For the Ages: A History Podcast

It’s been said that if you remember the ‘60s, you weren’t really there, but when Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and her late husband, Dick, started to go through his papers from his time as one of the men behind JFK’s New Frontier, co-designer of LBJ’s Great Society, and RFK’s close advisor, that revolutionary decade became as tangible to the couple as it was 60 years ago. Goodwin, who also worked for Johnson, joins David M. Rubenstein for a conversation on historical reckoning and the people who make history behind the scenes. Recorded on December 2, 2024

The argument over states’ rights versus a strong federal government is far from a new debate in this country. Before the divisions of today, two men represented contrasting visions of what America could be: Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson believed in individual liberties and limited federal power, while Hamilton promoted a strong national government. Their rivalry helped shape the nation’s earliest political battles and continues to echo through American politics, influencing leaders from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Donald Trump. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Jeffrey Rosen explores how the competing ideas of Jefferson and Hamilton still define the constitutional debates at the heart of American democracy today.Recorded on March 12, 2026

Born in wartime Shanghai and brought to the United States at age eleven with no knowledge of English, financier and philanthropist Oscar Tang reflects on a life shaped by displacement, ambition, and civic responsibility. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Tang recounts his journey from a small town in Vermont to Yale and Harvard, before building a successful career on Wall Street. He also discusses the experiences that shaped his philanthropic commitments—from supporting cultural institutions like the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to helping strengthen educational and civic institutions across the United States.Recorded on February 20, 2026

From his childhood in Venezuela’s famed El Sistema music education program to his rise as one of the world’s leading conductors, Gustavo Dudamel reflects on the experiences that shaped his musical life. In conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Dudamel recounts conducting his first orchestra at age eleven, discusses the collaborative art of leading musicians, and shares how he prepares scores entirely from memory. Looking ahead to his tenure as music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic, he explores the role orchestras can play in connecting communities and inspiring new generations of listeners.Recorded on September 17, 2025

At the beginning of 1776, virtually no one in the colonies was advocating independence. What changed over the course of one year? From Thomas Paine’s Common Sense in January to the Continental Congress that first grounded the idea of independence, historian Edward Larson, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, traces a narrative path that reminds us why, as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, 1776 matters.Recorded on January 26, 2026

Secretary of defense and friend and ally to two presidents, Robert S. McNamara was one of the most controversial men in American history for his role in the Vietnam War. Beyond his time at Harvard Law, his service during World War II, and his leadership of the Ford Motor Company and the World Bank, he is inevitably remembered for his fierce escalation of an unpopular and arguably unwinnable war. Authors Philip and William Taubman join David M. Rubenstein to provide a window into McNamara’s mind, including his relationship with the Kennedy family and the evolution of his views on Vietnam.Recorded on January 16, 2026

The American Revolution was three wars rolled into one: a fight for independence, a civil conflict, and a struggle between nations. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, bestselling author Geoffrey Ward examines the many sides of the war through the stories of not just the Founding Fathers, but the soldiers, women, Loyalists, and others whose lives—and country—were forever changed by the movement. Recorded on December 12, 2025

The teenagers who made up the US Naval Academy class of 1940 arrived in Annapolis as boys on the eve of Hitler’s aggression and graduated as Europe collapsed, only to find themselves thrust into every major front of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay and Normandy. Renowned military historian Craig Symonds joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the young men’s sacrifice, loss, and extraordinary coming-of-age in history’s deadliest conflict.Recorded on November 24, 2025

History may be written by the victors, but it is illustrated by its painters, and perhaps few so famously or evocatively as John Trumbull—American Revolution army officer, spy, artist. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Richard Brookhiser, Trumbull biographer and senior editor at National Review, delves into Trumbull’s tumultuous life.Recorded on November 14, 2025

Covering 2.2 million acres, Yellowstone National Park is a geographic behemoth and, as the birthplace of America’s national park system, a cultural giant as well. But since its official establishment in 1872, the bucolic lands have been the source of frequent conflict: between Native Americans and Europeans, and tourism and environmental conservation. In this episode, prizewinning author Randall K. Wilson explores the complex history of the park, from its geological roots to its role in our understanding of the environment and our nation as a whole.Recorded on August 25, 2025

Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as US presidents broke bread to strengthen alliances, diffuse tensions, and broker peace: Thomas Jefferson’s nation-building receptions; Richard Nixon’s practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carter’s cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David. Author Alex Prud’homme joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the political power wielded by the White House kitchen.Recorded on June 30, 2024

Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton’s gravestone identifies her merely as the daughter of Philip Schuyler and the widow of Alexander Hamilton, while her sister, Angelica, has only a marker next to the Livingston family vault, but neither memorial does justice to the complexity of the two women. Eliza was a vital aid to her husband’s political efforts, as well as a later reformer in her own right, and Angelica was a socialite who maintained friendships with the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. In this conversation, historian Amanda Vaill offers a fuller portrait of these women and the Founding Era.Recorded on November 7, 2025

In addition to being America’s first vice president and second president, Founding Father John Adams was a diplomat, the father of another president, and an avid diarist. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Gordon S. Wood, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the Revolutionary era, tackles this multifaceted figure, from his role in the birth of our nation to the precedents he set for all those who followed him.Recorded on September 4, 2025

For generations, the teaching of American history has often glossed over the important role Native communities have played in shaping the nation, but contemporary historians are reframing the conversation. In a discussion that spans five centuries, scholar Ned Blackhawk illuminates how the history of the Indigenous peoples of North America is an essential component to telling a more complete American story—and how, despite many obstacles, Native communities have persevered.Recorded on January 10, 2024

If ever there was proof that opposites attract, it was the friendship between the personally and politically conservative Edmund Burke and the liberal-leaning libertine Charles Fox, who formed a united front in 18-century British politics for a quarter of a century. Biographer James Grant joins David M. Rubenstein to demonstrate how, despite their many differences, Fox and Burke remained friends and political allies through the American Revolution and the dramatic impeachment of East India Company governor-general Warren Hastings, but ultimately fell out, both personally and professionally, over the French Revolution.Recorded on August 21, 2025

Shaped by crises at home and abroad, John Adams’s presidency became a proving ground for the nation’s fragile new government. Historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky sits down with David Rubenstein to reveal how Adams managed partisan conflict, foreign dangers, and a skeptical public, ultimately forging precedents for executive authority and democratic stability that secured the republic’s future.Recorded on April 29, 2024

Irrevocably tied to the tragedy of the Vietnam War, President Lyndon Johnson’s political legacy is also marked by his radical push to reimagine American life. Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Caro, author of The Power Broker and The Years of Lyndon Johnson, explores how Johnson pushed Congress to establish Medicare, Medicaid, and historic civil rights and reform legislation. Recorded on April 6, 2024

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2025. The women’s suffrage movement was a hard-fought, decades-long campaign to extend that most essential of democratic rights to all Americans regardless of sex. That protracted struggle would rapidly come to a head in August of 1920 in Tennessee, the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. Author and journalist Elaine Weiss talks with David Rubenstein about the struggles of the suffragists against misogynistic politics, members of the church, and even other women in that fateful month when everything hung in the balance. Recorded on September 25, 2020

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2025. While the Supreme Court is often presented in American history as a protector of civil liberties, its record across the centuries provides a more complex picture. While the short period of the 1930s to the 1970s saw the Court end segregation and safeguard both free speech and the vote, during the preceding period, the Court largely ignored or suppressed basic rights for many Americans. The succeeding period, too, saw a retreat and even regression on gains made toward racial justice. Prizewinning author and professor of history Orville Vernon Burton charts the Court’s racial jurisprudence, discussing the many cases involving America’s racial minorities and the impact of individual rulings. Recorded on July 6, 2023 

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2025. Bestselling author Walter Isaacson, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, discusses the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning Jennifer Doudna who, with her collaborators, created a DNA-editing tool with the power to revolutionize human health. Recorded on  February 19, 2021 

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2025. Enshrined in our Constitution and etched into our currency, religion is inextricable from the fabric of American political and social life. The ubiquity of religion in our national history has also made it an elusive, at times contradictory, force in this country’s growth—one that is associated with freedom and tolerance as often as it is with censure and control. Catherine Brekus, professor of American religious history at Harvard Divinity School, joins David Rubenstein to discuss the complex and fascinating role religious practice and expression has played in shaping the United States. Recorded on November 20, 2020

