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 

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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.

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2682fa9b0fda4806f152e2fc382a943f5da5bd0f

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 

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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.

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As a special treat for In Pursuit listeners, we're thrilled to bring you an episode of History Daily from our friends at Noiser and Air Ship. Hosted by public historian Lindsay Graham, the series tells fascinating stories about what happened “on this day” in history. 

Today, we're going back to July 12, 1804, when American founding father, Alexander Hamilton, died from a fatal wound he suffered during a duel with his longtime adversary, Aaron Burr.

History Daily releases new episodes every weekday.  You'll get a broad mix of history, from famous battles to fashion firsts. There’s medicine, science, technology, religion, politics, and sports – everything that made us who we are today. 

Most episodes are under 20 minutes long, and you’ll discover amazing facts you’ve never learned before about history. And even if you think you know a certain day’s events, you might be surprised. 

Check out History Daily on your favorite podcast app. 

Why did William Henry Harrison fear for the nation's future? Colleen Shogan talks with Sharon McMahon about Old Tippecanoe's life as a soldier and politician, the ominous message of the longest inaugural address in American history, and the choices that cut short Harrison's time as president.

Featuring Sharon McMahon, Civic Educator and author

Read McMahon's essay on William Henry Harrison at Inpursuit.org 

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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.

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What are the principles at the heart of the American experiment? How have those ideals guided us in the past? And how do they speak to us now as we commemorate 250 years of American independence?

On this special live episode of In Pursuit recorded at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Colleen joined Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen, and moderator Robert Costa of CBS News in a wide ranging conversation about how we can connect new generations to the enduring ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. 

Special thanks to Julie Silverbrook, Kevin Altman, and Bill Pollock of the National Constitution Center. 

This special live episode was edited and mixed by Bill Pollock. Theme music for this episode provided by Artist.io. 

In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan is a podcast by More Perfect. The series is written and produced by Jim Ambuske. Production Services by Stand Together 

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Why did Louisa Catherine Adams feel like a bird trapped in a cage during her time in the White House? Colleen Shogan talks with Louisa Thomas about Adams's dangerous journey from Russia to Paris during the Napoleonic Wars, her complicated marriage to John Quincy, and the freedom she found in writing. 

Featuring Louisa Thomas, Staff Writer, New Yorker. 

Read Thomas's essay on Louisa Catherine Adams at Inpursuit.org 

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What role did John Quincy Adams believe the United States should play on the world stage? Colleen Shogan talks with Lindsay Chervinsky about Adams the master diplomat, his life in Congress after his term as president, and a career that spanned from the Battle of Bunker Hill to the rise of Abraham Lincoln. 

Featuring Lindsay Chervinsky, Ph.D., Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. 

Read Chervinsky's essay on John Quincy Adams at Inpursuit.org 

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How did Dolley Madison create bipartisan possibilities under the glow of candle light? Colleen Shogan talks with Catherine Allgor about Mrs. Madison’s famous “Wednesday nights,” the turbulent politics of the early American republic, and the burning of the White House during the War of 1812. 

Featuring Catherine Allgor, Ph.D., President Emerita, The Massachusetts Historical Society. 

Read Catherine Allgor’s essay on Dolley Madison at Inpursuit.org 

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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.

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Should James Madison rightly be called the “Father of the Constitution”? Colleen Shogan talks with Jack Rakove about why we ought to see Madison as the Constitution’s chief strategist, how the diminutive politician got his start, and why he resisted a Bill of Rights. 

Featuring Jack Rakove, Ph.D., William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science and (by courtesy) law at Stanford University.

Read Jack Rakove’s essay on James Madison at Inpursuit.org. 

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What faith did Thomas Jefferson place in future Americans to accomplish what the revolutionary generation could not? Colleen Shogan talks with Andrew Davenport about Jefferson’s Virginia, the contradictions in the Declaration of Independence, and the Sage of Monticello’s abiding belief in the generations to come. 

Featuring Andrew Davenport, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. 

Read Dr. Davenport’s essay on Thomas Jefferson at Inpursuit.org.

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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

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How did Martha Washington create an office before women could hold one? Colleen Shogan talks with Karin Wulf about the first First Lady, the struggle to throw off monarchy in the new republic, and the search for Martha Washington herself. 

Karin Wulf, Ph.D., Librarian and Director, the John Carter Brown Library, and Professor of History at Brown University.

Read Dr. Wulf's essay on Martha Washington at Inpursuit.org.

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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.

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