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Artwork for Listening to America

Listening to America

Listening to America
Thomas Jefferson
John Steinbeck
John Adams
George Washington
Slavery
American History
Constitution
Donald Trump
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Louisiana Purchase
Christmas
United States
Public Lands
Civil Rights Movement
American Revolution
Civil Rights
Alexander Hamilton
Conspiracy Theories
James Madison
Caitlin Clark

Listening to America aims to "light out for the territories," traveling less visited byways and taking time to see this immense, extraordinary country with fresh eyes while listening to the many voices of America's past, present, and future. Led by noted historian and humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson, Listening to America travels the country's less visited byways, from national parks and forests ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes545Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureHistory

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Listening to America

Latest Episodes

Guest host David Horton interviews President Thomas Jefferson about his strong anti-royalist principles. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson lambasted King George III for his crimes against the American colonists. Jefferson did not go quite... more

Frequent guest host David Horton interviews the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, about his five years in France between 1784 and 1789. After the death of his wife in 1782, Jefferson permitted his closest friend, James Madison, ... more

Beau Breslin interviews Clay on current events. First, the successful launch on April 1st of Artemis II, America's first space mission to the moon in more than 50 years. The launch's success was not particularly unexpected, but our relief was palpabl... more

Clay and frequent guest Beau Breslin of Skidmore College try to place Donald Trump's war in Iran in the context of American history with a particular emphasis on the war powers language of the U.S. Constitution. The Founders considered war so grave t... more

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Recent Guests

Susan Ryan
Executive Vice President of the Research Institute at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Episode: #1698 The Future of America's National Monuments
Char Miller
WM. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at Pomona College
Pomona College
Episode: #1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Erik Ewers
Director/Co-creator of Ken Burns–style Thoreau documentary
Florentine Films / Ken Burns shop
Episode: #1695 New Ken Burns Documentary on Henry David Thoreau
Christopher Ewers
Director/Co-creator of Ken Burns–style Thoreau documentary
Florentine Films / Ken Burns shop
Episode: #1695 New Ken Burns Documentary on Henry David Thoreau
Jonathan Thompson
Contributing editor to High Country News and author of "Sagebrush Empire".
High Country News
Episode: #1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Matthew Davis
Author of 'Biography of a Mountain, The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore'
Episode: #1690 Mount Rushmore: Its Back Story and the Continuing Controversy
John Bacon
Author of The Gales of November, The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Self-published
Episode: #1687 The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
Walter Borneman
Historian and author of numerous books on American history
Episode: #1684 America at 250: How Did We Get Here?
Paul Hutton
Eminent historian and executive director of the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum.
Buffalo Bill Cody Museum
Episode: #1683 Writing the American West in a Time of Disillusionment

Host

Clay Jenkinson
Host of Listening to America

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Very disappointing

    The Thomas Jefferson Hour was a rare source of optimism and inspiration. Listening to America is just another overly pessimistic political show that presents few facts. It is higher brow than most, but it is shocking the click bait qualities it has acquired.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Trot87
    United Statesa month ago
  • Great podcast for history nerds like me 👍🏼

    I listened to my first podcast today on the National parks with Char Miller and it was such a great conversation. I appreciate both Char and Clays knowledge of history. I’m so glad this conversation is happening. I actually like that you bring politics into the conversation because not talking about it is a disservice to the United States’ history.

    I can’t wait to listen to more especially finding the episode discussing Theodore Roosevelt’s pets in the White House. Great historical podcast for l... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maizie daisy
    United Statesa month ago
  • Informative Interesting Show

    One of my favorite podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    vfaler
    United States6 months ago
  • Very enjoyable

    Just recently discovered this podcast. Started with episodes from late 2016. Intend to listen to them all. Recent reviews say this becomes more political. Time will tell. Understand also the change to listening to America emerges from the TJ Hour. Should be as interesting I guess expect.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cfeman
    United States8 months ago
  • Listening

    Thank you for seeking out these conversations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    midway-through
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and topics are appreciated for depth and credibility, with strong interest from listeners who value scholarly insight.
A subset of reviews notes the host's interviewing style as strong, though a few fans miss the classic Jefferson-centric focus of earlier iterations.
Overall, the show is praised for informative, thoughtful historical discussions and a calm, reasoned tone.
Some listeners feel recent episodes have become more political or partisan, and there are complaints about format changes and audio quality.
Listeners consistently value the educational, civics-forward perspective and the unique travel-and-history format, even when opinions diverge about current events.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#1699 The Iran War and the U.S. Constitution
Q: What changes to war powers does the guest suggest for the 21st century?
He proposes reforms such as a constitutional clause with time-bound executive authority and clearer fiscal disclosures to force deliberation and accountability before engaging in major hostilities.
#1699 The Iran War and the U.S. Constitution
Q: Why did the founders insist that wars begin in the House of Representatives?
They believed that funding and public accountability should anchor decisions about war, ensuring broader deliberation and preventing impulsive, unilateral action.
#1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Q: What are two concrete steps you'd like to see to heal the land-lands relationship?
Return meaningful land to Indigenous nations where appropriate, and implement robust, inclusive governance that includes tribal voices in decision-making—coupled with transparent, science-based conservation policies that protect water, wildlife, and public access.
#1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Q: How do you see the core purpose of public lands evolving in the near future?
The core purpose should be to balance preservation with sustainable access, ensuring Indigenous rights and ecological integrity are central to any expansion or contraction, while recognizing the economic realities of western communities.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: Is Glen Canyon Dam going to come down or be used as just a pass-through?
Jonathan suggests that in the long term, Glen Canyon Dam may not be viable as a storage facility and could potentially serve only as a pass-through, depending on future agreements regarding water management.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Listening to America

What is Listening to America about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history- and civics-forward series that blends deep dives into American historical narratives with contemporary cultural and political reflection. Across recent episodes, topics span public lands governance and water crises, the legacies of slavery and Native dispossession, monuments and memory (including Mount Rushmore and Western expansion), international affairs through a founding-era lens, and the evolving meaning of democracy in the United States. The show frequently features historians, authors, and academics who offer nuanced takes on difficult subjects, while maintaining a measured, dialog-driven tone that invites multiple viewpoints. Notable strengths include high-profile historical guests, a willingness to tackle thorny national... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Listening to America?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Listening to America:

1. Ben Franklin's World
2. For the Ages: A History Podcast
3. Booknotes+
4. Lectures in History
5. This American President

How many episodes of Listening to America are there?

Listening to America launched 19 years ago and published 545 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Listening to America?

Recent guests on Listening to America include:

1. Susan Ryan
2. Char Miller
3. Erik Ewers
4. Christopher Ewers
5. Jonathan Thompson
6. Matthew Davis
7. John Bacon
8. Walter Borneman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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