Founding Son: John Quincy's America

Latest Episodes:

Introducing — What Happened to Sandra Birchmore: Part 1 Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

In February 2021, 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore is found dead in her apartment in eastern Massachusetts. Officers quickly label the death a suicide. This news confounds her family, because Sandra was pregnant and planning for her future. And they worry about the mystery man she was dating—an older, married cop from her hometown.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. Please take care while listening.

Listen to new episodes of What Happened to Sandra Birchmore every Thursday in the What Happened to Her feed on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Taye Diggs on Trauma, Ambition, and the Discomfort of Sitting Still [from Waking Up With Ryan] Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Ryan sits down with actor Taye Diggs for a deeply personal conversation about the drive to keep achieving — and what happens when you finally stop. Taye opens up about growing up around poverty and abuse, being bullied for his dark skin, and discovering a sense of belonging and possibility through theater. He looks back at joining the original cast of Rent, becoming an unexpected sex symbol in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the ambition that kept him chasing the next level even as his dreams were coming true. They explore how divorce and fatherhood upended the life he thought he had figured out, why even spirituality can become another form of striving, and the possibility that after a lifetime of searching, the next step isn’t another practice or achievement at all. Maybe it’s simply learning to stop, sit with what’s there, and hear the words: “Relax. You’re okay.”

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You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.

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Is Thanksgiving a Feast of Lies?! Separating Myth from Truth Dec 06, 2025

Show notes

We all have that relative that tells us there was actually no green bean casserole at the first Thanksgiving. Yeah, we know, Grandma! But how much do we really know about that first feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians?

Well, a lot. But the story most of us learned in school is completely wrong. Author David J. Silverman, (This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving) joins us to carve up the myths about Turkey Day and serve a nice helping of truth.

In this episode, Bob and David explore the origins of Thanksgiving, from the Wampanoag people’s strategic decision to ally with the English, to Abraham Lincoln’s role in turning that footnoted feast into a national holiday.

Tell your family to turn down the yacht rock and play this episode of American History Hotline as you avoid talking about politics and stir the gravy.

GUEST: David J. Silverman, author of This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving. He has a new book coming out in February of 2026 titled, The Chosen and the Damned: Native Americans and the Making of Race in the United States

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Introducing: American History Hotline with Bob Crawford Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

New show alert! Coming this summer! On American History Hotline, Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

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Founding Son: Episode 6 - The Last of Earth May 11, 2023

Show notes

John Quincy Adams finally defeats the Gag rule, but his feud with Andrew Jackson lasts until the bitter end. And Congressman Abraham Lincoln witnesses from the House floor the dramatic final hours of Adams' life.

Founding Son is a Curiosity Podcast and is a co-production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.

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Founding Son: Episode 5 - Amistad May 04, 2023

Show notes

When the fates of the enslaved captives of the Amistad are put into the hands of the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams feels it's his duty to represent them. Adams’ son and wife would have preferred he stayed away from the case altogether.