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The Preamble

Sharon McMahon

The world feels complicated. The Preamble is where it starts to make sense. Hosted by Sharon McMahon — known for making sense of complex issues — she and her guests dive deep into the stories and ideas driving our future, bringing clarity and honesty to every headline. If you want real insight, bold conversation, and answers that matter, this podcast is your must-listen. Hit play, and join the movement that will shape history.An Audacy Podcast.

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  • 503 episodes
  • Updated Today

Episodes503

Newest first
  • Oct 20, 2025 · 1 min

    The Preamble Trailer

    Sharon McMahon and her expert guests bring clarity, insight, and bold conversation to the stories shaping our future.

  • Sep 29, 2025 · 31 min

    The Diplomatic Prowess of Louisa Adams

    London-born Louisa Adams defied tragedy and division to become the first foreign-born First Lady, leaving her mark on history as she shaped the path to John Quincy Adams’s presidency.

  • Sep 25, 2025 · 2 min

    Presenting: The C-Word

    With every episode, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett take you on a historical deep dive into the life of a woman society dismissed by calling her mad, sad, or just plain bad: Lindsay Lohan, Judy Garland, Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey, Lil Kim and many more. Join them for a rich, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into exactly what it means when we call a woman “crazy.” The C-Word was originally published behind a paywall from 2019 - 2022. This is the first time it’s being released to all major podcast platforms.

  • Sep 22, 2025 · 25 min

    The Quiet Bravery of Elizabeth Monroe

    From her privileged New York upbringing to her courageous rescue of a French aristocrat, First Lady Elizabeth Monroe’s life was one of elegance, courage, and quiet power.

  • Sep 8, 2025 · 24 min

    Martha Jefferson and the Women of Monticello

    Though Thomas Jefferson’s wife Martha died nearly twenty years before his presidency, her absence opened the way for the women who would step in to shape the life of America’s third president.

  • Sep 1, 2025 · 27 min

    Abigail Adams Abroad

    Sharon explores Abigail Adams’ travels across the Atlantic, adventuring in France with her husband, John Adams. The power couple ultimately lands back in Boston only to move again into new roles as President and First Lady of the United States.

  • Aug 25, 2025 · 27 min

    Secrets of the Two Theodosias

    Sharon explores the intertwined lives of the two women who shaped Aaron Burr—stories of brilliance, loss, and mystery marked by a vanished ship, a haunting portrait, and a buried family secret.

  • Aug 11, 2025 · 39 min

    A Personal History of the 1960s with Doris Kearns Goodwin

    Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin joins us to share how she and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, finally explored more than 300 boxes he had kept since his service in the 1960s. Their journey offers fresh insights into key historical figures and the enduring role of young people in shaping history.

  • Aug 4, 2025 · 30 min

    America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar

    Sharon sits down with Yale constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to talk about the importance of treasuring the U.S. Constitution. What we have in common as Americans is our Constitution and the historical events and documents that shaped the nation.

  • Jul 28, 2025 · 39 min

    Amending the Constitution with Russ Feingold

    Sharon sits down with former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold to examine how the Constitution could be changed, and whether a Constitutional Convention could fix our democracy or fatally undermine it.