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The famous, unresolved question "Who discovered America?" is still one that we Americans still ask ourselves. But when we think of explorers, we should also think of those who explored and shaped our institutions. One of our most notable "explorers" is Henry Clay. Dr. Jacob Wood, Editorial Specialist at the Kentucky Historical Society, discusses the significance and impact of one of America's most notable political leaders. We even delve into the connection between Clay and Lincoln! Check out the Kentucky Historical Society website and make a visit to the state capital of Frankfort! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Adoption of the Declaration of Independence could not simply appear out of nowhere, so it must be proposed as part of a resolution. Which signer proposed the resolution that led to the most notable document in American history? Learn how Richard Henry Lee, a Signer who grew up under difficult circumstances, developed his character for defying authority and became one of the most passionate supporters for independence. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

When most people think of environmental protection in this day and age of volatile weather and political climate, they think of government interventionism, coercion, and agencies. But with the right incentives, is government always the answer? Or are there solutions that make economic and sustainability sense to foster environmental stewardship instead of coercion? We are delighted to be joined by Hannah Downey, Associate VP of Policy at PERC, and Gabriella Hoffman, a freelance journalist and podcast host. They share with us the many ways American policymakers can use market-based incentives to achieve realistic energy outcomes and make citizens want to participate and protect the environment. Learn more about PERC at perc.org! Check out Gabriella's podcast District of Conservation! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Watch this video episode on our YouTube channel! Happy Constitution Day the year of America's 250th birthday! He was only one of six Signers to place his signature on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  He is the man who was one of the major architects of our federal government.  He became arguably the biggest defender of democracy among the Founders. And yet, his name has been largely forgotten. His name is not Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, or Franklin.  His name is James Wilson, the Founding Father you have never heard of before. Jesse Wegman, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center and a former NYT opinion columnist, shares his fascination of Wilson and his contributions, oddities, and even survival from a mob attack. Hear how Wilson's arguments and contributions shaped the Constitution and made a lasting impact on the country we call home today. Get your copy of The Lost Founder! Check out Jesse's website at jessewegman.com! Follow Jesse on his Substack "Major Questions with Jesse Wegman"! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Thank you to the guests who joined our show in the past year! Here's to another incredible year of content in our 7th season of podcasting! Before our Constitution was even drafted, the Founding Fathers wanted to create a seal that represented the new country and its ideals. How easy or difficult was it to create the famous design? Learn how a largely forgotten Founder Charles Thomson helped finalize the Seal of the United States that has been a fixture representing our country and principles for about a quarter of a millennium! Music credits:  Strauss, Johann. “Blue Danube" 2017. YouTube Music. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=5F--6fDrE-o&si=A8F_V8dt1w8BVfIz. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

A quarter of a century ago, we lost the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia on September 11, 2001. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked and crashed four commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center (WTC), the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, PA. Since that day, several thousand have tragically died from 9/11-related illnesses, with tens of thousands today still battling those illnesses. One of those survivors and firefighters is here today to share his 9/11 story. Joe Torrillo, a retired 25-year FDNY lieutenant from Brooklyn, spent the first fifteen years of his firefighting career at Engine Company #10 directly across the South Tower of the WTC. By the Grace of God, he survived the collapse of the South Tower and then the North Tower, resulting in life-long injuries. Hear how Joe reflects on 9/11 as we remember those we lost 25 years ago. Please visit Joe's website to learn more about his work: joetorrillo.com Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Watch the YouTube version HERE! You might have heard the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword." So who "wrote" the Revolution and has been considered the Penman of the American Revolution? John Dickinson was the man behind many critical pillars of our country's founding, and some believe he has been forgotten for too long. Dr. Jane Calvert, author and scholar who runs the John Dickinson Writings Project, is at the forefront of illuminating Dickinson's legacy today. Hear how Dickinson's political wit and penmanship made this Founding Father a celebrity of his time and a brilliant thinker behind the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about Jane Calvert at her website drjanecalvert.org! Click here to purchase her book Penman of the Founding on Amazon! Support the work of the John Dickinson Writings Project at jdproject.org! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