Lasting from 1865 to 1877, Reconstruction in the American South was an aspirational endeavor that brought with it newly enshrined rights for Black Americans, including Black male suffrage, birthright citizenship, and equal protection under the law, as well as the hope of national reconciliation. Despite early progress in education and government, lack of support and Southern resistance led to setbacks. In this conversation, Selwyn Vickers joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss how challenges to justice, citizenship, and equality persist. Recorded on January 30, 2024

As the man who led the effort to create the most violent weapon in the history of mankind with the invention of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer is a divisive figure in American history. From his childhood in New York City to his career as a physicist through World War II and the Cold War, Kai Bird offers a riveting account of Oppenheimer’s life and how he weighed the complex moral implications of his life’s work. Recorded on April 3, 2024

John F. Kennedy advised Americans to ask not what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country. Scholar Danielle Allen argues that civic engagement such as Kennedy was suggesting is the only true path to a just society—a framework she refers to as “power-sharing liberalism.” While liberalism more generally is the idea that a government should be based on rights that both protect and empower individuals, Allen’s proposed framework calls for a country in which no single group has a monopoly on political, economic, or social power—a society that can only be achieved if the people stand up and speak and the government listens. Recorded on February 28, 2024

Samuel Adams was called “the most elegant writer, the most sagacious politician, and celebrated patriot” by John Adams, his second cousin, and was applauded by other colleagues such as Thomas Jefferson. A mastermind behind the Boston Tea Party who helped mobilize the colonies to revolution, he is nonetheless an often overlooked figure amongst the Founding Fathers. Historian Stacy Schiff examines his transformation from the listless, failing son of a wealthy family into the tireless, silver-tongued revolutionary who rallied the likes of John Hancock and John Adams behind him. Recorded on November 28, 2023

In a time when crossing political party lines can seem as treacherous as crossing a fault line during an earthquake, it could be difficult to believe that Abraham Lincoln, in a country even more divided than our contentious present-day one, repeatedly worked with those who disagreed with him. But Lincoln understood that as a politician it was his duty to do whatever was necessary for the betterment of the country, even if that meant reaching across a very perilous aisle. Steve Inskeep demonstrates how the 16th president used his unique brand of political acumen—including humor, storytelling, and self-deprecation—to push his agenda through and reunite a divided nation. Recorded on December 20, 2023

What did “the pursuit of happiness” mean to our nation’s Founders, and why was it included in the Declaration of Independence? Listed as one of America’s unalienable rights, this phrase finds its roots in the classical works of the Greek and Roman moral philosophers which would have made up our Founders’ libraries. Speaking to the moral character that the Founders hoped to imbue in the new American citizen, it also exemplified a dedication to the idea of personal self-government. Yet like so many of our founding documents, this phrase in the Declaration of Independence sat in stark contrast to the legality of slavery in the new nation. In conversation with David Rubenstein, constitutional expert Jeffrey Rosen explores the origins and implications of this iconic phrase in the American lexicon. Recorded on March 4, 2024

Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, oppressive voter registration literacy tests disenfranchised Black voters across the United States. In direct response to these restrictions, community organizers and activists launched an underground Citizenship Schools project that helped tens of thousands of Black citizens not only learn to read and write, but how to navigate Jim Crow literacy tests and demand their right to vote. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Elaine Weiss takes a deep dive into the stories of four organizers at the center of this movement: Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, Myles Horton, and Bernice Robinson. Recorded on February 27, 2025 

Seeking to wrest control of New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the English King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, appointed Richard Nicolls to lead a flotilla to conquer Manhattan Island. Nicolls, with a blend of might and diplomatic tact, would make the integration of Dutch colonists a vital part of his takeover, birthing what was in many ways the blueprint of the modern city. Russell Shorto joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss New York’s origins and how a period of 17th-century imperial conflict and diplomacy between the British and the Dutch shaped the city we know today. Recorded on February 21, 2025

James Patterson is one of the most popular storytellers of our time. The creator of some of the most popular characters and series in fiction, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, he has also written on fascinating true stories from the lives of the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods. As a co-author, he has also written bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, he speaks about his life and prolific career as an iconic American writer. Recorded on January 25, 2025

