Description

George Washington’s defining leadership quality is that he fulfilled his promise to relinquish power after the conclusion of both the Revolutionary War and his second presidential term. Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Ken Burns and Washington biographer Ed Larson about the importance of keeping your word and letting go.

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.

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org
• Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr 
• Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit
• Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates 
• 
  Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate
• Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen
• Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube
• Support our important work:

Donate

Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness is made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. © 2025 National Constitution Center. All Rights Reserved.