It's Lincoln's party and he'll cry if he wants to. We trace the evolution of America's major political parties to understand how they've changed since Honest Abe was the Republican standard-bearer. And if he were running for election in 2028, which party would he belong to?

GUEST: Julian Zelizer, New York Times best-selling author and Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He publishes a Substack newsletter called The Long View. Check out his book: In Defense of Partisanship.

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The Roaring Twenties was a period of tremendous financial growth in America — punctuated by a stock market crash and the highest poverty and unemployment the nation has ever seen. The question is, can this happen again?

Looking back, we explore what was happening in the country during the boom years that led to the bust years.

GUEST: Gabriel Mathy, associate professor of economics at American University. His area of expertise is macroeconomics of the Great Depression.

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How does the U.S. Constitution protect our country from being taken over by a power-hungry dictator? You may not like the answer. President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, Jeffrey Rosen, explains how much of our federal government is based on political norms and precedents that are vulnerable to the whims of the masses. Still, our Constitution has weathered some of the most serious political storms of the past 250 years and held strong. The key to success, Rosen explains, is an informed citizenry that holds elected officials accountable to America's founding principles.

GUEST: Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Rosen’s new book is  "The Pursuit of Liberty, How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America"

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American history is full of folklore and tall tales, so it's hard to believe that Founders Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4th, 1826 — exactly 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence. But it's all true! Historian Lindsay Chervinsky tells the stories of these patriotic deaths, including Adams' belief that "Jefferson still lives." Interestingly enough, James Madison actually tried to AVOID dying on the 4th of July. It turns out, Independence Day is rife with patriotic deaths and coincidences!

GUEST: Lindsay Chervinsky, presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, co-editor of Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture, and the forthcoming book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic

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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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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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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. 

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

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John Quincy Adams unleashes on the House floor over two pivotal issues of the 1830s: The annexation of Texas, and prohibiting the discussion of slavery in the U.S. House, known as the Gag rule.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.