Joseph Ellis & America’s Great Contradictions

About this episode

Joseph Ellis discusses his new book on the contradictions of the American Founding and shares his views on presentism.

We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph Ellis to talk about his new book The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding, and what we can learn from the founders on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. Ellis also shares his disdain for “presentism” and his strong feelings about America’s present. Sign up for the free Plodding Substack newsletter at plodding.substack.com for a chance to win a copy of Ellis’s new book. Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon community for ad-free episodes and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://plodding-through-the-presidents.dashery.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Joseph Ellis

Topics covered

• American Founding
• Joseph Ellis
• presentism
• history
• contradictions

Keywords

• Pulitzer Prize
• The Great Contradiction
• America's 250th birthday

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Great Contradiction

Books & works: America’s Great Contradictions, Pulitzer Prize, The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding

Places: America

More episodes of Plodding Through The Presidents

• Encore: The Peacemaker and the Cradle Robber · June 8, 2026 · 1h 8m
• How Taft Got Stuck in the Bathtub · April 9, 2026 · 30 min
• In Pursuit of a Rising Sun · February 17, 2026 · 45 min
• Season 7 Trailer · February 15, 2026 · 1 min
• Hamilton, Jefferson, and an American Caesar with Jeffrey Rosen · December 31, 2025 · 48 min
• Friendsgiving Spectacular 2025 · November 24, 2025 · 1h 7m