefferson jeff likes the front she's wonderful buttering peoplee out. and so i am not sure napoleon would have ever done that deal with john adams. john adam's mind and found a white -- he did find a way to annoy because he blunt

that is why jefferson named a school after jefferson. i don't see any purpose i would not say saying jefferson hemming school solves the problem the issue was that he is a person who has such an effect on so many aspects of american history that it's kind of hard to move him to the side in a way. i am for in that situation, you name that to keep that name if you want. on the other hand jefferson himself said the earth belongs to the living and every generation of people has a right to pick their heroes. if you want to renamets your school or somebody today is doing something you think represents your generation, represents your place better he would probably say and i would say is will do that. i would not see it as imperative the d naming we call it versus renaming. jefferson hemmings i would not be opposed to it i don't think it solves a problem with jefferson what people are concerned about with jefferson as a slaveholder. stu went kate in sacramento follows up on that then, her question is your thoughts on removal of statues prominen

jefferson's favorite methods. and there are arguments that made his recommendations rather ridiculous. he had decent conduct by him, abused. he discovers a little list of minds unworthy of the president of the united states. and as president he ought never to act towards an individual as if he knew what was said for or against him on the floor of the house. plummer, i realize, at jefferson's behavior, just the way that he told out to dinner invitations to his white house staff, especially today, and members of the initiative. politicize a shun of food, was just part of the amount to see, what's the hell that even meant. in the first few days of january 1802, back on new year's day, he picked up again with politicize a shun. although the president had not yet a number of federalists agree to go from coaches to the president's house and wait upon him with a compliments of the season. we will receive with politeness, cake, and wine. the mammoth cheese having been presented this morning with all democratic etiquette,

jefferson and madison team up. hamilton washington team up marshall finds a teammate, a great story but teams in america worked particularly well when they combined north and t south end massachusetts and virginia in particular so marshall is virginia, story is massachusetts. about all the other virginia, massachusetts teams. james from massachusetts and patrick henri virginia. first president and vice president george washington and john adams and they work together in 1776 and so did jefferson and adams. adams is vice president and the thomas jefferson, one of jefferson's vice president and he's also one of madison's vice president so the north and south team of massachusetts and virginia is important in the answer to question, he's the last founder, he strengthens the judiciary, he's a washington man, a hamilton man continental list he finds a partner from another region, they together an impressive team just as washington and hamilton and madison and jefferson. >> i think it's fair to say both of us if we are n

with jefferson. and when people are concerned about. peter: will came in sacramento follows up on that in a sense in erher question is your thoughtsn removal of the statutes of a prominent confederate grade. annette: a bit on the record to say that ion don't see any reasn why there should be statutes of confederate and public spaces. inn america. so not desert racial question. people fight against the united states of america to try to destroy the united states of america. the battlefields and coming up in gettysburg and everybody's mind, and pittsburgh as well, and the battlefield is one thing in cemeteries is one thing but public squares, i think when you can talk about reconciliation, you can't we can't make that choice for the people who were killed who died during that war. and there's the values of confederacy which are announcing his constitution and cornerstone speech of alexander stephens of the vice president that essentially well is says in fact, africans were meant to be enslaved rated th

jefferson and lincoln monroe. many guys on june 28, 1836 and henry david decides to move the clamps on my going out to bolden on july 4th, 1845. so it really was on the right day but we made the right to celebrate his coming for appropriately because the room we had decided it okay. jane: what a the questions that are coming in from my view that your questions in the q&a box. we have someone who is asking you for you to keep a perspective on how do you think about today's supreme court decision that upheld the arizona restrictions on voting. anything congress would perceive that. joseph: . joseph: will beifficulto answer, the founders in their original formulations in philadelphia in 1787, did not believe this was cream. that is to say the notion of the ruling in ways that had authority over all of the states did not exist, comes into existence later john marshall be in the process. so the first reaction would have been, is and why are you doing it. in the second that i have i think the founders would be surprised

