Podcasting the Past

The podcast "Talking History with History" features George Washington discussing America's journey from unity to division. Washington reflects on the Declaration of Independence, efforts for national unity, and challenges like the Kansas-Nebraska Act leading to the Civil War. Despite differing views, Washington emphasizes the importance of remembering unity as Americans. The episode also includes discussions on internal improvements, slavery, and the importance of staying united. Washington even showcases his rap skills and promotes his upcoming book. The podcast urges listeners to keep debates civil and history accurate. Welcome, listeners, to Talking History with History, the podcast where we pull people from the past and let them speak in the present. I'm your host, Jason Lopez, and today we're sitting down with none other than President George Washington. Our episode today is called The Spirit of Unity, George Washington on Independence and the Division. Today, we'll explore 14 moments in American history, from the Declaration of Independence to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, to ask, how did America's early ideals of unity begin to unravel? As we talk today, we'll be representing a map from the atlas of American history. If you look at the map titled U.S. Expansion, 1783 to 1854, you'll see in the top left, the 13 original colonies, and in the bottom right, the territories added as the nation grew westward. Y'all know how this show starts. It's time for the Time Machine. And now, a man who needs no introduction, but certainly deserves one, he's the man who led a revolution, the man who served as our first president, and some might say, the man who invented the idea of American leadership. Ladies and gentlemen, George Washington. Hello, hello, hello. That was quite the trip. It's a pleasure to be on the show today, but I have to warn you, I may have some carriage lag, so to speak. That's quite all right, Mr. Washington. Call me George. Okay, George. Let's start with the nation's birth, July 4th, 1776. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress wrote, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are all endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That's from the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, paragraph 2. What did those words mean to you and the others who drafted this document? Those words take me back. When we wrote those, we were hoping to create more than just a document. We wanted to form a union. We had a vision for a place where all colonies could be equally represented within a one nation, a nation that is greater than the sum of its parts. That's a beautiful idea. And how do you think that played out in your lifetime? Was it as good in reality as it was in your minds? People's minds are a tricky thing, Jay. Not everyone dreamed of unity like we did. People saw unity as all of us against Britain. It was more about independence. We were focused on separating ourselves from them, but we didn't realize that we were separated among ourselves. Independence from Britain was accomplished, but unity, that was far harder to gain. Some wise words from George Washington. So after you sat down, President James Madison had an idea to start building a more united nation. He addressed Congress in 1815 about the need to strengthen the young nation. He said, quote, the power to establish post roads to regulate commerce among several states and to provide for the common defense is rendered more useful by a wide system of internal improvements, end quote. That's from James Madison asked Congress to support internal improvements written in 1815, paragraph three. Madison believed that connecting states through infrastructure would bring the union together. What do you think of this idea? It was quite an innovative idea, I will say. Governments and tribal unite people more formally than a proclamation ever could. So this was a great step forward. And yet, even then, did you get it? Sorry? Step forward, you know, the road, stepping. Ah, good one, George. Anyways, Americans were divided over whether the federal government should be funding these projects. What does that say about the government? And did you ever get into arguments over, you know, this kind of situation? That was quite the topic for a while there. But all the arguments really came down to one question. How strong should the essential government be too weak, and the union may fall apart too strong, and liberty would be gone. Very interesting. Well, let's not dwell on one issue. Let's fast forward to 1861, the brink of the Civil War, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stevens announced to his supporters, quote, our government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea of equality, its foundations are laid, its cornerstones rest upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man, end quote. That's from Alexander Stevens on slavery and the Confederate Constitution, written in 1861, paragraph one. George, many people reference quotes like this, as well as some of your private life to argue that America was built on principles of division. How would you respond to these people? Well, they certainly have a point. That was a great contradiction. One I came to see more clearly with age. In my later years, I realized that slavery could not be a part of the perfect union I imagined. Well, I think you're certainly correct. Stevens would disagree. He claimed that slavery was a natural and divine order that is, quote, the cornerstone, end quote, of the Confederacy. Ah, Stevens, yes. Our disagreements were not just ours, they were the entire nation's. The North and South disagreed on a fundamental level about what rights people should and shouldn't have. That tension was so strong that I feared speaking out against slavery might fracture the young nation. It was hard to stay quiet, but I believe it was necessary. Very interesting perspective there. Thank you, George. We're about halfway through the show, so now it's time for our sponsored ad break. George, would you like to read us off? Sure thing. This episode is brought to you by Liberty Brew Coffee, the only roast bold enough to wake you up to the revolution. I recommend, of course, the Presidential Blend, smooth, strong, and 100% free from British hands. So visit us at libertybrew.com and use promo code WASH for 15% off your first order. So that tension you mentioned earlier wasn't just in people's minds. The Congress actually passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which declared, quote, It is the true intent and meaning of this Act not to legislate slavery into any territory or state, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way. End quote. That's from the Kansas-Nebraska Act transcript passed by Congress in 1854, paragraph 2. So, this law repealed the Missouri Compromise and let settlers decide whether to allow slavery, a principle called popular sovereignty. How do you feel about this, George? This document is a great example of how far America had become separated. People were so divided by this issue, they didn't see each other as Americans, but as Northerners and Southerners. Right. And we now see that those intense beliefs eventually led to the Civil War. Conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers also caused the nation to split. That was definitely not the unity you had in mind. Yes, that's for sure. So, George, today we've traced the story from independence to division, from equality declared to equality denied. From the perspective of the first President of the United States, what would you say to Americans today? Yes, I have a few things. Firstly, we must not forget the big picture. Not everyone will agree on everything, but we are all Americans. To keep this nation strong, we must remember that. Additionally, never invest more than you can lose in crypto. The blockchain can truly be unforgiving. Beautiful, George. Now, we only have one more segment left, so I just want to say I appreciate you coming on the show. This is kind of your spot, too. If you have anything to promote, this is where you can promote it. Oh, thank you very much. I do, as a matter of fact, have something to promote. I've been writing a book. This book, I believe, can shape America into the greatest country to ever exist. It contains every anecdote that I've ever thought of at any point in my entire life, and today I'm announcing the release date of my book will be December 15th, 1799. Wow, that's awesome, George. I have some big announcements today, so go check out that book, People of the Past, in 1799. It's going to be a good one. Anyways, I have one final request. Our final segment is always a freestyle, so what do you say when I give everyone one last message in the form of a rap? Oh, yes. I've been waiting for this for a long time. Hit the beat. Yo. Yo. Get it. Yo. Aight. I'm George Washington, back in the game. Unity's the goal. Liberty's the name. From Philly to Kansas, I'm going up with you. I glide on the beat, smooth like the moose. Out your name, gotta work together. We all share this land, from now to forever. Lean like LeBron when the pressure is tight. Lift up the team and do what's right. The nation's dream ain't a curtain call. United we rise, united we fall. And that's the final words from George Washington, founder, leader, and apparently rapper. I'm Jason Lopez, and this has been Talking History with History. Join us next time where we bring more voices from the past with a very special double guest episode featuring Cleopatra and Kendrick Lamar to discuss the power of voice. As always, make sure to check out our merch at talkinghistorywithhistory.store. And until next time, keep your debate civil and your history accurate.