History

In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan

We call it the American experiment, and over the last 250 years, we’ve learned a lot about what’s worked…..and what hasn’t. So what can we learn from Americans’ quest to form a more perfect union? Join Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States, along with some of our nation’s most prominent historians, journalists, and public servants as we go in pursuit of lessons from America’s past to write the history of America’s future.

Latest Episodes:

John Quincy Adams Avoids The Monsters Abroad Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

What role did John Quincy Adams believe the United States should play on the world stage? Colleen Shogan talks with Lindsay Chervinsky about Adams the master diplomat, his life in Congress after his term as president, and a career that spanned from the Battle of Bunker Hill to the rise of Abraham Lincoln.

Featuring Lindsay Chervinsky, Ph.D., Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.

Read Chervinsky's essay on John Quincy Adams.

Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.

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Dolley Madison Takes Command Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

How did Dolley Madison create bipartisan possibilities under the glow of candle light? Colleen Shogan talks with Catherine Allgor about Mrs. Madison’s famous “Wednesday nights,” the turbulent politics of the early American republic, and the burning of the White House during the War of 1812.

Featuring Catherine Allgor, Ph.D., President Emerita, The Massachusetts Historical Society.

Read Catherine Allgor’s essay on Dolley Madison.

The Grand Strategies of James Madison May 19, 2026

Show notes

Should James Madison rightly be called the “Father of the Constitution”? Colleen Shogan talks with Jack Rakove about why we ought to see Madison as the Constitution’s chief strategist, how the diminutive politician got his start, and why he resisted a Bill of Rights.

Featuring Jack Rakove, Ph.D., William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science and (by courtesy) law at Stanford University.

Read Jack Rakove’s essay on James Madison.

Thomas Jefferson: Futurist May 05, 2026

Show notes

What faith did Thomas Jefferson place in future Americans to accomplish what the revolutionary generation could not? Colleen Shogan talks with Andrew Davenport about Jefferson’s Virginia, the contradictions in the Declaration of Independence, and the Sage of Monticello’s abiding belief in the generations to come.

Featuring Andrew Davenport, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.

Read Dr. Davenport’s essay on Thomas Jefferson.

Martha Washington's First Steps Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

How did Martha Washington create an office before women could hold one? Colleen Shogan talks with Karin Wulf about the first First Lady, the struggle to throw off monarchy in the new republic, and the search for Martha Washington herself.

Karin Wulf, Ph.D., Librarian and Director, the John Carter Brown Library, and Professor of History at Brown University.

Read Dr. Wulf's essay on Martha Washington.

George Washington Surrenders His Sword Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Why did George Washington willingly give up power at the end of the Revolutionary War? Colleen Shogan talks with Douglas Bradburn to explore the man who would not be king, Washington’s extraordinary copy of the Constitution, and the formative moments that shaped the nation’s first president.

Featuring Douglas Bradburn, Ph.D., President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Read President George W. Bush’s essay on George Washington.

Introducing In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

We call it the American experiment, and over the last 250 years, we've learned a lot about what's worked .....and what hasn't. From George Washington's willingness to surrender power to Mary Lincoln's fight for her own independence, we've aspired to the highest ideals and sometimes fallen short of them.

So what can we learn from Americans' quest to form a more perfect union? Join Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States, along with some of our nation's most prominent historians, journalists, and public servants as we go in pursuit of lessons from America's past to write the history of America's future. In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan premiers April 7, 2026. Brought to you by PRX.

In Pursuit is a landmark initiative of More Perfect

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