President Theodore Roosevelt is often described as an icon of American masculinity. From his military past as a Rough Rider to his history of undertaking dangerous wilderness expeditions, Roosevelt’s image has been associated with rugged bravery and steely determination. Behind this persona, however, were the women—family members, friends, and wives—upon whom he relied and who guided Roosevelt in matters both personal and political. Author Edward O’Keefe joins David M. Rubenstein to trace the lives and influence of these women, who fundamentally shaped Roosevelt’s life and political career. Recorded on December 12, 2024

When President James Garfield assumed the office of the presidency in March 1881, he stood at the helm of a deeply polarized and fragmented nation. Known as a reformer as well as a broker of compromise during his time in Congress, Garfield would scarcely have time to implement change as president before being assassinated only four months into his term. In this talk with David M. Rubenstein, biographer C.W. Goodyear discusses the life and legacy of President Garfield, a complex and often contradictory figure who became a martyr for democracy. Recorded on July 29, 2024 

In the eyes of the nation and the world, the American presidency is a steadfast institution, one that symbolizes the United States' enduring strength and international leadership. In reality, the presidency is ever-evolving, as the contours of its powers and the expectations that come with them are continually reshaped by those who hold the office. Drawing on interviews with multiple living US presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as conversations with leading presidential historians, David M. Rubenstein sits down with Douglas Brinkley to explore the history, responsibility, and myths surrounding America's highest office. Recorded on September 23, 2024

Donald Trump’s so-called “hush money” trial was a historic episode in Trump’s unprecedented political career. The trial provided unique insight into the freedoms and limitations of the American presidency, and how our political system is and isn’t equipped to respond to complex intersections of the law and the country’s highest office. Jonathan Alter—one of only a handful of journalists present in the courtroom in April 2024—joins us to discussTrump’s trial, its aftermath, and the larger context in which the judicial struggle unfolded. Recorded on December 5, 2024 

The complex legacy of Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency remains poorly understood by the American public. Often wholly overshadowed by the era-defining Reagan administration that would follow, Carter’s four years at the nation’s helm reflect a unique and singular American leader, one with deep moral convictions and who asked questions of the nation that may have been ahead of their time. Author Kai Bird sits down with David Rubenstein to examine the triumphs and challenges of the Carter administration. Recorded on June 11, 2021 

An almost mythic figure in American sports history, Jim Thorpe is remembered for his unrivaled athletic talents. He was an Olympic gold medalist, an All-American football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a Major League Baseball player. In spite of his sporting prowess, however, Thorpe’s life was marked by struggle, from the discrimination he faced as a Native American to the controversial rescinding of his Olympic medals. Author David Maraniss joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss the trials and triumphs of an American sports legend. Recorded on August 23, 2024 

Once a dedicated general of the Confederate army, risking his life in defense of slavery, James Longstreet’s life took an unprecedented turn in the years after America’s bloody civil war. After fighting alongside Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg, Longstreet became a staunch supporter of Black voting rights during Reconstruction and even led an interracial militia into battle against a white supremacist insurrection in Louisiana. Historian Elizabeth Varon joins David Rubenstein for this eye-opening discussion of one of the Civil War’s most complex figures.Recorded on September 7, 2024 

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Rick Atkinson joins David Rubenstein to uncover the untold stories and moral conflicts—from both the American and British perspective—of the first 21 months of the Revolutionary War. Through the lens of a rich cast of characters, Atkinson makes clear the human consequences of this epic conflict at the dawn of the American story that pitted an ersatz Continental Army against the formidable British empire. Recorded on February 5, 2024 

The women’s suffrage movement was a hard-fought, decades-long campaign to extend that most essential of democratic rights to all Americans regardless of sex. That protracted struggle would rapidly come to a head in August of 1920 in Tennessee, the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. Author and journalist Elaine Weiss talks with David Rubenstein about the struggles of the suffragists against misogynistic politics, members of the church, and even other women in that fateful month when everything hung in the balance. Recorded on September 25, 2020

Joe Biden’s legacy as America’s 46th president is still in the making. President Biden took office shortly after the attempted coup on January 6th, during the cresting of one of the most fatal waves of COVID-19, and in a period of severe economic disruption. While his historic decision not to seek reelection may prove decisive in the 2024 presidential race, his term as president offers a fascinating picture of his political career and the Democratic party. In conversation with David Rubenstein this February, author and journalist Franklin Foer explores how President Biden attempted to tackle the challenges facing America today. Recorded on February 20, 2024 

