The Preamble

Latest Episodes:

Martha Jefferson and the Women of Monticello Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Thomas Jefferson’s wife Martha died nearly twenty years before he took office, yet history still lists her as an official First Lady. Jefferson never remarried, but two very important women supported him through his years as a widower in ways few people know. Their stories were already intertwined long before Jefferson entered the picture, and their influence would leave a mark on the presidency itself.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Abigail Adams Abroad Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Today, we’d call them the ultimate power couple. Abigail Adams, one of America’s most beloved First Ladies, sets sail across the Atlantic to join her husband, John, in the glittering city of Paris. But their story doesn’t end in Europe. Returning to Boston, the couple quickly steps onto a new stage together as President and First Lady of a young America.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Secrets of the Two Theodosias Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Sharon takes us into the intertwined lives of the two women who shaped Aaron Burr. Their stories reveal brilliant minds, an unquenchable hunger for knowledge, the griefs of motherhood, and the weight of untimely tragedy. Sharon turns over the stones of their lives and explores a disappearance at sea, a mysteriously scavenged portrait, and a family secret.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

The Life of America’s First Lady Martha Washington Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Sharon explores the life of America’s first First Lady, Martha Washington, highlighting the many ways she shaped her family, the presidency, and the nation itself. Though the formal title of “First Lady” didn’t yet exist, she was affectionately known as “Lady Washington” and respected as George’s “worthy partner.” Sharon dives into many of lesser known details of her life like her first marriage, her open home policy, and her views on slavery.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

A Personal History of the 1960s with Doris Kearns Goodwin Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Imagine being a Pulitzer Prize winning presidential historian, knowing you had extraordinarily rare primary source material and Presidential memorabilia tucked away in the cellar of your own home… and not opening it for decades? Doris Kearns Goodwin joins us today to share her journey of exploring more than 300 boxes, alongside her husband of 42 years, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, that served as a time capsule of his service in the 1960s. In the relay race of democracy, you never know who will pick up the baton, and continue your work. Together, they have one last great adventure, a chance to reassess key historical figures, and a fresh perspective of the role young people play in the arc of history.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

In a time when division often makes the headlines, what truly binds us together? Sharon sits down with Yale constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to explore why the U.S. Constitution remains a powerful force in bringing Americans together. Despite our different regions, backgrounds, cultures, and even languages, what we share is a constitutional framework and the historic events and documents that shaped our nation. Amar reflects on his own journey as a first‑generation American, from the gift of citizenship at birth to his evolving understanding of the Constitution’s role in defining our common identity.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Amending the Constitution with Russ Feingold Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

What would it take to update the Constitution and should we try? Sharon is joined by former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold to explore this question from his book, The Constitution in Jeopardy. Together, they unpack the tools the framers gave to evolve the founding document, including the never before used, and deeply controversial, Constitutional Convention. Could such a convention be a path to necessary reform, or a backdoor to dismantling democracy itself?

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

The Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket with Stephen Vladeck Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

With approval ratings of The Supreme Court at a historic low, what can Congress and the average American citizen do to hold the court accountable, and foster transparency? Sharon welcomes law professor Stephen Vladeck to nerd out about all things Supreme Court. Stephen dives into the elusive behind-the-scenes “shadow docket,” and how 99% of what the court does is in the shadows – without public hearings, and without explanation.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments with Hadley Vlahos Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

When we know a loved one is about to die, how can we best hold space for them in the in-between? Sharon is joined by Hadley Vlahos, RN, who has written a bestselling book, The In-Between, about her experiences working as a hospice nurse. Hadley walks us through the discomfort of death with great compassion and empathy while considering what it means to live well, and to die well. She also reflects on the mysterious, often unexplainable experiences shared across faiths and beliefs, encouraging us to embrace the dignity in dying by allowing our loved ones to share their experiences in death.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Poverty In America with Matthew Desmond Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

We all know that poverty is an existing problem in the United States, but what does that really mean in a country with so much wealth? Sharon is joined by Matthew Desmond, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and the founding director of the Eviction Lab. Together, they discuss his best-selling book, Poverty, By America, and take a hard look at poverty in one of the richest countries in the world, while reimagining how we perceive poverty.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

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