Creating America

William Sarris

The documents and speeches that shaped the United States. It is my hope that as you listen to these documents and speeches you will gain an appreciation of what our country was, what it is, and what it hopes to be.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 22: The Seneca Falls Convention | Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Declaration of Sentiments

    In this episode of Creating America, we read two foundational items (a speech and a document) that stand at the origins of the American women's rights movement. both from the historic 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. First, hear Elizabeth Cady Stanton's powerful keynote address calling for equal rights, political representation, and women's suffrage. Then, listen to the full text of the Declaration of Sentiments, the groundbreaking manifesto modeled after the Declaration of Independence that proclaimed that "all men and women are created equal." The Seneca Falls Convention marked a turning point in American history, launching a movement that would eventually secure women's voting rights and reshape the nation's understanding of liberty, equality, and citizenship. Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net #AmericanHistory #WomensRights #ElizabethCadyStanton #SenecaFalls #DeclarationOfSentiments #WomensSuffrage #USHistory #CreatingAmerica

    20 min

  2. Jun 4

    Episode 21: Slavery, Secession, and the Union | Calhoun, Webster, and the Compromise of 1850

    In this episode of Creating America, we explore one of the most consequential political debates in American history: the struggle over slavery, secession, and the future of the Union that led to the Compromise of 1850. As new territories acquired after the Mexican-American War prepared to enter the United States, fierce disagreements erupted over whether slavery would be allowed to expand westward. The resulting crisis brought two of America's most influential statesmen into direct conflict: John C. Calhoun, the leading defender of Southern slaveholding interests, and Daniel Webster, who argued that compromise was necessary to preserve the Union. This episode features excerpts from Calhoun's final Senate address and Webster's famous "Seventh of March" speech. Calhoun warned that the South might choose secession while Webster insisted that "peaceable secession" was impossible and would inevitably lead to war. The Compromise of 1850 temporarily delayed national conflict, but its most controversial provision—the Fugitive Slave Act—deepened sectional tensions, energized the abolitionist movement, inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, accelerated the Underground Railroad, and helped pave the way for the rise of the Republican Party and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Creating America is a history podcast dedicated to reading the speeches, documents, and writings that shaped the United States, allowing listeners to hear the words of historical figures in their original context. Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    22 min

  3. May 28

    Episode 20: Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal & the Trail of Tears | The Dark Side of Manifest Destiny

    The United States often celebrates its founding ideals of liberty and freedom, but this episode of the Creating America Podcast explores a far darker chapter in the nation’s history. Through the speeches and documents of President Andrew Jackson and the text of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, host Will Sarris examines how the U.S. government justified the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the name of expansion, “civilization,” and Manifest Destiny. This episode traces the origins of the Trail of Tears and the federal policy of Indian removal that displaced tens of thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and other Native peoples west of the Mississippi River. Hear Jackson’s own words defending removal, and the devastating human consequences that followed. By exploring these historical documents in context, this episode reveals how westward expansion and the growth of the United States were deeply tied to broken treaties, cultural destruction, forced assimilation, and the displacement of indigenous nations. A sobering look at one of the most consequential and tragic policies in American history. Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    26 min

  4. May 21

    Episode 19: Religious Freedom | Thomas Jefferson & the “Wall of Separation”

    In this episode of Creating America, host Will Sarris explores the origins of religious freedom in the United States through the First Amendment, Thomas Jefferson’s famous 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, and Jefferson’s writings on religion in Notes on the State of Virginia. You’ll hear: The First Amendment to the U.S. ConstitutionThe 1801 letter from the Danbury Baptist AssociationThomas Jefferson’s 1802 reply introducing the phrase “wall of separation between Church and State”Jefferson’s writings on religious liberty from Notes on the State of VirginiaCreating America is a history podcast dedicated to reading the speeches, letters, and documents that shaped the United States. Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net #FirstAmendment #ThomasJefferson #ReligiousFreedom #ChurchAndState #AmericanHistory #Constitution #BillOfRights #DanburyBaptists #HistoryPodcast #CreatingAmerica

    28 min

  5. May 14

    Episode 18: Teaching Them How to Say Goodbye | George Washington's Farewell Address

    In this episode of the Creating America Podcast, host Will Sarris explores one of the most influential speeches in American history: George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796). At the height of his power and popularity, Washington made a decision almost unheard of in world history — he voluntarily stepped away from leadership. By refusing a third term, he established the precedent of the peaceful transfer of power and helped define the American presidency for generations. In his Farewell Address Washington: Talks of the growing political divisions of the 1790sGives his thoughts on America’s debate over the French RevolutionGives warnings about political parties and sectional divisionAddress his concerns about foreign influence and permanent alliancesWashington's farewell address was crafted with assistance from Alexander Hamilton and delivered at a pivotal moment in early American history. If you enjoy American history, founding documents, presidential speeches, Revolutionary War history, or political philosophy, this episode is for you. Creating America is a history podcast dedicated to reading and bringing to life the speeches, letters, and documents that shaped the United States. Subscribe, rate, and share the show to support independent history storytelling. Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    46 min

