During the “patriotic season” – Memorial Day, Flag Day, and July 4th – families come together to commemorate the nation, especially our hard-fought independence during the American Revolution. But the complex political events between “Mother England” and her American “daughter” also provide the backdrop to the family dramas that affected many Americans, including the “father of the country” George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin and William Franklin, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, Henry and Lucy Knox, among many others. In many ways, family is very much a part of the history of the holidays. 

Host: Andrew J. Falk

Guest: Phillip Hamilton

Past is Prologue is a humanities podcast that provides the public with the background behind the day's headlines, and offers much-needed context to understand the significance of current events that people observe around them. It seeks to contribute to the public conversation in an engaging, informative, accessible, and constructive way. It's produced by the Department of History in the College of Arts & Humanities at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. We welcome your inquiries and feedback at pastpodcast@cnu.edu.