in the papers of thomas jefferson. annette gordan-reed has been our guest here on booktv the past two hours we very much appreciate your time. >> thank you for inviting me. in ground zero those that were black power as clyburn says to me in the film. it was called negro country. that there was a sizable community and the ame church the first like to nomination by richard allen and formally from 1860. so in charleston is the manual church a man was accused of plotting and insurrection in charleston. because this is one of the ironies of american history and the complexity of slavery. he was an enslavement 1799 and play the lottery like you play at the grocery store and he wins $1500. and he uses 1600 of the $1500 to buy his own freedom from his so-called owners. after 1800 and in 1822. and with that insurrection in charleston. and then was executed. the church was completely destroyed. sensitivity is not even the right word because the haitians have the army of napoleon bonaparte and then to reinstitute slavery. >> and

that is why jefferson named a school after jefferson. i don't see any purpose i would not say saying jefferson hemming school solves the problem the issue was that he is a person who has such an effect on so many aspects of american history that it's kind of hard to move him to the side in a way. i am for in that situation, you name that to keep that name if you want. on the other hand jefferson himself said the earth belongs to the living and every generation of people has a right to pick their heroes. if you want to renamets your school or somebody today is doing something you think represents your generation, represents your place better he would probably say and i would say is will do that. i would not see it as imperative the d naming we call it versus renaming. jefferson hemmings i would not be opposed to it i don't think it solves a problem with jefferson what people are concerned about with jefferson as a slaveholder. stu went kate in sacramento follows up on that then, her question is your thoughts on removal of statues prominen

>> as a young person i adore jefferson and was skeptical of hamilton. you and other people change my ideas around sure now and that brooke kaiser as much as anyone change my idea about hamilton and if that rises and there is a false correspondent but if you ask me at age 20 and college i would say if i'm lucky enough ever to have a son i will name him jefferson. so my views have changed. especially the young jefferson is such an idealist he dreams of a world that could be better. he is the architect of the northwest ordinance to propose initially to end slavery not only in the northwest but all western territories. and he dreams of an america that's open to help smart kids who are not born privileged to rise because of their native ability and aptitude. he inspires ordinary people with his belief in ordinary people and for all of his impressive attributes from the geostrategic perspective he says a lothe of silly things truthfully but he tends to do smart things and one of the smartest things he ever does is double the land mass of the united states whi

>> well jefferson of course did not write the first amendment. the first amendment was with drafted by what james madison, but working with the committee was. so jefferson was in france at the time of the drafting of the bill of rights, so did not play a direct role in that. but i think it is understood that the virginia statute for religious freedom played a major role in shaping the first amendment was. particularly the two first clauses of the first amendment, clauses -- with congress shall make no law restricting the establishment of religion nor abridging the free exercise thereof. >> i thought you did that very gracefully without pushing back hard at all. so this is a question for doctor will can's. how does the idea of separation of church and state relate to freedom of religion? >> what can i first just speak to that question -- was to her? >> the most profound change that has come about, you can hear from reading -- we read from jefferson and medicine, they assumed a world in which people believed in god. we now are living in a world in

and that statute was authored by thomas jefferson. he first wrote the text of the bill around 1777, which means he wrote it around the same time as of course he famously drafted the declaration of independence. and then he kept trying to get it through the virginia assembly over many years. it was introduced formally in 1779, but it was not passed until 1786, a number of years later. thomas jefferson was enormously proud of the statute for religious freedom. if you visit his epithet in monticello, virginia, you'll notice that there are three items on his epithet, one that he was the author of the declaration of independence, the founder of the university of virginia and the third is that he was the author of the act concerning religious freedom. he does not include that he was president of the united states or ambassador to france. or any of the other enormously important things that he was. he was most proud among two or three other accomplishments of the fact that he was the author of the act for religious freedom, and we know, too

