Join this channel to get early access to episodes, ad-free watching, and priority access to our live events: https://www.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: https://www.instagram.com/theresthistory/ https://www.tiktok.com/@theresthistory https://x.com/TheRestHistory https://bsky.app/profile/theresthistory.bsky.social https://www.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