Enshrined in our Constitution and etched into our currency, religion is inextricable from the fabric of American political and social life. The ubiquity of religion in our national history has also made it an elusive, at times contradictory, force in this country’s growth—one that is associated with freedom and tolerance as often as it is with censure and control. Catherine Brekus, professor of American religious history at Harvard Divinity School, joins David Rubenstein to discuss the complex and fascinating role religious practice and expression has played in shaping the United States. Recorded on November 20, 2020

The US Capitol building is a powerful physical symbol of representative democracy, with its famous dome one of America’s most iconic architectural feats. The solidity and dependability of that symbol, however, belie the dynamic history of the ever-changing building itself. Alan Hantman, architect of the Capitol from 1997 to 2007, joins David M. Rubenstein to provide a personal account of the inner workings of the Capitol, shedding light on who runs the building, how and why it changes over time, and how it has endured crises such as the 1998 US Capitol shooting, 9/11, and January 6. Recorded on July 8, 2024

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2024. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has helped reshape the nation’s collective understanding of the legacy of slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality. The storied filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic, and institution builder discusses this important history and how his scholarly work has developed how we learn about and understand the American story. Recorded on January 22, 2021

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2024. In 1924, Congress put in place strict quotas that impacted national immigration policy for decades. Interweaving her own family’s story, New York Times deputy national editor Jia Lynn Yang uncovers how presidents from Harry S. Truman through LBJ and a coalition of lawmakers and activists fought to transform the American immigration system. Recorded on September 11, 2020

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2024. Walter Isaacson discusses his career as a preeminent historian and biographer, how he chooses the people he writes about, and why he is fascinated by them. This includes his books Steve Jobs, the authorized biography of the Apple Inc. co-founder written by Isaacson at the subject’s request, and Leonardo da Vinci. Recorded on December 18, 2018

Please enjoy this re-release of a past episode of For the Ages. New episodes will return Fall 2024. The fight for LGBTQ civil rights is long and hard-fought—and it still continues today. Award-winning author and renowned scholar Lillian Faderman discusses the history of the movement, from the 1950s up through the fight for marriage equality and beyond. Recorded September 25, 2020

Of all the threats facing the country today, perhaps the most critical are those coming from within. In the face of rising apathy, anger, division, and disinformation, how can U.S. citizens ensure the survival of the American experiment? Richard Haass, an esteemed diplomat and policymaker, looks beyond the nation’s Bill of Rights and emphasizes key commitments that citizens can make to one another and to the government to safeguard the future of democracy. Recorded on February 9, 2023

While institutional and systemic racism is well documented in the Postbellum and Reconstruction South, its effects on African Americans in the Northern United States, as well as how those practices have shaped contemporary society, is often less understood. Scholar and historian Khalil Gibran Muhammed sits down with David M. Rubenstein to shine a light on the 19th and 20th century manipulation of racial crime statistics that has erroneously guided much of American public policy—influencing everything from education to incarceration—for over a century, tracing our nation’s codified persecution of African Americans from slavery through the Great Migration and beyond. Recorded on December 21, 2023

Marking one of the shortest presidencies in American history, James A. Garfield died less than seven months after inauguration due to a bullet wound sustained during an attempted assassination. A Civil War hero born into abject poverty, President Garfield’s attempted assassination set off a bitter struggle for power in the American government—even extending to contention surrounding the medical care used to treat his wound. Candice Millard, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, offers an extraordinary account of Garfield’s momentous, if brief, presidential career and the legacy left not only by his work but by his death. Recorded on April 11, 2023

After serving for three months as vice president, Harry S. Truman, at age 60, suddenly inherited the White House. The nearly eight years that followed were unusually turbulent—marked by victory in the wars against Germany and Japan, the first use of an atomic weapon and the development of far deadlier weapons, the Cold War, the Red Scare, the Marshall Plan, and the fateful decision to fight a land war in Korea. How did Truman become the steadfast leader who, in the rush of events, helped shape the postwar world? Recorded on March 15, 2023