In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan

In 1868, Ulysses S. Grant faced his greatest challenge since the end of the Civil War when President Andrew Johnson appointed him Acting Secretary of War. How did Johnson's actions put Grant squarely in the middle of a Constitutional crisis? Colleen Shogan talks with General Stanley A. McChrystal (ret.) about Grant's sense of duty, his commitment to the rule of law, and the controversy that led to the first presidential impeachment in American history.Read McChrystal essay on Ulysses S. Grant. Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA

The story of Mary Lincoln's life is often a tale of mental illness, frivolous spending habits, and a rocky marriage to husband, Abraham. But what if we have Mary all wrong? Colleen Shogan talks with author Lois Romano about Mary's difficult childhood, her tenure as First Lady during the Civil War, and her fight to reclaim her own life in widowhood. Read Lois Romano's essay on Mary Lincoln. Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA

How did Abraham Lincoln redefine the American Union amidst the horrors of the Civil War? Colleen Shogan talks with historian Harold Holzer about Lincoln's early life, his emergence as a leader of the Republican Party, and his vision for a new birth of freedom in the United States.Harold Holzer is the Jonathan F. Fanton Director of The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City. He is the author of numerous books on Abraham Lincoln. Read President Barack Obama's essay on Abraham Lincoln. Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA

Franklin Pierce had all the makings of a successful president - the experience, the military service, the charm - and yet he is often remembered as one of America's worst chief executives. So how did a man with such a fine resume plunge the nation deeper into crisis over the expansion of slavery? Colleen Shogan talks with Pulitizer Prize-winner author David W. Blight about Pierce's pedigree, the Northern Democrat's pro-Southern sympathies, and his misreading of national politics on the eve of the Civil War.David W. Blight is the Sterling Professor of History at Yale University. He is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (2018). Read Blight's essay on Franklin Pierce. Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusa BlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.social X: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA

Vice President Millard Fillmore never expected to be president, but Zachary Taylor's death in 1850 thrust him into the White House and the national spotlight. So how did the "man of hesitation and double opinions" confront the growing crisis over slavery? Colleen Shogan talks with former congressman Steve Israel about Fillmore's surprising rise, his contradictory opinions, and the compromises that hastened the coming of the civil war.Steve Israel served as a congressman from New York from 2001 to 2017. He is the owner of Theodore’s Books in Oyster Bay and author of the novel, The Einstein Conspiracy (2025).Read Israel's essay on Millard Fillmore.Hosted by Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. Written and Produced by Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. Audio mixing by Curt Dahl of CD Squared. Music from Music Bed. Production Services by Stand Together. In Pursuit is a podcast by More Perfect.Join the Conversation:Tell us who inspires you: https://www.inpursuit.org/join.Please leave a rating and review on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It helps other listeners find the show.Follow In Pursuit:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/In-Pursuit-USA-61580409336588/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inpursuitusa/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@inpursuitusaBlueSkye: https://bsky.app/profile/inpursuitusa.bsky.socialX: https://x.com/InPursuitUSA