America at 250: Founding Frenemies and the Rivalries that Shaped the Nation

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Were the relationships between America’s founders really as dramatic as they appear in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton? In reality, they were even more intense.

In this lively and story-driven presentation, historian and podcaster Howard Dorre explores the rivalries, grudges, and political clashes that shaped the early United States—from the bitterness between Benjamin Franklin and both John Adams and Abigail Adams, to the political warfare between Adams and Alexander Hamilton, to the fallout between George Washington and James Madison. But these conflicts didn’t end with the founders. They carried into the next generation of American leadership—where figures like John Quincy Adams confronted an even more explosive disagreement: whether the United States should annex Texas.

Blending vivid storytelling with historical insight, this talk reveals how conflict—not consensus—helped shape the American experiment, and why the battle over Texas became one of the most consequential debates in presidential history.

Howard Dorre is the creator and cohost of the award-winning podcast Plodding Through the Presidents, part of the Airwave Media network, which explores the myths, mysteries, and personalities behind America’s early presidents, founders, and their families.

Following the talk, archivists will share a selection of original materials from the library’s special collections related to U.S. presidents and American history.

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