Thomas Jefferson
How fast this year is flying by - it will be time for the 4th July parades in just over a week!
Independence Day is always a great topic for old time radio, and I'm always stumbling across shows about 4th July parades, picnics and political pomp and circumstance throughout the year whilst reviewing shows.
The life and times of Thomas Jefferson is particularly popular, as he was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, so I thought I'd try and put several shows about his life, all together on one page for you.
We'll begin with the show, Young Tom Jefferson, which as the title suggests, is a wonderful and insightful story of Thomas Jefferson's life, and the experiences, injustices, human miseries and recollection of ideas he'd had - all of which influenced him and helped him to write the Declaration of Independence.
Next, is the story of Thomas Jefferson's life into adulthood, and how, what he has written, has launched millions throughout the world on a quest to what he described as ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’.
The Cavalcade of America once again educates and entertains us with their story Portrait of an Author. It is a story about Thomas Jefferson who more than any other figures in his time epitomized the American dream of freedom and self-government. It tells the tale of his part in the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia 1776, broadcast by You Are There, takes you back to the evening when the colonial leaders John Dickinson, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson fought their showdown battle on the issue of Independence from England with the fate of America hanging in the balance.
The Longest Hour, broadcast by the Family Theater in 1953, is a fine, patriotic 4th of July drama, with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and the other founding fathers, arguing over the wording of the Declaration of Independence.
It's interesting to note that on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America lost two of its founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th 1826, and several hours later, so did his long time friend and rival, John Adams.