and jefferson takes care of the committee to pick the winning design. it appears jefferson submits his own design anonymously and then picks up. what jefferson didn't know is even though he said here's the design when it went to washington, he said no, we are going to pick it. 1790, solidified or codified, the capitol would be in virginia for ten years later and meanwhile it would be philadelphia while they built the city eventually named for george washington, that's the residence act of 1790. george washington blank political chest mass, flipping about, he but he did. washington strategically picked a couple of members of congress and met with him personally and flipped every single vote and get his vote needed. washington would play it, washington not only helps location of the capitol and picks the architect of the president's house, washington felt survey the land, washington helps the plots and raised money and helps decide what buildings would go in it so washington, washington, washington. it is his near obsession so washington fixit, a great se

so he plays jefferson and madison. ultimately jefferson wants a simple federal breakdown of only a few acres, so hamilton agrees they could have a design contest. jefferson to chair the committee that picks the winning design. it appears jefferson submits his own design anonymously for a little breakdown and then fix it. what jefferson did know was even though he said here's the design, when it went to washington, washington said nope, we're going to pick my romanesque capital, so there you go. the residence act of 1790 solidified or codified the spring compromise. the capital would be in virginia but ten years later, in the meanwhile it would be in philadelphia while the have to build this city would eventually be named for george washington, and that's the residence act of 1790. the boats on a lot of these difficult measures fail and you use george washington playing political chess match. when washington wanted to flip a vote, you bet he did. washington strategically picked a couple of members of congress, met with

i write about jefferson. but then memoir part i understand many have that particular view many people call me doctor gordon reed. i am not a doctor. even away dom not have the phd i am a juris doctor. i wrote my book so i am just professor or ms. gordon reed or and that depending on how well you know me. host: and the next call for annette gordon reed is from maine. go ahead. >>caller: i missed part of the program so i am not repeating the question of someone else. i'm a maryland public schools schoolteacher i'm upset by the controversial 168 team project in the pulitzer organization offering $5000 to underpaid school teacherss to teach whatever that is supposed to be. i would like her opinion. >> i know this is a controversial subject for people. i don't know about the paying people program. but it is a point of discussion. the 1519 project from what i have read, is a number of essays, not just one i know the lead essay cause problems for ape number of people that they thought it wass problematic but i think

now, jefferson was a child of the enlightenment. he knew the significance of enlightenment through exploration, that people on the ground seen things and writing them down and recording those would be very valuable for science. and so his attempts to explore what became the united states are legendary. these are just three of the attempts that he made. first was to george rogers clark in a letter that we just read. he was a military soldier who had won in campaigns during the american revolution. and he said that he wanted him to lead this expedition, and clark replied that he was not in very good health, but if he decided to do it in the future, he should think about asking his little brother william who will eventually join the lewis and clark expedition, so that's pretty cool. the second was john ledyard. this explorer had an interesting idea that you could explore the western part of the americas by coming from russia. and so he actually tried to cross russia and go through kamchatka and alaska and the coast. but he was stopped

jefferson proposes they pick the winning design. he picks his own design basicallyss which is probably submitted anonymously. but what he doesn't realize is when he takes that to hamilton f and washington, washington says no we are going with mine. so bringing to a close i think washington has many extraordinary legacies and as david noted, winning those important elections even at the local level and deciding at the convention in 17872 terms to step down both as general and as president created some remarkable customs and part of the greatness isn't what he did not do but i think what he did is forge the capital city and for the life of me, you know washington wasn't in o the equation we don't have that strong glorious capital and the questions i discussed earlier about whether the government would long and dewar i think can be rethought and be totally different and of course there was consideration as to what we should name the capital city and everybody knew one of the ideas was washington. i'm nerdy enough to say that it's scary

in the end jefferson is going to let you down because jefferson believed african-americans were inherently inferior. if you want to look through the prism of race jefferson is not going to look very good. if you look through the prism of freedom of speech, religious toleration, belief in the ordinary human mind he will look very good indeed but you have to develop an affinity for paradox and irony and that is something that comes later in life. >> host: one of our listeners wants to know was there any way the founders could have adopted the slavery issue given the timemes? >> guest: she's asking the question i keep asking myself every day. the succinct summary of where i am, those who share the concern. these are two tragedies, the failure to resolve the native american question with justice and failure to end slavery. in one sense american history is morally resolved but on the other hand, where they greek tragedies or shakespearean tragedies. greek -- the will of the gods, it is embedded, unavoidable, no amount of leadership could have changed it or is it a shakespearean tragedy. my judg

