Washington: Hero of the Revolution (Part 1)

**Dominic Sandbrook** (0:01)
This episode is brought to you by Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking.

**Tom Holland** (0:06)
One of the great things about finance is that it may result in you having to pay tax. And this was a constant grumble in Anglo-Saxon England, which was the most heavily taxed country in the whole of Christendom. And just when the Anglo-Saxons thought it couldn't get any worse, they got conquered by King Canute, and Canute imposed a tax rate that was effectively 100 percent.

**Dominic Sandbrook** (0:33)
Yeah, well, that was one very big change, Tom, but another tax change is upon us. And this is the advent of making tax digital for income tax.
And if you're at all concerned about it, this is where Lloyds come in, because they're here to help make that change much simpler for you with a useful HMRC recognized accounting tool that will help stay in line with all the making tax digital requirements.

**Tom Holland** (0:59)
And the brilliant thing about this is that it is free for Lloyds business account customers. So when it is time to digitize your income tax, you can bank on Lloyds. Search Lloyds business accounts to find out more.

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**SPEAKER_4** (1:47)
So you're saying with Hilton Honors, I can use points for a free night's stay anywhere? Anywhere. What about fancy places like the Canopy in Paris?

**SPEAKER_5** (1:55)
Yeah, Hilton Honors, baby.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:57)
Or relaxing sanctuaries like the Conrad and Tulum?

**SPEAKER_6** (2:00)
Hilton Honors, baby.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:02)
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**Tom Holland** (2:26)
Oh, history is a journey, and as we continue our journey, we think of those who traveled before us, and we see and hear again the echoes of our past. A general falls to his knees in the hard snow of Valley Forge. A lonely president paces the darkened halls and ponders his struggle to preserve the union. The men of the Alamo call out encouragement to each other. A settler pushes west and sings a song, and the song echoes out forever and fills the unknowing air.
It is the American sound. It is, oh, hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage. That's our song. We sing it still. We raise our voices to the God, who is the author of this most tender music. And may he continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound in unity, affection, and love.
One people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom. God bless you and God bless America.
So that absolute mush was obviously Ronald Reagan. Unmistakable tones there, delivering his second inaugural address on the 21st of January, 1985 And Dominic, Ronald Reagan loved American history, didn't he? He loved the idea of American exceptionalism. He loved the idea of his country as a shining city on a hill. And clearly, there is no better way to kick off our new series, which is marking the 250th anniversary of the colonial tax rebellion than with that great Hollywood actor turned two times president.

**Dominic Sandbrook** (4:58)
Yeah, you're right, Tom. Reagan absolutely believed in America's special place in the world, didn't he? I don't think any president has ever really topped it. Yeah, has drunk so deeply of the Kool-Aid than Ronald Reagan. And so what better way to kick off?

**Tom Holland** (5:14)
I mean, I said that was mush. I had to say that to reassure myself that I wasn't buying into the whole thing, because obviously we are a patriotic British podcast.

**Dominic Sandbrook** (5:22)
We are, yeah.

**Tom Holland** (5:23)
So we have to keep our distance from some of the...

**Dominic Sandbrook** (5:26)
The flag of liberty and all of that stuff, yeah. All of that.

**Tom Holland** (5:30)
So we are going to be looking at four of the founding fathers. And in due course, we are going to be looking at Benjamin Franklin and his extraordinary transatlantic career. So the sense in which he's British as well as American. We're going to be looking at the infamous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.