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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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 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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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 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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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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Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Production services by Stand Together. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect

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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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Why did George Washington willingly give up power at the end of the Revolutionary War? Colleen Shogan talks with Douglas Bradburn to explore the man who would not be king, Washington’s extraordinary copy of the Constitution, and the formative moments that shaped the nation’s first president.

Featuring Douglas Bradburn, Ph.D., President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. 

Read President George W. Bush’s essay on George Washington at Inpursuit.org. 

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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. From George Washington's willingness to surrender power to Mary Lincoln's fight for her own independence, we've aspired to the highest ideals and sometimes fallen short of them. 

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. In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan premiers April 7, 2026. Brought to you by PRX. 

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In Pursuit is a landmark initiative of More Perfect