New from the Washington Presidential Library, Leadership and Legacy invites prominent leaders and historians to reflect on their growth, challenges, and innovative approaches that made them the leaders that they are today, as well as how these questions can be informed by the past — in particular the lessons and legacy of George Washington. Learn more at ⁠www.georgewashingtonpodcast.com.

The publication of the Farewell Address was a momentous occasion for the young United States. In it, Washington established the most significant precedent of his presidency: the two-term limit. By giving up power, Washington ensured a peaceful transition for the next president. He sent the message that the presidency was not a lifetime appointment. And he did so willingly. In the final episode of Inventing the Presidency, we discuss Washington's final moments in office and reflect on his lead

Ona Maria Judge was twenty years old when the young enslaved woman walked out the doors of the Presidential mansion and never returned. Judge's courageous act of self-emancipation launched a national search and tested Washington's commitment to gradual abolition on the national stage. In this episode of Inventing the Presidency, Dr. Bruce Ragsdale and Ramin Ganeshram discuss abolition, slavery, and the remarkable stories of Ona Judge and Hercules Posey.

In 1794, the United States was on the brink of war. But the British weren't the only ones on the offensive. An incendiary printer with a famous grandfather would soon accuse Washington of treason, tyranny, even murder. In this episode, Joseph Adelman and Lindsay Chervinsky discuss the backlash surrounding the Jay Treaty and the controversial newspaper run by Benjamin Franklin Bache.

In 1793, a charismatic young Frenchman would arrive on American shores. His goal? To recruit American support for France’s War against Britain. As his popularity with Americans soared, Washington faced a new crisis that would pit him between two mighty European nations. Refuse the French, and the United States risked destroying one of their few alliances. Defy the British and the American experiment would be over.

Since news emerged that rare 18th-century cherries were discovered at Mount Vernon, archaeologists have uncovered more artifacts from George Washington’s basement. In this exclusive interview, archaeologists Dr. Jason Boroughs and Lily Carhart reveal their latest discoveries, including the name of the last person who may have placed hands on these bottles before they were buried over 200 years before.