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We the People

The Dinner Party that Defined America

We the People

National Constitution Center

History, News Commentary, News

4.61K Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this bonus episode, we’re sharing a live conversation with Jeffrey Rosen, Joanne Freeman, George F. Will, and Sean Wilentz exploring Rosen’s new book, which is out this week: The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. Their conversation explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the nation since its founding and continued to drive today’s debates over the balance between liberty and power.  This conversation was originally recorded on February 22, 2025, as part of the NCC’s President’s Council Retreat in Miami, FL.  Resources  Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, (2025)  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠⁠

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello friends, I'm Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center,

0:07.7

and welcome to We the People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.

0:11.2

The National Constitution centers a nonpartisan nonprofit, chartered by Congress, to increase awareness

0:17.0

and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.

0:24.3

I'm so excited that my new book is out this week.

0:28.7

It's called The Pursuit of Liberty, How Hamilton v. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America.

0:32.4

In February, I was honored to convene a great group of historians to talk about the book, and I'm delighted

0:40.3

to share that conversation with you now.

0:43.8

Here's a dinner conversation with Joanne Freeman, George Will and Sean Willens.

0:49.8

Enjoy the show.

0:53.1

This retreat is a thrill to participate in on so many levels, but for me, among the

1:00.4

highlights, is getting to assemble my intellectual heroes to comment on the drafts of my books,

1:08.5

and we did this for the pursuit of happiness, and now I have the incredible privilege of convening three of America's greatest historians of the Hamilton Jefferson debate to discuss with me a book that I've got coming out in October. It's called The Pursuit of Liberty, How Hamilton versus Jefferson,

1:27.6

ignited the lasting battle over power in America.

1:32.1

And I'm relying on this final discussion as a workshop

1:35.0

to refine the conclusion and pin down the arguments of the book.

1:40.5

So I really can't wait for it.

1:42.7

We're going to start with a good question, which I'm really eager to pull the group on.

1:48.0

If you had to pick just one, which team do you feel most temperamentally suited to?

1:54.0

Team Jefferson or Team Hamilton.

1:57.0

I have a party trick of memorizing stuff, but this book is in draft and I haven't yet come close to memorizing it.

2:04.6

So I thought I'd just begin by reading a few paragraphs from the intro and then to kick off our discussion.

...

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