CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON, NY – A few summers ago when working as a seminars assistant at an Institute for Humane Studies seminar I received a call from Christy Rhoton, my colleague at another seminar. She inquired what the tattoo on my stomach (a quote) stated. I told her and asked why. She noted that a professor at her seminar – Rob McDonald – who was acting as faculty for the week, was really into Thomas Jefferson – one of who’s quotes was on my stomach. Fast-forward a year and, when lining-up professors to be faculty at the seminar I was to co-direct, I called Prof. McDonald to gauge his interest/availability. To refresh his memory about who I was I reminded him that I was the dude with the Jefferson ink, thinking that may make me alright in his book. It was then learned that he met his future-wife at Monticello , wed on Jefferson’s birthday and named his son Jefferson.

I told him he won.

After the seminar (Exploring Liberty at Princeton) Rob encouraged me to stop by his place in NY when I was passing through to NH for Free State Project-related activities. Well, when I knew we’d be near Rob’s place I contacted him and he graciously agreed to not only be interviewed, but to feed us, allow us to take showers and do laundry and just be a chill place to hang for a night.

In the interview, Rob dropped such great content that we split the interview into two videos: Part I “Rob McDonald on Thomas Jefferson, Slavery & the Declaration of the Independence” and Part II “Rob McDonald on the Founding of the United States and the Desire to Be Left Alone.”

Rob also agreed to give an overview of Shays’ Rebellion – an armed conflict between farmers in central and western Massachusetts and militia raised at the governor’s behest to prevent the closure of courthouses, which were seizing the farmers land for unpaid debts – for which we had just captured some b-roll in Springfield and South Egremont, Massachusetts.