Cleanliness with John Quincy Adams
Exploring Adams’ devotion to personal and political self-government
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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.
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Credits
Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide To Happiness is produced by PRX Productions for the National Constitution Center. It is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation.
Episode 10, Cleanliness with John Quincy Adams is hosted by Jeffrey Rosen, featuring David Waldstreicher and Ken Burns with voice acting by Robin Linn and Gregory Parks.
© 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.
From PRX Productions: Genevieve Sponsler, Courtney Fleurantin, David Newtown, Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, and Jocelyn Gonzalez
From the National Constitution Center: Annie Stone, Griffin Richie, and Bill Pollock
"The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness" by Jeffrey Rosen. Arrangements by Greg Strohman. Featuring James Martin, Jennifer Blyth, and Greg Strohman.
© ℗ 2025 Jeffrey Rosen. All Rights Reserved.
