Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, is a 12-part series hosted by Jeffrey Rosen featuring Ken Burns and leading scholars. It explores how the founders understood personal growth and lifelong learning as essential to the common good, why those ideas matter today, and how you can put them into practice.

In our last episode, listeners share some big and small changes that they have made. Plus, Jeffrey Rosen, filmmaker Ken Burns, and scholar Robert P. George explore Benjamin Franklin’s virtue of silence, which he defines as “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.” Watch the full performance of the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs/pursuit-of-happiness-song-cycles-by-jeffrey-rosen">Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles</a> by Jeffrey Rosen. Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

In our last episode, listeners share some big and small changes that they have made. Plus, Jeffrey Rosen, filmmaker Ken Burns, and scholar Robert P. George explore Benjamin Franklin’s virtue of silence, which he defines as “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.” 
Watch the full performance of the Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles by Jeffrey Rosen. 
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Benjamin Franklin’s path to “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself”

Episode 12: Silence in Order to Listen

In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Blight and filmmaker Ken Burns explore how a lifelong love of learning and a desire to promote justice shaped the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. He met Abraham Lincoln three times, and those three meetings helped shape Lincoln’s evolving views on emancipation.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Blight and filmmaker Ken Burns explore how a lifelong love of learning and a desire to promote justice shaped the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. He met Abraham Lincoln three times, and those three meetings helped shape Lincoln’s evolving views on emancipation.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Douglass’ life, love of learning, and quest for justice

Episode 11: Justice with Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

By the end of his life, John Quincy Adams was an ardent opponent of slavery, earning the nickname “Old Man Eloquent” for his fierce advocacy in the House of Representatives. In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Waldstreicher and filmmaker Ken Burns unpack how this son of the Revolution became Congress’s primary enemy of slavery.Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/Pursuit">voice message</a> with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

By the end of his life, John Quincy Adams was an ardent opponent of slavery, earning the nickname “Old Man Eloquent” for his fierce advocacy in the House of Representatives. In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Waldstreicher and filmmaker Ken Burns unpack how this son of the Revolution became Congress’s primary enemy of slavery.
Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a voice message with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Adams’ devotion to personal and political self-government

Episode 10: Cleanliness with John Quincy Adams

While at Princeton, James Madison was exposed to faculty psychology, the idea that balancing the different parts of the soul achieves harmony. Jeffrey Rosen, Professor Colleen Sheehan and filmmaker Ken Burns explore how Madison infused these lessons about faculty psychology into his political philosophy and embraced the notion that personal self-government is necessary for political self-government.Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/Pursuit">voice message</a> with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
</li>
<li>Support our important work:</li>
</ul><h3><a href="https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=tcs&amp;amp;formId=4e7ea4bb-4b30-44fd-b810-4df9746c0941&amp;amp;envid=p-kujBsRHWQkmaI9zD7QzCfg&amp;amp;zone=usa&amp;amp;_gl=1*k6rc0*_gcl_au*MTUxNDk3MDgyMy4xNzUzMTI3MDgy*_ga*MTk0Mzc2MDA5Ni4xNjY5OTkwMTUy*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*czE3NTczNDIxNTUkbzM1MSRnMSR0MTc1NzM0MjI2MyRqNDEkbDAkaDA">Donate</a></h3> 

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

While at Princeton, James Madison was exposed to faculty psychology, the idea that balancing the different parts of the soul achieves harmony. Jeffrey Rosen, Professor Colleen Sheehan and filmmaker Ken Burns explore how Madison infused these lessons about faculty psychology into his political philosophy and embraced the notion that personal self-government is necessary for political self-government.
Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a voice message with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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



Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Madison’s life, legacy, and the lessons he can teach us about harmony

Episode 9: Tranquility with James Madison

Alexander Hamilton was defined by his “ruling passion” for fame and spent his life trying to control his ambition. Jeffrey Rosen, historian Stephen Knott and Ken Burns will explore Hamilton’s life and legacy to see what lessons he can teach us about restraint.Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/Pursuit">voice message</a> with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Alexander Hamilton was defined by his “ruling passion” for fame and spent his life trying to control his ambition. Jeffrey Rosen, historian Stephen Knott and Ken Burns will explore Hamilton’s life and legacy to see what lessons he can teach us about restraint.
Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a voice message with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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



Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring Hamilton’s life, legacy, and the lessons he can teach us about restraint

