Tag Archives: Margaret Bayard Smith

4.03 – The Call of My Country

March 13, 202204 - James MadisonAlbert Gallatin, Benjamin Latrobe, Caesar Rodney, Dolley Madison, Election of 1808, George Clinton, Gideon Granger, Henry Dearborn, Isaac Coles, James Madison, John Marshall, Margaret Bayard Smith, Paul Hamilton, Robert Smith, Samuel Smith, Thomas Jefferson, US House, US Senate, US Supreme Court, Washington DC, William Branch Giles, William Duane, William Eustis, Wilson Cary Nicholaspresidencies

Year(s) Discussed: 1809

Though James Madison was seen as being Thomas Jefferson’s successor, it became clear starting with his inauguration that his presidency would be different from his predecessor’s, for better or worse. While the public got to see a more festive social tone as set by Dolley Madison, behind the scenes, the president struggled to get political support for a key Cabinet nomination. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Image: “James Madison” by David Erwin [c. 1809-1817], courtesy of Wikipedia

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

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3.285 – The Two Marthas

April 4, 202103 - Thomas JeffersonAlbert Gallatin, Andrew Jackson, Dolley Madison, James Madison, Margaret Bayard Smith, Martha Jefferson Randolph, Martin Van Buren, Nicholas Trist, Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Mann Randolph, Washington DCpresidencies

Year(s) Discussed: 1748-1836

Studies of Thomas Jefferson’s life often discuss the impact of the two Marthas – his wife, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, and his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph – on him, but few studies examine matters with the focus on the lives of the two women. While our knowledge of Martha Jefferson is limited, in this episode, we sift through the fragments of what we know about her before shifting to her daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph. In addition to the narrative, part of the episode features an interview with a special guest, Dr. Cynthia A. Kierner, whose biography of Martha is an invaluable resource for learning more about a person who was educated in Paris and mingled with presidents and political leaders but is far too often relegated to the background of history. Her life has much to tell us about the role of women and families in the early republic as well as in US presidential history. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Images: “Martha Jefferson Randolph” by Thomas Sully, courtesy of Wikipedia, and “Silhouette of Martha Jefferson,” courtesy of Wikipedia

Transition Intro and Outro Music: Samples from “Bread,” prod. by LuKremBo

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3.11 – Making Plans for Monroe

January 20, 2020UncategorizedCharles Pinckney, Dolley Madison, France, Haitian Revolution, Henri Christophe, James Madison, James Monroe, James Wilkinson, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, John Jay, John Randolph of Roanoke, John Wayles Eppes, Louisiana, Manuel de Godoy, Margaret Bayard Smith, Martha Jefferson Randolph, Meriwether Lewis, Napoleon Bonaparte, New Orleans, Samuel Harrison Smith, Spain, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Mann Randolph, Thomas McKean, Tobias Lear, William C C Claibornepresidencies

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1803

As continued resistance in Saint-Domingue threatens French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte’s plans to take control of Louisiana, President Jefferson works to keep tempers cool on the domestic front while turning to a trusted ally, James Monroe, to find a permanent solution to the New Orleans situation. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Image: “Engraved BEP portrait of U.S. President James Monroe,” courtesy of Wikipedia

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

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3.03 – The Revolution of 1800

September 15, 201903 - Thomas JeffersonAaron Burr, Albert Gallatin, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Stoddert, Chancellor Robert Livingston, Democratic-Republican Party, Election of 1800, Henry Dearborn, James A Bayard, John Marshall, Levi Lincoln, Margaret Bayard Smith, Samuel Dexter, Thomas Jefferson, US Supreme Courtpresidencies

Year(s) Discussed: 1800-1801

As Jefferson assumed office and Democratic-Republicans took control of the federal government in March 1801, new leaders emerged while others exited the stage or moved to the periphery. The new administration would get its start still dealing with the aftermath of the recent contentious election, and the new President had to weigh, with his words and his first decisions, how to balance his obligations to his party and the best interests of the nation. Sources used for this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Image: “Election Day in Philadelphia” by John Lewis Krimmel [c. 1815], courtesy of Wikipedia

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2.23 – The Double-Edged Sword

June 8, 201902 - John AdamsAbigail Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Democratic-Republican Party, Federalists, France, James Callendar, James McHenry, John Adams, John Marshall, Margaret Bayard Smith, Samuel Harrison Smith, Thomas Pinckney, US Supreme Court, Washington DCpresidencies

Year(s) Discussed: 1796-1800

As the new federal capital comes alive with government officials and newspaper publishers moving in to be on hand for the congressional session opening in November 1800, President Adams waits with the rest of the nation to learn the results of electors being chosen across the United States. His path to reelection however grows ever darker due to a dispute with his running mate’s brother and a pamphlet released by Alexander Hamilton. Sources used in this episode can be found at http://presidencies.blubrry.com.

Featured Image: “General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney” by James Earl [c. 1795], courtesy of Wikipedia

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Presidencies of the United States

A journey through presidential history from the beginning to the present day

Tag Archives: Margaret Bayard Smith

4.03 – The Call of My Country

3.285 – The Two Marthas

3.11 – Making Plans for Monroe

3.03 – The Revolution of 1800

2.23 – The Double-Edged Sword