Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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Which one of the Founding Fathers was the most boring? Why should a country strive towards self-critique and historic reflection? And, what about the formation of the United States makes it an experiment?
Join Tom as he’s joined by top friend of the show, Conan O’Brien, as they delve deeper into the personal lives of some of the Founding Fathers and their contemporary cultural significance.
Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Lloyds
1:51 Conan O’Brien joins The Rest Is History
5:31 Conan reacts to the Founding Fathers series
8:34 Why America’s 250th anniversary feels divided
12:07 Was George Washington’s dullness his greatest strength?
15:33 Why Lincoln feels more human than Washington
18:07 Was the American Revolution a British civil war?
21:31 Benjamin Franklin and the crucial French alliance
23:15 Hamilton, Jefferson and America’s political divide
26:22 Thomas Jefferson: genius, hypocrite and slave owner
31:22 Conan’s solution to the statue culture war
33:43 How should we judge flawed national heroes?
38:01 The forgotten Founding Father: John Adams
41:08 Conan’s farewell
Twitter:
@TheRestHistory
@holland_tom
@dcsandbrook
Social channels:
instagram.com/theresthistory
tiktok.com/@theresthistory
https://x.com/TheRestHistory
https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social
threads.com/@theresthistory
Video Editor: Jack Meek, Harry Swan & Adam Thornton
Social Producer: Harry Balden
Producers: Aaliyah Akude & Tabby Syrett
Senior Producer: Callum Hill
Executive Producer: Dom Johnson
Head of Digital & Social: Sam Oakley
Join this channel to get early access to episodes, ad-free watching, and priority access to our live events:
youtube.com/channel/UCUYK0BJZF3yNb2fw1EdAXUQ/join
Which one of the Founding Fathers was the most boring? Why should a country strive towards self-critique and historic reflection? And, what about the formation of the United States makes it an experiment?
Join Tom as he’s joined by top friend of the show, Conan O’Brien, as they delve deeper into the personal lives of some of the Founding Fathers and their contemporary cultural significance.
Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Lloyds
1:51 Conan O’Brien joins The Rest Is History
5:31 Conan reacts to the Founding Fathers series
8:34 Why America’s 250th anniversary feels divided
12:07 Was George Washington’s dullness his greatest strength?
15:33 Why Lincoln feels more human than Washington
18:07 Was the American Revolution a British civil war?
21:31 Benjamin Franklin and the crucial French alliance
23:15 Hamilton, Jefferson and America’s political divide
26:22 Thomas Jefferson: genius, hypocrite and slave owner
31:22 Conan’s solution to the statue culture war
33:43 How should we judge flawed national heroes?
38:01 The forgotten Founding Father: John Adams
41:08 Conan’s farewell
Twitter:
@TheRestHistory
@holland_tom
@dcsandbrook
Social channels:
instagram.com/theresthistory
tiktok.com/@theresthistory
https://x.com/TheRestHistory
https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social
threads.com/@theresthistory
Video Editor: Jack Meek, Harry Swan & Adam Thornton
Social Producer: Harry Balden
Producers: Aaliyah Akude & Tabby Syrett
Senior Producer: Callum Hill
Executive Producer: Dom Johnson
Head of Digital & Social: Sam Oakley