What do famous names like Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Marshall have in common? They all had a common teacher who became the first signatory from the Commonwealth of Virginia to sign the Declaration: George Wythe. Learn how Wythe's influence shaped the Signers and how the Virginian became one of the premier minds of the law during his time. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Click here to watch this episode on YouTube! Several big names have defined the Supreme Court: John Marshall, Roger Taney, Earl Warren, Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,... But there is another Justice who has arguably been one of the most influential in the past 20+ years: Justice Samuel Alito. From his new book Revenge For the Sixties, award-winning journalist and former executive director of POLITICO Peter Canellos shares the fascinating upbringing, philosophy, and style that made Justice Alito a pioneer of the conservative legal movement. He also provides a preview of his other book about another interesting Justice named John Marshall Harlan, who notably was the lone dissenter in Plessy v. Ferguson. This is a fascinating topic for everyone interested in the Supreme Court and our judiciary system! Get Peter's new book Revenge For the Sixties! Check out Peter's other book about John Marshall Harlan The Great Dissenter! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

What was it like to run a congressional campaign for the first time? And what were the biggest takeaways and lessons from that experience? Sherman shares a preview of the experiences and lessons on the campaign trail in one of the largest congressional districts in the country. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Hollywood is arguably the most recognizable brand of American movies. But in the last couple of decades, something else has increasingly dominated American domination of the movie industry: the Chinese Communist Party. How can America reclaim American-made Hollywood movies? Chris Fenton, a former Hollywood film producer of 21 films grossing a total of more than $2 billion, shares insight into the growing dilemma between Hollywood and Beijing. He is now featuring a new movie Bad Counselors that brings back American-made cinema to U.S. movie screens! Great opportunity for the whole family! www.badcounselors.com Tickets on sale: June 16. Movie is released: July 22. Official Trailer YouTube: LINK Download Vertical Trailer: LINK Download Horizontal Trailer: LINK Download Key Art Post: LINK X: @TheDragonFeeder IG: @Feeding.The.Dragon Podcast:   PLATE & PONDER: Empty-Nesting w/ Jen & Chris Fenton:   https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plate-ponder-empty-nesting-with-jen-chris-fenton/id1846746779  Chris's book:   https://feedingthedragonbook.com/ Chris's company:  https://fenton-ibsc.com/ Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE! Happy 250th birthday to the United States of America! Hope you all enjoy the Independence Day weekend! 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by 56 brave signers. While everyone can agree on the significance of that day, 'division' seems to describe all of American politics these days. Just like much of American history, even the issue of independence itself was a divisive issue.  But does division inherently mean dysfunction? Or can the division over the meaning of our Declaration result in progress? Previewing their new book Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America, Bill of Rights Institute (BRI) President and CEO David Bobb and BRI Senior Fellow Tony Williams offer insight on how the Declaration has kept its vibrant significance for 250 years. Hear how the Declaration may give us a sense of where our country may go in the next 250 years and beyond. Learn more about the Bill of Rights Institute: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/ Purchase a copy of their book on Amazon! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

As the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll made strong stances on the role of public service. How did he handle ad hominem attacks from a prominent Loyalist? Learn how Carroll's stance on religion and public office and his choice of argumentative style made him a prominent Marylander. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

Sports are important activities that teach life skills to countless people every day. But when politics enters the arena, the integrity of sports is in the balance. In recent years, there have been instances of biological men self-identifying as female, prompting many to be concerned about the future of female sports. This episode is an opportunity to hear from two young volleyball players, Kendall Lewis and Sia Liilii, and their experiences standing up for their teammates and fellow female athletes. Hear how they are responding with action to uphold Title IX and protect women's sports. Check out Kendall's article in the Reno Gazette-Journal! Follow Kendall on X @Kendall7704655! Follow Sia on Instagram @s.yeaah and on X @SiaLiilii! Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.

The history of free speech in American history can be told in many ways. But perhaps none as crazy as this one, which happened while George Washington was alive. Hear how Matthew Lyon's story can teach us about free speech and why restrictions on free speech can truly backfire. Support the show Visit georgewashingtoninstitute.org to sign up for our e-mail list! The site is the one-stop shop of all things Friends & Fellow Citizens and George Washington Institute! JOIN as a Patreon supporter and receive a FREE Friends & Fellow Citizens mug at the $25 membership level! IMPORTANT NOTE/DISCLAIMER: All views expressed by the host are presented in his personal capacity and do not officially represent the views of any affiliated organizations. All views presented by guests are solely those of the interviewees themselves and may or may not represent the views of their affiliated organizations, the host, Friends & Fellow Citizens, and/or The George Washington Institute.