The Founders with Historian Alexis Coe

The five freedoms protected by the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition — are among the values America is best known for. NPR Senior Political Correspondent Tamara Keith joins us to discuss how these freedoms have shaped American democracy and how President Kennedy and other modern presidents have understood their importance.

The U.S. Constitution has served as the foundation of American democracy for nearly 250 years, guiding the nation through war, economic hardship, political upheaval, and profound change. In this episode of JFK35, historian Barbara Perry joins us to explore the Constitution's enduring importance and how presidents—including John F. Kennedy—have understood their oath to preserve, protect, and defend it.

President John F. Kennedy's connection to the sea shaped his life from an early age to the his time in the White House. In this episode, JFK Presidential Library Director Alan Price explores how the sea helped shape President Kennedy's life and presidency, while examining the vital role America's oceans and maritime history have played throughout the nation's 250-year story.

Two-hundred and fifty years after America's founders declared the United States free and independent from Great Britain, we look back at the choices they made to shape a new nation—and how their leadership influenced future presidents, including President John F. Kennedy. Award-winning presidential historian, fellow at New America, and bestselling author Alexis Coe joins us to explore America's earliest leaders, the challenges they faced, and how President Kennedy—and other presidents who followed—drew on their legacy.

As part of JFK35's America 250 season, former U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan joins us to discuss In Pursuit, a new essay project that explores the lessons America's presidents and first ladies can offer as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. Together, we examine the importance of preserving history, the role of public memory in a democracy, and how understanding our past can help strengthen the future of the United States.

From a young woman's sketch of John F. Kennedy with a mustache to boxes of dog treats discovered in his Oval Office desk on the day he died, the JFK Presidential Library and Museum preserves artifacts that reveal personal, unexpected, and deeply human sides of history. In this episode, we speak with Supervisory Archivist Abbey Malangone and Museum Curator Janice Hodson about some revealing items from the Library's vast collections — from public tributes to everyday objects — and the stories they continue to tell about President Kennedy's life and legacy.

The JFK Library holds thousands of primary source treasures that bring history to life. In this episode, JFK Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor takes us behind the scenes to explore the original records showing how Jacqueline Kennedy reimagined the White House as the People's House. We'll also hear the voice of one of President Kennedy's closest friends, preserved in an intimate oral history.

At the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, history isn't frozen behind glass — each artifact has its own story to tell. This episode, we talk with the JFK Library Foundation's Maggie Bramley about the museum items that continue to inspire her — from the Kennedy family bible to a commode gifted to the President and Mrs. Kennedy by French President Charles de Gaulle.

Lessons from a letter? JFK Presidential Library Education Director Suzi Fonda shares some of her favorite letters from children who picked up their pens urging President Kennedy to take action on Civil Rights.

In the first episode of our Staff Picks series, Library Director Alan Price highlights three artifacts that capture pivotal moments that shaped President John F. Kennedy's life. The coconut shell that carried his rescue message during World War II tells a story of courage and resilience, a letter from the surviving members of the Amagiri show how two bitter enemies can make peace, while Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding dress symbolizes a new chapter for the future president. Together, these pieces reveal how personal experiences shaped the leader we know today.