  6. May 7

    Episode 17: The Man Who Willingly Gave Up Power | Washington's 1783 Resignation & First Inaugural Address

    In Episode 17 of the Creating America Podcast, we explore two extraordinary moments in the life of George Washingtonthat helped define the American experiment in self-government. First, we hear Washington’s 1783 resignation speech—when he voluntarily gave up power as Commander-in-Chief after the Revolutionary War. At a time when military leaders often became rulers, Washington chose a different path, drawing comparisons to Cincinnatus and setting a precedent for civilian leadership that still shapes democracies today. Then, we turn to April 30, 1789, as Washington delivers his First Inaugural Address in New York City, stepping into the role of the first President of the United States under the newly ratified Constitution. In this speech, you’ll hear his humility, uncertainty, and deep sense of responsibility as he takes on an entirely new kind of leadership. Through immersive narration, this episode brings these foundational texts to life and highlights: The unprecedented act of relinquishing powerThe creation of the American presidencyThe character and restraint that shaped early U.S. leadershipIf you’ve ever wondered what it sounded like at the very beginning of the United States, this episode offers a rare chance to hear those words as they were meant to be experienced. Subscribe, rate, and share to support the show! Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586175179173Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    19 min

  7. Apr 30

    Episode 16: Brutus, The Anti-Federalist | The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)

    ive into the origins of the United States Bill of Rights (Amendments 1–10) in this episode of Creating America: The Documents and Speeches That Shaped the United States, hosted by Will Sarris. Before the Bill of Rights became law, fierce debate surrounded the ratification of the Constitution. In this episode, we explore the powerful Anti-Federalist argument against the Constitution’s lack of explicit protections—through the words of “Brutus” (Robert Yates), whose 1787 essay helped spark the creation of the Federalist Papers. You’ll hear: The full reading of “On the Lack of a Bill of Rights” by BrutusHistorical context behind the demand for constitutional protectionsThe transition from Anti-Federalist criticism to the drafting of the Bill of RightsA complete reading of all 10 Amendments to the U.S. ConstitutionUnderstand how concerns over government power, individual liberty, and natural rights led to one of the most important additions to American law. From freedom of speech and religion to due process and the right to bear arms, this episode brings these foundational texts to life through immersive narration. Perfect for students, history enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the founding principles of the United States, this episode continues our chronological journey through the documents that shaped a nation. 📜 Featured Texts: Brutus Essay (1787) – Anti-Federalist critiqueThe U.S. Bill of Rights (Ratified 1791)🎙️ About the Podcast:Creating America presents the original speeches and documents that defined U.S. history—performed and narrated to capture how they were meant to be heard. Subscribe, rate, and share to support the show! Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    26 min

  8. Apr 23

    Episode 15: The Federalist Papers, Part 4: Thoughts on Bills of Rights & Concluding Remarks (Nos. 84 & 85)

    In this episode of Creating America, host and narrator Will Sarris presents dramatic readings of Federalist Papers No. 84 and No. 85, written by Alexander Hamilton during the debate over ratifying the United States Constitution. These concluding essays tackle some of the most enduring questions in American history: Does the Constitution need a Bill of Rights?Can liberty be preserved without explicitly listing freedoms?Why was ratification urgent for the survival of the Union?In Federalist No. 84, Hamilton argues that a Bill of Rights may be unnecessary—and even dangerous—within a government derived from the people. In No. 85, he delivers a powerful final appeal for ratification, addressing concerns about imperfection in the Constitution while emphasizing unity, stability, and the possibility of future amendments. Through immersive narration and minimal commentary, this episode allows you to experience these foundational texts as they were meant to be heard—bringing clarity and emotional weight to one of the most important political debates in American history. Perfect for students, educators, and anyone interested in the origins of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the ideas that shaped the United States. Subscribe, rate, and share to support the podcast! Host & Narrator: Will SarrisFollow us on social media!Threads: https://www.threads.com/@creatingamericapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingamericapod📩 Contact: CreatingAmericaPod@gmail.com💬 Support the show: patreon.com/williamsarrisReply on Bluesky 🌐 More about Will: williamsarris.net

    46 min
See All (22)

Ratings & Reviews

About

The documents and speeches that shaped the United States. It is my hope that as you listen to these documents and speeches you will gain an appreciation of what our country was, what it is, and what it hopes to be.

Information

  • Creator
    William Sarris
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026