SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, leading Supreme Court commentators Sarah Isgur and Melissa Murray join to discuss the most important cases and overarching themes of the recently concluded term. Jeffrey Rosen moderates.

Participants

Sarah Isgur is the host of Advisory Opinions and the editor of SCOTUSblog. She has worked in every branch of the federal government and on 3 presidential campaigns. She’s also an ABC News contributor and the author of Last Branch Standing, a deep dive into the inner workings of the Supreme Court.

Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU. Her award-winning public law scholarship considers constitutional law, family law, and reproductive rights and justice. Murray has written extensively about the Supreme Court, the legal recognition of marriage and its alternatives, abortion, and the legal regulation of sex and sexuality.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Trump v. Barbara (2026)
• Trump v. Slaughter (2026)
• Trump v. Cook (2026)
• Sarah Isgur, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court (4/14/2026)
• Melissa Murray, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader (5/5/2026)
• Advisory Opinions

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"Distilling the essence of the American Idea with America’s storyteller"

SHOW NOTES: In this special episode of The Blessings of Liberty, a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns walks through the Declaration of Independence, clause by clause, to encapsulate the big ideas at the heart of the American story. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Participants

Ken Burns is a pioneering force in American documentary filmmaking. He has directed and produced some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Baseball; and Jazz. His films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. His most recent project is The American Revolution, which premiered in November 2025.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Ken Burns, The American Revolution (2025)
• Declaration of Independence

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Continue the conversation by following us on social media.
• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod
• Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness
• Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

Soapbox is the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s bold new conference, taking place November 4-6, 2026, in Philadelphia to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with high-impact keynotes, timely panels, and unforgettable entertainment. It culminates in a show-stopping gala on November 6. Early bird pricing is available from now until July 4. Please go to https://soapbox.fire.org/ to purchase tickets and check out the amazing lineup of speakers!

"Exploring the character and public service of America’s first president"

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, award-winning historian H.W. Brands joins to discuss his new book, American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington. From his early military career to his leadership during the American Revolution and reluctant return to public service as the first president of the United States, American Patriarch brings to life the man who was called to lead time and again by his peers. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Participants

H.W. Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his PhD in history in 1985. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• H.W. Brands, American Patriarch: The Life of George Washington (2026)
• George Washington, “Newburgh Address” (1783)
• George Washington, “Circular Letter to the States” (1783)
• George Washington, “Farewell Address” (1796)

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Continue the conversation by following us on social media.
• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod
• Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness
• Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Through legal advocacy, education, and public awareness, FIRE helps protect open debate and a culture where ideas can be challenged instead of silenced. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"Exploring the personal and public life of America’s 'greatest public servant'"

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, Bob Crawford, bassist for the Grammy-nominated band The Avett Brothers, joins to discuss his new book, America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick. This accessible and entertaining biography tells the tale of Adams’s turbulent government career and his evolving views on slavery. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Participants

Bob Crawford plays the upright bass, bass guitar, and violin for the Grammy-nominated Americana band The Avett Brothers. He is the co-host, alongside Dr. Benjamin Sawyer, of the history podcast The Road to Now, which explains the story behind important events and outstanding individuals of today’s world.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Bob Crawford, America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick (2026)
• John Quincy Adams, “An Oration Addressed to the Citizens of the Town of Quincy, on the Fourth of July, 1831” (1831)
• John Quincy Adams, “Jubilee of the Constitution: A Discourse” (1839)
• Theodore Weld, American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses (1839)
• United States v. The Amistad (1841)

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Continue the conversation by following us on social media.
• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod
• X (Personal): @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod
• Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness
• Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Through legal advocacy, education, and public awareness, FIRE helps protect open debate and a culture where ideas can be challenged instead of silenced. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"Exploring America’s Founding Principles and his Upcoming Memoir"

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, Justice Stephen Breyer, retired associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, joins to discuss our republic’s Founding principles, the First Amendment, and the Pursuit of Happiness. He also gives us a preview of his upcoming memoir and his foreword for the NCC’s new volume, The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Participants

Stephen Breyer served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022 and is currently the Byrne Professor of Administrative Law and Process at Harvard Law School. He is also one of the co-chairs of the NCC and wrote the foreword for the NCC’s new volume, The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, a collection of essays exploring America’s founding principles.

Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Stephen Breyer, Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism (2024)
• National Constitution Center, The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (2026)
• Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)

Stay Connected and Learn More

• Continue the conversation by following us on social media.
• Substack: @rosenjeffrey
• Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty
• X: @JeffreyRosenPod and @RosenJeffrey
• YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod
• Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness
• Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Through legal advocacy, education, and public awareness, FIRE helps protect open debate and a culture where ideas can be challenged instead of silenced. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.

"A Conversation on 1776 and The Promise of America"

SHOW NOTES

In this inaugural episode of The Blessings of Liberty, host Jeffrey Rosen speaks with Justice Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Supreme Court about the American Revolution, our Founding ideals, and the importance of civic education and civil dialogue. He explores his recent bestselling children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, and his superb epilogue for the NCC’s new volume, The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, a collection of essays exploring America’s founding principles.

Participants

• Neil Gorsuch is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is also a co-chair of the National Constitution Center and the co-author of Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, currently the #1 New York Times best-selling children’s book.

• Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.

Additional Resources

• Neil Gorsuch, Janie Nitze, and Chris Ellison (illustrator), Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (2026)
• National Constitution Center, The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (2026)
• Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)

Stay Connected and Learn More

· Substack: @rosenjeffrey

· Instagram: @TheBlessingsOfLiberty

· X: @JeffRosenPod

· YouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPod

· Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about

FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.