Ben Franklin's world is a production of the

Omaha Institute.

Hello and welcome to a special listener question and answer episode of Ben Franklin's

world. The podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people and events of our early

American past have shaped the present day world we live in. And I'm your host, Liz

Kovart. Over the last four episodes in our Elections in Early America series, you've heard me talk about the

Ben Franklin's World Subscription Program and how one of the perks of this program is that

subscribers receive a monthly bonus episode on the last Friday of each month.

Well, it's the last Friday of October 2020, and I wanted to let you hear what many of our bonus episodes are like so that you can test drive, if you will,

a part of our subscription program. Now, you may recall from the second episode in our

Elections and Early America series, episode 285, that we spoke with Terrence Rucker about the history of the

first federal election in 1788-89 and as you'll recall we noted in that episode how the attention of the nation and the world was fixed upon the first federal elections to Congress, because these were direct national elections, which was quite unique in an experiment during this late 18th century.

This is why our bonus episode this month is about the United States Congress during its earliest days.

In 2018 in episode 202, we spoke with Matt Waznooski,

the historian of the United States House of Representatives,

and Terence Rucker, about the early history of the House.

We investigated topics like how the First and Second Continental Congress's and Confederation

Congress operated.

And the types of precedents and procedures early members of the House of Representatives established

for later members to follow.

In this bonus episode, Matt Wesnuski and Terence Rucker will answer additional questions

you had, such as how early congressmen socialized with each other,

...