the dinner party was between jefferson, madison and hamilton. madison and jefferson were allies, anti-federalist. hamilton was their nemesis as a federalist . they have 2 big issues they're trying to contend with. one is where should the capital city be and the other issue is how should it look, should webuild it . should it be a town or a glorious romanesque capital. the other argument was debt assumption. we were in debt after the war so jefferson calls for the dinner party . he and madison will team up and defeat hamilton. what would happen at that dinner party was they would resolve all these issues. they would decide basically where the capital would be and hamilton would end up playing epperson and madison like a guitar. he played victim and got everything he wanted.on the debt virginia said we're not paying our debt the south didn't want to pay the debt . hamilton wanted the debt to be paid so he surrenders and said you don't have to pay your debt. little did jefferson and madison know if the south is not going to pay its debt what that m

he thought of the redone so he placed jefferson and madison and ultimately, jefferson wants a simple federal brick town of only a few acres. so hamilton agrees that they can have a contest. and jefferson could share the committee of the winning design and it appears that jefferson cements his own design anonymously for a little town and then he picks it. when jefferson didn't know was even though he said here's the design, that he went to washington and washington said, no, were going to pick the rope and is capitol so there you go. and the 1790, solidified our this, rising capitol would be in virginia, but ten years later, in the meanwhile in the interim it would be while they have to build the city that eventually would be name for george washington. 1790 in the folks a lot of these difficult measures failed in here you see george washington playing political chess. when washington wanted to have the most, he did in washington strategically picked a couple of members of congress met with him personally and flipped everything about to get the votes he needed to get his capitol city.

jefferson and madison against hamilton. they have to resolve a couple of pressing issues, just two among them. one would be the location of the capital. and the other one would be the question of the debt as they called it, federal debt assumption. where should the capital be? hamilton wants it in new york, at one point in the north. jefferson wanted it in the south. the south would walk if they didn't get it in the south. jefferson and madison wanted their beloved virginia. leading adams and others to joke only in virginia are all geese swans, right? so to jefferson and madison's surprise, it seems that -- we don't have a lot of sources for this. we have secondary sources. jefferson would later write a reimagined version of this meeting trying to put himself in favorable light. he would later admit that when he realized hamilton duped him, it was the worst moment of his political life because he didn't like hamilton. hamilton agrees that the capital goes in virginia, the south, jefferson and madison couldn't believe it, bu

jefferson and madison went in the south and virginia. they did not know what hamilton knew that george washington already decided the capital should be in virginia near his home. hamilton gave up the capital would be there and something that was already done so he plays jefferson and madison and ultimately jefferson once a simple town of only a few week or so hamilton agrees so now jefferson submits his own design anonymously and then picks it but he didn't know that it went to washington and washington said no but with the 1790 to solidify or codify the spring compromise the capital is in virginia but then ten years later meanwhile in the interim in philadelphia while they build the city that his name for washington and that is the residence act of 1790. but votes fail and here you see washington playing political chess master. if you wanted to flip the book vote washington strategically picked members of congress and that with them personally and would flip every single vote to get the votes he needed. washington not only picks the loc

as john locke and thomas jefferson both said. there's what both locke and jefferson called real or true happiness, which tends to be a kind of spiritual consequence of achieving certain long-term goals and values. of course there's short-term happiness, which is a kind of physical pleasure, all right, the pleasure, the happiness that you get from eating a good steak or having ice cream, but that's not really what's being meant here. the pursuit of happiness means the pursuit and the achievement of one's highest values. now, let me just add one important point here. in a sense, the most interesting word is pursuit. you have the pursuit of happiness. you don't have a right to happiness, per se, only a right to pursue it, and jefferson and all of the other founding fathers understood this to the pursuit of happiness. to have a profound moral component to it. the pursuit of happiness for certainly jefferson and adams meant to have, to employ, certain virtues. in other words, there was a profound connection for jefferson and the ameri