Episode 8: Moderation with Alexander Hamilton

George Washington’s defining leadership quality is that he fulfilled his promise to relinquish power after the conclusion of both the Revolutionary War and his second presidential term. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Ken Burns and Washington biographer Ed Larson about the importance of keeping your word and letting go.Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/Pursuit">voice message</a> with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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<li>Support our important work:</li>
</ul><h3><a href="https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=tcs&amp;amp;formId=4e7ea4bb-4b30-44fd-b810-4df9746c0941&amp;amp;envid=p-kujBsRHWQkmaI9zD7QzCfg&amp;amp;zone=usa&amp;amp;_gl=1*k6rc0*_gcl_au*MTUxNDk3MDgyMy4xNzUzMTI3MDgy*_ga*MTk0Mzc2MDA5Ni4xNjY5OTkwMTUy*_ga_0H9LQSTDVE*czE3NTczNDIxNTUkbzM1MSRnMSR0MTc1NzM0MjI2MyRqNDEkbDAkaDA">Donate</a></h3>

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

George Washington’s defining leadership quality is that he fulfilled his promise to relinquish power after the conclusion of both the Revolutionary War and his second presidential term. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Ken Burns and Washington biographer Ed Larson about the importance of keeping your word and letting go.
Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a voice message with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring the discipline of keeping your word and letting go

Episode 7: Resolution with George Washington

In 1773, Phillis Wheatley became the first African American to publish a book in English. Her poems show a deep understanding of previous poets, a drive to represent herself and her world in the printed page, and a belief in equality. Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Waldstreicher and Ken Burns explore how her life highlights the importance of acting with sincerity, no matter how many people may be against you.Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a <a href="https://www.speakpipe.com/Pursuit">voice message</a> with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

In 1773, Phillis Wheatley became the first African American to publish a book in English. Her poems show a deep understanding of previous poets, a drive to represent herself and her world in the printed page, and a belief in equality. Jeffrey Rosen, Professor David Waldstreicher and Ken Burns explore how her life highlights the importance of acting with sincerity, no matter how many people may be against you.
Now that you’ve learned that the pursuit of happiness means being good, not feeling good, how has that affected your daily life? Send a voice message with your thoughts on this question and we may even include excerpts in our final episode.
Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring how Wheatley’s life and work show the importance of acting with sincerity

Episode 6: Sincerity with Phillis Wheatley

Thomas Jefferson was well-known for offering advice about industry and frugality to his family members and friends, and he was passionate about expanding public education in America. Unfortunately, he did not always live up to his own ideals. Jeffrey Rosen talks with Dr. Alan Shaw Taylor and Ken Burns on what we can learn from Jefferson’s commitment to education and struggles with debt.  Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Thomas Jefferson was well-known for offering advice about industry and frugality to his family members and friends, and he was passionate about expanding public education in America. Unfortunately, he did not always live up to his own ideals. Jeffrey Rosen talks with Dr. Alan Shaw Taylor and Ken Burns on what we can learn from Jefferson’s commitment to education and struggles with debt. 


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Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring the tensions of Thomas Jefferson's emphasis on frugality and desire to expand public education

Episode 5: Thomas Jefferson’s Debts

In 1771, Thomas Jefferson sent his friend Robert Skipwith a curated reading list. In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, with the help of scholar Eric Slauter and Ken Burns, dives into Jefferson’s recommendations and the importance of deep daily reading. Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
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<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

In 1771, Thomas Jefferson sent his friend Robert Skipwith a curated reading list. In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen, with the help of scholar Eric Slauter and Ken Burns, dives into Jefferson’s recommendations and the importance of deep daily reading.


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Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate
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Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube

Support our important work:
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Jefferson’s daily reading schedule and favorite book recommendations

Episode 4: Industry with Thomas Jefferson’s Reading List

John and Abigail Adams formed a partnership fueled by intellectual curiosity, a desire to be the best versions of themselves and many, many letters. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with political historian Lindsay Chervinsky and Ken Burns on how John and Abigail supported each other through the birth of the United States. Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

John and Abigail Adams formed a partnership fueled by intellectual curiosity, a desire to be the best versions of themselves and many, many letters. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with political historian Lindsay Chervinsky and Ken Burns on how John and Abigail supported each other through the birth of the United States.


Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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:
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Explore the Adams’ correspondence, deep commitment, and sense of humor

Episode 3: Humility with John and Abigail Adams

In his autobiography at the age of 79, Benjamin Franklin attributed the happiness of his long life to his “evenness of temper,” rather than to his public accomplishments. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Franklin scholar Stacy Schiff about why he put temperance first on his list of virtues. Then, Ken Burns shares what he takes away from Ben Franklin’s incomplete quest for moral perfection. Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
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<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

In his autobiography at the age of 79, Benjamin Franklin attributed the happiness of his long life to his “evenness of temper,” rather than to his public accomplishments. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Franklin scholar Stacy Schiff about why he put temperance first on his list of virtues. Then, Ken Burns shares what he takes away from Ben Franklin’s incomplete quest for moral perfection.


Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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:
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Franklin’s “Bold and Arduous project of arriving at Moral Perfection”

Episode 2: Expansive Temperance with Benjamin Franklin

The “pursuit of happiness” is one of the most famous phrases in American history, and when America’s founders wrote it in the Declaration of Independence, they intended it to mean happiness through lifelong learning and self-improvement. To start our series, Jeffrey Rosen and scholar Robert P. George, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, trace how the meaning of pursuit of happiness has changed. Then, American filmmaker Ken Burns shares how — even as he has spent his “entire life trying to figure out the United States” — daily self-reflection has given him new perspectives on what the founders faced 250 years ago.  Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
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<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

The “pursuit of happiness” is one of the most famous phrases in American history, and when America’s founders wrote it in the Declaration of Independence, they intended it to mean happiness through lifelong learning and self-improvement. 
To start our series, Jeffrey Rosen and scholar Robert P. George, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, trace how the meaning of pursuit of happiness has changed. Then, American filmmaker Ken Burns shares how — even as he has spent his “entire life trying to figure out the United States” — daily self-reflection has given him new perspectives on what the founders faced 250 years ago. 


Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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:
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Explore what "pursuit of happiness" meant to America’s Founders

Episode 1: In Order to Be Happy

Here’s something that you probably didn’t learn in school: America’s founders spent much of their time reading about how to be better people. And that lifelong quest for self-improvement––in order to be more virtuous citizens––was what they meant by “the pursuit of happiness.” They defined happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good. However, the founders often failed to live up to this lofty goal, and many were honest about their shortcomings. Each episode of Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness expands upon one of the classical virtues that inspired Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson––like temperance, humility, silence, and justice––through the founders’ own writings and through conversations with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns joins host Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to share their own founders-inspired self-improvement practices.  As we near the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, exploring the true meaning of the “pursuit of happiness” inspires us to reflect on the importance of lifelong learning and how we can change our own lives for the better. Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, is a 12-part series hosted by Jeffrey Rosen featuring Ken Burns and leading scholars. It explores how the founders understood personal growth and lifelong learning as essential to the common good, why those ideas matter today, and how you can put them into practice. Listen to the first episode, “In Order to Be Happy," in your favorite podcast app. New episodes will be released every Tuesday. Stay Connected and Learn More<ul>
<li>Questions or comments about the show? Email us at <a href="mailto:podcast@constitutioncenter.org">podcast@constitutioncenter.org</a>
</li>
<li>Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr </li>
<li>Explore the <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250">America at 250 Civic Toolkit</a>
</li>
<li>Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/about/press-room/press-releases/national-constitution-center-and-arizona-state-university-announce-new-online-course-on-civic-virtue">'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’</a> and <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/forms/civic-virtue-online-course">sign up for email updates</a> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://bit.ly/constitutionweekly">Sign up</a> to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate</li>
<li>Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen</li>
<li>Join us for an upcoming <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/news-debate/americas-town-hall-programs">live program</a> or watch recordings on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAU4X6DUZSt5n6aI74Hw0A">YouTube</a>
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Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.

Here’s something that you probably didn’t learn in school: America’s founders spent much of their time reading about how to be better people. And that lifelong quest for self-improvement––in order to be more virtuous citizens––was what they meant by “the pursuit of happiness.” They defined happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good. However, the founders often failed to live up to this lofty goal, and many were honest about their shortcomings. 
Each episode of Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness expands upon one of the classical virtues that inspired Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson––like temperance, humility, silence, and justice––through the founders’ own writings and through conversations with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns joins host Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to share their own founders-inspired self-improvement practices.  
As we near the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, exploring the true meaning of the “pursuit of happiness” inspires us to reflect on the importance of lifelong learning and how we can change our own lives for the better. 
Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, is a 12-part series hosted by Jeffrey Rosen featuring Ken Burns and leading scholars. It explores how the founders understood personal growth and lifelong learning as essential to the common good, why those ideas matter today, and how you can put them into practice. 
Listen to the first episode, “In Order to Be Happy," in your favorite podcast app. New episodes will be released every Tuesday.


Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit

Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
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

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.