Internal Improvements Episodes
What happens when a young nation has the resources to prosper, but lacks the roads, canals, railroads, financial institutions, and political will to connect them? Internal Improvements follows America's long struggle to answer that question.
From John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay's controversial vision of the 1820s to Abraham Lincoln's sweeping reforms during the Civil War, the series examines the fight over federal power, economic development, westward expansion, slavery, and states' rights. The infrastructure we now take for granted was once a radical proposition. This is the story of how that proposition helped reshape the United States.
From John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay's controversial vision of the 1820s to Abraham Lincoln's sweeping reforms during the Civil War, the series examines the fight over federal power, economic development, westward expansion, slavery, and states' rights. The infrastructure we now take for granted was once a radical proposition. This is the story of how that proposition helped reshape the United States.
3
Sept. 16, 2026
403: Internal Improvements - Enter Lincoln
For obvious reasons, Abraham Lincoln's presidency is best remembered for his emancipation of America's slaves, determination to preserve the Union in the face of Southern secession, and leadership in the American Civil War. But an often-overlooked aspect of his administration was its promotion of the United States Government as an active, positive actor in such matters as infrastructure improvement and economic affairs. In this conclusion to the series, Marshall leads our discussion of how the f...
2
Sept. 2, 2026
402: Internal Improvements - By The Eternal!
President Andrew Jackson took office in 1829. beginning a 30-year period in which his Democratic Party blocked the efforts of the 'elitist" Whig Party to give the U.S. federal government a greater role in developing the country's infrastructure and stabilizing its financial system. Although the existence of slavery in the South did not divide the two political parties at the time, its possible expansion into the western territories did, leading to increasing sectional hostility between North and...
1
Aug. 19, 2026
401: Internal Improvements - The American System
In the 1820s, Henry Clay envisioned a bold new role for the federal government: building America’s infrastructure, strengthening its economy, and shaping the nation’s future. He called it the 'American System.' But was the Constitution willing to let Washington build? In this premier episode of our new series, Marshall traces the battle over “Internal Improvements” from Clay and John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson and the rise of populist democracy. What began as a fight over roads, canals, and...