"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." These words, penned by Thomas Jefferson more than 240 years ago, continue to inspire many Americans. And yet they were written by a man who owned hundreds of slaves, and fathered six children by an enslaved woman. As we mark Independence Day this week, we return to a 2018 episode wit ... Show More
Mar 9
Yuck! The Science of Disgust
Disgust is a strong emotion, one designed by evolution to protect us from danger and diseases. But disgust also spills into other areas of our lives, influencing our morals, our intuitions about right and wrong, even our politics. We talk with psychologist David Pizarro about how ... Show More
1h 37m
Oct 2022
The Truth About Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings
November 5, 1998. Using DNA evidence, the scientific journal Nature publishes findings that put to rest a centuries-old mystery: Was Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello, the mother of six of Thomas Jefferson’s children? Until then, the historical consensus had been thi ... Show More
37m 51s
Jul 2018
Revolution | The Free Man | 5
<p>The Revolution was fought for freedom, at least in name. Calls for freedom filled the air. No taxation without representation! Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!</p><p>The Marquis de Lafayette, who had fought valiantly at Washington's side throughout the war, spoke fo ... Show More
35m 57s
Oct 2023
The Contradictions of Abraham Lincoln
In 1855, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to his best friend, Joshua Speed. Speed was from a wealthy, slave-owning Kentucky family; Lincoln believed slavery was wrong. You are mistaken about this, Lincoln wrote to Speed. But, differ we must." One way for Lincoln to have dealt with ... Show More
49m 16s
Jun 2023
Words Count For Nothing | Take A Walk
<p>Today the United States celebrates Juneteenth, the commemoration of the emancipation of slaves in America. Two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and nearly 90 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Union Army troops deploye ... Show More
8m 2s
Mar 2024
The Founding Fathers of the US
The founding of the United States on July 4th, 1776, changed the world, and inspired other colonies to control their own destinies. The men responsible for writing and signing the Declaration of Independence - the Founding Fathers - have gone down in history as legends, with an a ... Show More
58m 39s