
Grading America's first 250 years
From America, Actually with Astead Herndon by Vox Media
May 2, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
Historian Heather Cox Richardson discusses the need for a new social contract as America turns 250 years old.
America at 250 years old may need a new founding document. Historian Heather Cox Richardson drafts a new social contract. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by Shannon Mahoney, video edited by Christopher Snyder, and hosted by Astead Herndon. In this episode, Richardson references a tweet of Boebert's, not a text. A protester holds a copy of the Declaration of Independence and a US flag at a rally. Photo by ANDREW HOLBROOKE/Corbis via Getty Images. You can also watch this episode on youtube.com/vox. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Astead Herndon
Guest: Heather Cox Richardson
Topics covered
- American history
- social contract
- founding document
- political commentary
- historical analysis
Keywords
- America
- 250 years
- founding document
- social contract
- historian
- politics
- history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Vox Media, Vox, Getty Images
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