Founding Scoundrel
Nov 23, 2012•59 min
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Episode description
Ever think that the Founders were a bunch of demigods with chiseled features, carved in marble and mounted on pedestals, who spent their lives striking poses and making memorable speeches? Yeah, we did too. Then we grew up.
And when we started really studying our Founders, we learned something: while many of them were extraordinary people, they were also, well, people. And that means that they had flaws. Some more than others.
This is the story of one particular Founder who had more than his share of - ahem - moral flexibility, a fellow who did some extraordinary things, but who also had a few of what our younger listeners might call Epic Fails. His name was William Blount, and we call him our Founding Scoundrel.
And when we started really studying our Founders, we learned something: while many of them were extraordinary people, they were also, well, people. And that means that they had flaws. Some more than others.
This is the story of one particular Founder who had more than his share of - ahem - moral flexibility, a fellow who did some extraordinary things, but who also had a few of what our younger listeners might call Epic Fails. His name was William Blount, and we call him our Founding Scoundrel.
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