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Every episode
In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan
13 episodes
Millard Fillmore Kicks the Can Down the Road
Aug 11, 2026 · 24 min
Vice President Millard Fillmore never expected to be president, but Zachary Taylor's death in 1850 thrust him into the White House and the national spotlight. So how did the "man of hesitation and double opinions" confront the growing crisis over slavery? Colleen Shogan talks with former congressman Steve Israel about Fillmore's surprising rise, his contradictory opinions, and the compromises that hastened the coming of the civil war. Steve Israel served as a congressman from New York from 2001…
James K. Polk Manifests A Destiny
Jul 28, 2026 · 27 min
By some measure, James K. Polk is among the most successful presidents in American history. But what were the costs of his many achievements? Colleen Shogan talks with Matthew Costello about the nation’s first dark horse presidential candidate, his ambitions for western expansion, and the triumphs that set the United States on a path toward civil war. Featuring Matthew Costello, Ph.D., is Chief Education Officer, the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation Chair in White House History and director of the D…
In Pursuit Recommends: History Daily: The Death of Alexander Hamilton
Jul 21, 2026 · 17 min
As a special treat for In Pursuit listeners, we're thrilled to bring you an episode of History Daily from our friends at Noiser and Air Ship. Hosted by public historian Lindsay Graham, the series tells fascinating stories about what happened “on this day” in history. Today, we're going back to July 12, 1804, when American founding father, Alexander Hamilton, died from a fatal wound he suffered during a duel with his longtime adversary, Aaron Burr. History Daily releases new episodes every weekda…
William Henry Harrison Delivers a Warning
Jul 14, 2026 · 29 min
Why did William Henry Harrison fear for the nation's future? Colleen Shogan talks with Sharon McMahon about Old Tippecanoe's life as a soldier and politician, the ominous message of the longest inaugural address in American history, and the choices that cut short Harrison's time as president. Featuring Sharon McMahon, Civic Educator and author Read McMahon's essay on William Henry Harrison at Inpursuit.org INFO: Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join. Please leave a rating and…
In Pursuit Live: America at 250 Town Hall at the National Constitution Center
Jul 2, 2026 · 52 min
What are the principles at the heart of the American experiment? How have those ideals guided us in the past? And how do they speak to us now as we commemorate 250 years of American independence? On this special live episode of In Pursuit recorded at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Colleen joined Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen, and moderator Robert Costa of CBS News in a wide ranging conversation about how we can connec…
Louisa Catherine Adams Finds Her Voice
Jun 30, 2026 · 20 min
Why did Louisa Catherine Adams feel like a bird trapped in a cage during her time in the White House? Colleen Shogan talks with Louisa Thomas about Adams's dangerous journey from Russia to Paris during the Napoleonic Wars, her complicated marriage to John Quincy, and the freedom she found in writing. Featuring Louisa Thomas, Staff Writer, New Yorker. Read Thomas's essay on Louisa Catherine Adams at Inpursuit.org INFO: Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join. Please leave a ratin…
John Quincy Adams Avoids The Monsters Abroad
Jun 16, 2026 · 25 min
What role did John Quincy Adams believe the United States should play on the world stage? Colleen Shogan talks with Lindsay Chervinsky about Adams the master diplomat, his life in Congress after his term as president, and a career that spanned from the Battle of Bunker Hill to the rise of Abraham Lincoln. Featuring Lindsay Chervinsky, Ph.D., Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. Read Chervinsky's essay on John Quincy Adams at Inpursuit.org INFO: Tell u…
Dolley Madison Takes Command
Jun 2, 2026 · 29 min
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 at Inpursuit.org INFO: Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursu…
The Grand Strategies of James Madison
May 19, 2026 · 29 min
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 at Inpursuit.or…
Thomas Jefferson: Futurist
May 5, 2026 · 22 min
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 Thoma…
Martha Washington's First Steps
Apr 21, 2026 · 28 min
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 at Inpursuit.org. INFO: Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join. Please leave a r…
George Washington Surrenders His Sword
Apr 7, 2026 · 33 min
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 at Inpursuit.org. INFO: Tell us who inspires you: https://…
Introducing In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan
Mar 31, 2026 · 1 min
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, j…
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