Jefferson's Embargo at 200 |
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 Jim Sofka speaking at Monticello's Jefferson Library
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Author and lecturer, Jim Sofka re-examines one of the most controversial—and unusual—of American foreign policies, the Embargo Act. With the stroke of a pen on Decmeber 22, 1807, President Jefferson suspended all American trade and shipping with Europe and ordered all American vessels to vacate the Atlantic Ocean. The policy lasted through the remainder of Jefferson’s Presidency, left American vessels and goods idling and rotting in port, and led his popularity to plummet. The stakes were high: the Embargo is frequently interpreted as the first salvo of the conflict with Britain that would culminate in the War of 1812. Scholars have been sharply divided in their interpretations of the policy, and the Embargo has been praised as “a magnificent test of a new theory of international law” and castigated as an ill-conceived “prologue to war.” (Originally presented at the ICJS on November 27, 2007. Added to Monticello Podcasts on December 15, 2007. Approx. 1 hour) |
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Jefferson's Debt and His Career as A Shopper |
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 Jefferson's Silver Askos, based on a Roman model |
Herbert Sloan, a professor of early American history at Barnard College and author of Principle and Interest: Thomas Jefferson and the Problem of Debt on Jefferson's career as a 'shopper' and the extent to which his purchasing habits may have added to his debt. (Originally presented at the ICJS on April 6, 2007. Added to Monticello Podcasts on June 1. Approx. 1.2 hours) |
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The Declaration of Independence: A Global History |
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 Detail from the Declaration of Independence |
Prize-winning historian and author, David Armitage, author of The Declaration Of Independence: A Global History places this most American of documents into international and global contexts, from 1776 to the present, to show its impact on the shaping of our modern world. (Originally presented on March 22, 2007, as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book. Added to Monticello Podcasts on April 11. Approx. 1 hour) |
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Jefferson and a Populist Approach to Intellectual Property Rights |
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 Detail from Eli Whitney's patent for the cotton gin; courtesy NARA. |
As a member of the first patent board under the U.S. Constitution with a reputation for invention, Thomas Jefferson's shadow looms large over the debate over intellectual property. Jeffrey Matsuura, a lawyer, author, and former professor at the University of Dayton Law School, provides an engaging and accessible examination of Jefferson’s views on intellectual property rights and their relationship to creative expression, scientific inquiry, education, invention, and innovation. (Originally presented on June 29, 2006, as part of the ICJS's ongoing Fellows Forum series. Added to Monticello Podcasts on December 7, 2006. Approx. 1 hour) |
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ICJS-related talks and features previously offered in Monticello Podcasts:
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Home » Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies Podcasts