and the last thing that adam said was thomas jefferson still lives and actually jefferson had died earlier. later monroe dies on july 4th 1831 madison's trying to make it a quartet but he misses he dies on june 28th. 1836 um henry david thoreau decides to really put the clamps on it by going out to walden on july 4th 1845. so it really wasn't the right date, but we've made it the right date and we celebrate this coming forth appropriately because the founders and their own way have decided to make it. okay. what a great story now. which return to the comments that are the questions that are coming in from the from the listeners and i remind you put your questions in the q&a box. we have someone who is asking for you to give a perspective on how do you think about today's supreme court decision that upheld the arizona restrictions on voting? how do you think the founders would have? perceive that um that's going to be difficult to answer. the founders in their original formulation in philadelphia in 1787 didn't believe the supreme court was supreme. that is to say the notion of the supreme

jeffersons role town as he called it. just a few acres, single-story brick buildings separated by fields of woods and forests. think of the architecture of politics. or the politics of architecture. if the federalgovernment is just a couple small brick buildings in the states are supreme . there's not a challenge to the institution of slavery. if you have a greatand glorious role on the potomac , then the federal government is absolving the power and that could change the equation so washington really challenges his fellow southerners enand the jeffersonian model in envisioning this brand-new incredible capital macity. now, furthermore washington's cognizant of and i think one of the biggest surprises for me and all this is you know you don't think of washington as a deep thinker or philosophically bent and he oftentimes wasn't. he learned his life lessons in surveying and fighting indians and what was then the wilderness . but washington realizes we have a brand-new heretofore unknown system of government. we're going to

that's a hard mystery of jefferson's. what did he mean? of course the easy way is to decide it simply isn't true. it may not be. i heard a fellow say so. but never mind. the welsh man got it planted where it will trouble us a thousand years. and i think that's exactly right. if you look at all subsequent american history from the time of the declaration of independence until today, what i think you will find is that all of, all of the intellectual and certainly all of the political debates in this country for 235 years have basically in one way or another been a debate over how to interpret the core principles of the declaration of independence. in particular, the self-evident truth of equality and the self-evident truth of rights and just here now today in the united states in 2019, the political controversiesf this country today at the deepest philosophic level really come down to those two concepts, to those two self-evident truths -- equality and rights. and like the revolutionary generation of 1776, it's, i think, your responsibility

jefferson's federal town as he called it a few acres. single-story brick buildings separated by fields and woods and forests. think of the architecture of politics or the politics of architecture. at the federal government is just a couple small brick building the states are supreme. there is not a challenge with the institution of slavery. give a great and glorious rome on the potomac then the federal government has power that could change the equation. so washington really challenges his fellow southerners in the jeffersonian model in envisioning this brand-new incredible capitol city. furthermore washington is cognizant of he learned his life lesson serving and fighting indians in what was then the wilderness, washington realizes seat we have a brand-new unknown system of government. we are going to create a brand-new capitol and they are going to grow up together. and that capitol city will influence the development of this new nation in countless ways paid which i think is just an extraordinary way of thinking about it. and again i'

the strongest federal government jefferson wanted a weaker federal government but by hamilton giving of that. and that hamilton gets everything that he wants then the second cap question is where the b-uppercase-letter? they wanted it in the south and virginia but they didn't know and what they already decided that the capital should be in virginia so hamilton said it would be there and then he placed jefferson and madison that ultimately jefferson once a simple federal town and then it appears that he submits his own design anonymously but what jefferson didn't know but washington said no so there you go so then in 1790 to solidify the state compromise the capital is in virginia but ten years later and then meanwhile that would be in philadelphia while they have to build the city eventually named for george washington the attack is 1790 but those on these difficult measures fail and here you see george washington pay political chess match he wanted to flip the vote he strategically picked a couple of members of congress and flipped every single vote to get the votes he needed to get