Monthly Archives: May 2020

3.17 – Source Notes



Special thanks to Jonny Langton of the Kings and Queens Podcast for providing the intro quote for this episode! You can find his podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Anchor.fm!

Special thanks to Alex for providing audio editing assistance with this episode!

  • Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997 [1996].
  • Balinky, Alexander. Albert Gallatin: Fiscal Theories and Policies. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1958.
  • Brighton, Ray. The Checkered Career of Tobias Lear. Portsmouth, NH: Portsmouth Marine Society, 1985.
  • Eppes, John Wayles. “To Thomas Jefferson, 14 April 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0142. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 190–191.] [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]
  • “Eppes, John Wayles (1773-1823).” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=E000197. [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]
  • Gaines, William H, Jr. Thomas Mann Randolph: Jefferson’s Son-in-Law. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1966.
  • Gallatin, Albert. “To Thomas Jefferson, 21 March 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0074. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 91–94.] [Last Accessed: 21 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “First Annual Message [8 Dec 1801].” Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/202536. [Last Accessed: 15 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “Second Annual Message, 15 December 1802,” Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/202594. [Last Accessed: 15 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “To Albert Gallatin, 28 March 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0092. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 111–112.] [Last Accessed: 15 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “To Samuel J. Cabell, 25 April 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0194. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 269–270.] [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “To Lewis Harvie, 28 May 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0333. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 442–443.] [Last Accessed: 26 Apr 2020]
  • Jefferson, Thomas. “To Meriwether Lewis, 16 November 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-42-02-0005-0001. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 42, 16 November 1803–10 March 1804, ed. James P. McClure. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016, pp. 6–9.] [Last Accessed: 27 Apr 2020]
  • Kierner, Cynthia A. Martha Jefferson Randolph, Daughter of Monticello: Her Life and Times. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
  • Lambert, Frank. The Barbary Wars: American Independence in the Atlantic World. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007 [2005].
  • Landry, Jerry. The Presidencies of the United States. 2017-2020. http://presidencies.blubrry.com.
  • Lewis, Meriwether. “To Thomas Jefferson, 3 October 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-41-02-0342. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 41, 11 July–15 November 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014, pp. 463–468.] [Last Accessed: 27 Apr 2020]
  • Malone, Dumas. Jefferson the President First Term, 1801-1805: Jefferson and His Time, Volume Four. Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1970.
  • McKee, Christopher. Edward Preble: A Naval Biography, 1761-1807. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1996 [1972].
  • Randolph, Thomas Mann. “To Thomas Jefferson, 29 April 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0213. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 284–285.] [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]
  • Randolph, Thomas Mann. “To Thomas Jefferson, 22 May 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0317. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 416–417.] [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]
  • Randolph, Thomas Mann. “To Thomas Jefferson 10 June 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0391. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 523–524.] [Last Accessed: 28 Apr 2020]

Featured Image: “Alexander Murray” [c. 1798], courtesy of Wikipedia


3.17 – Sailing in New Waters



Year(s) Discussed: 1802-1803

Despite some early successes, the US naval efforts against Tripoli languished in 1802 and early 1803, and with the cost of maintaining a squadron in the Mediterranean climbing, President Jefferson and his administration had to consider alternates in both leadership and approaches to tackle the situation. Meanwhile, various young men in Jefferson’s life moved into new roles in 1803, and the President’s personal and political realms began to overlap in new ways. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Image: “Dutch Ships off Tripoli” by Reinier Nooms [c. mid 17th century], courtesy of Wikipedia

Intro and Outro Music: Selections from “Jefferson and Liberty” as performed by The Itinerant Band


Chervinsky Source Notes



Lindsay Chervinsky’s website where you can check out some of her other appearances on film and other podcasts, sign up for her monthly newsletter, or purchase a copy of The Cabinet.

The White House Historical Association has great articles and online resources for learning about presidential history including Washington’s tenure of office.

In case you missed the Washington series of this podcast, all episodes are available to stream through the website or for download on your podcast app of choice.

Featured Images: “William Bradford, Attorney General” by William E Winner [c. 1872], courtesy of Wikipedia, and cover image of The Cabinet, courtesy of the author


Interview with Lindsay Chervinsky



Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1809

George Washington established many precedents during his tenure of office, but one that had arguably the greatest impact was his establishment, not by law but by practice, of what we now know of as the Cabinet. To examine the beginnings of this institution and what it meant for the Washington presidency, I am joined in this special episode by Lindsay Chervinsky, a historian with the White House Historical Association and author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. In our conversation, Lindsay provided great insights into Washington’s thought process in turning to the Cabinet as an advisory body as well as how the events and culture of the 1790s influenced the development of the executive branch. Additional resources for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Images: Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ph.D., courtesy of the author, and “Henry Knox” by Gilbert Stuart [c. 1806], courtesy of Wikipedia