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In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan: Daily Summaries Delivered
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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.
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- 1 weeks ago22 min
Nellie Taft Plants a Legacy
When the Japanese cherry trees bloom each spring in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital is awash in vibrant pink and white hues. That's due to the efforts of First Lady Nellie Taft, who helped journalist Eliza Skidmore realize her dream for a more colorful capital in the first decade of the 20th century. Colleen Shogan talks with John M. Bridgeland about Taft's vision for a shared civic culture, her own political ambitions, and her prophetic visit to the White House as a young woman.Read Bridgeland's essay on Nellie Taft.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.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- 3 weeks ago39 min
James Garfield Strives to be "a Poor Hater"
James Garfield was a soldier, preacher, and polymath who rose through the ranks of the Republican Party to become President of the United States. So how did this self-described "poor hater" end up in the White House? Colleen Shogan talks with C.W. Goodyear about Garfield's radical politics, even temper, and the reform efforts that led to his assassination after less than a year in office.Read Goodyear's essay on James Garfield. 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.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Oct 6, 202620 min
Ulysses S. Grant Stands His Ground
In 1868, Ulysses S. Grant faced his greatest challenge since the end of the Civil War when President Andrew Johnson appointed him Acting Secretary of War. How did Johnson's actions put Grant squarely in the middle of a Constitutional crisis? Colleen Shogan talks with General Stanley A. McChrystal (ret.) about Grant's sense of duty, his commitment to the rule of law, and the controversy that led to the first presidential impeachment in American history.Read McChrystal essay on Ulysses S. Grant. 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.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Sep 22, 202632 min
Mary Lincoln's Fiery Trial
The story of Mary Lincoln's life is often a tale of mental illness, frivolous spending habits, and a rocky marriage to husband, Abraham. But what if we have Mary all wrong? Colleen Shogan talks with author Lois Romano about Mary's difficult childhood, her tenure as First Lady during the Civil War, and her fight to reclaim her own life in widowhood. Read Lois Romano's essay on Mary Lincoln. 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.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Sep 8, 202630 min
Abraham Lincoln's Union
How did Abraham Lincoln redefine the American Union amidst the horrors of the Civil War? Colleen Shogan talks with historian Harold Holzer about Lincoln's early life, his emergence as a leader of the Republican Party, and his vision for a new birth of freedom in the United States.Harold Holzer is the Jonathan F. Fanton Director of The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City. He is the author of numerous books on Abraham Lincoln. Read President Barack Obama's essay on Abraham Lincoln. 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.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Aug 25, 202635 min
Franklin Pierce Fails to Read the Room
Franklin Pierce had all the makings of a successful president - the experience, the military service, the charm - and yet he is often remembered as one of America's worst chief executives. So how did a man with such a fine resume plunge the nation deeper into crisis over the expansion of slavery? Colleen Shogan talks with Pulitizer Prize-winner author David W. Blight about Pierce's pedigree, the Northern Democrat's pro-Southern sympathies, and his misreading of national politics on the eve of the Civil War.David W. Blight is the Sterling Professor of History at Yale University. He is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (2018). Read Blight's essay on Franklin Pierce at https://www.inpursuit.org. INFO:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Watch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InPursuitUSA.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.SOCIAL:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusa BlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social X: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Aug 11, 202623 min
Millard Fillmore Kicks the Can Down the Road
Vice President Millard Fillmore never expected to be president, but Zachary Taylor's death in 1850 thrust him into the White House and the national spotlight. So how did the "man of hesitation and double opinions" confront the growing crisis over slavery? Colleen Shogan talks with former congressman Steve Israel about Fillmore's surprising rise, his contradictory opinions, and the compromises that hastened the coming of the civil war.Steve Israel served as a congressman from New York from 2001 to 2017. He is the owner of Theodore’s Books in Oyster Bay and author of the novel, The Einstein Conspiracy (2025).Read Israel's essay on Millard Fillmore at www.Inpursuit.org INFO:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Watch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InPursuitUSA.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.SOCIAL:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusa BlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social X: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
- Jul 28, 202627 min
James K. Polk Manifests A Destiny
By some measure, James K. Polk is among the most successful presidents in American history. But what were the costs of his many achievements? Colleen Shogan talks with Matthew Costello about the nation’s first dark horse presidential candidate, his ambitions for western expansion, and the triumphs that set the United States on a path toward civil war. Featuring Matthew Costello, Ph.D., is Chief Education Officer, the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation Chair in White House History and director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at the White House Historical Association.Read Costello's essay on William Henry Harrison at www.Inpursuit.org INFO:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Watch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InPursuitUSA.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.SOCIAL:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusa BlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social X: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA
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About 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.
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