Henry Knox: The Bookseller Who Broke the Siege of Boston
P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Release Date: 09/17/2026
P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
How did Henry Knox, a 25-year-old Boston bookseller, move nearly 60 tons of artillery across 300 winter miles and help break the Siege of Boston without a costly ground battle? In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano reveals the incredible true story of Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how this largely self-taught Patriot transported 59 cannons, mortars, and howitzers from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston and gave George Washington the firepower to force a British...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Capitalism vs. socialism may define America’s economic and political future. Which system best protects prosperity, individual liberty, and moral justice? Richard Salsman, author of Where Have All the Capitalists Gone?, joins Professor Nick Giordano on The P.A.S. Report Podcast to present the moral case for capitalism that too many Republicans refuse to make. Beyond standard economic debates, they expose socialism’s emotional appeal, the conservative retreat from limited government, and the economic forces behind the $40 trillion national debt, inflation, and America’s departure from...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Flock cameras promise public safety, but their vast data networks can expose far more than a license plate. From federal childcare subsidies to President Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend checks, this episode asks whether Americans now trade liberty for the illusion of security. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano challenges Republicans and Democrats alike. He explains how the modern nanny state uses surveillance systems and government checks to expand its power, weaken self-reliance, and make temporary benefits permanent. True constitutional freedom...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
How did Daniel Morgan, an uneducated frontier wagoner, survive 499 British lashes, take a bullet through the neck, and outsmart the British at the Battle of Cowpens? In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano uncovers the extraordinary story of Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and the leadership lessons behind one of the American Revolution’s greatest tactical victories. Discover how a rough Virginia frontiersman used his deep understanding of human nature to design the brilliant double-envelopment trap that crushed Banastre...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Charlie Kirk in His Own Words reveals what Charlie was really like before the national fame, viral debates, and movement that changed American politics. In this deeply personal episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano sits down with Christy Edwards, Charlie’s close friend, confidant, and author of the new memorial book . Christy knew Charlie before he became a household name. She shares rare stories about the young activist who often forgot clean socks, needed help with his clothes, and devoted every moment to his mission. As the one-year anniversary of Charlie’s...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
A record 89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread, while congressional approval drops to an abysmal 10%. Yet when crisis strikes, voters demand more federal intervention, more spending, and more executive power. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano exposes the greatest contradiction in modern American politics: Americans distrust the administrative state yet continually expand its authority. When citizens fail to understand the Constitution, separation of powers, federalism, and limited government, every constitutional restraint starts to look...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Ted Cruz joins The P.A.S. Report to reveal the untold story of Clarence Thomas and confront a provocative constitutional question: Can an elected official swear to support the Constitution while campaigning to dismantle its core institutions? Professor Nick Giordano sits down with Senator Ted Cruz to discuss his new book, Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas, based on more than nine hours of exclusive interviews with Justice Thomas. Cruz traces Thomas's extraordinary rise from poverty in segregated Georgia to the Supreme Court and explains why his commitment to originalism,...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Jonas Clarke helped prepare Lexington for the American Revolution years before the first shot on Lexington Green. Why did roughly seventy-five militiamen stand against a British expedition nearly 700 men strong on April 19, 1775? The answer begins years earlier inside Lexington’s meetinghouse. In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano reveals how Reverend Jonas Clarke helped shape Lexington’s resistance through sermons, town meetings, natural rights, limited government, and constitutional principles. Discover Paul Revere’s...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
Ninety-five percent of college students failed a basic ten-question U.S. citizenship exam, with most able to answer only one to three questions correctly. America’s civic education crisis is no longer something we can ignore. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano exposes how civic illiteracy threatens the constitutional republic and the future of self-government. He traces the civic education crisis from No Child Left Behind and credentialism to ideological activism in the classroom, then connects civic ignorance to declining national pride, growing support...
info_outlineP.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution
How did Hugh Mercer, a 20-year-old Scottish fugitive who survived the Battle of Culloden, become one of George Washington’s generals and die at the Battle of Princeton? Discover the forgotten American Revolution story of Hugh Mercer and how his extraordinary second chance reveals something fundamental about America itself. In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano uncovers the remarkable story of General Hugh Mercer. From a hunted Jacobite rebel who escaped the British crackdown after Culloden to a frontier physician, French and...
info_outlineHow did Henry Knox, a 25-year-old Boston bookseller, move nearly 60 tons of artillery across 300 winter miles and help break the Siege of Boston without a costly ground battle?
In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano reveals the incredible true story of Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how this largely self-taught Patriot transported 59 cannons, mortars, and howitzers from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston and gave George Washington the firepower to force a British evacuation.
Knox’s journey demonstrates how self-education, competence, perseverance, and civic responsibility helped transform a former bookseller into Washington’s chief of artillery and one of the American Revolution’s most consequential leaders. Most Americans know Fort Knox as a military installation associated with America’s gold reserves. Few know the Revolutionary War hero whose name it bears.
What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
- The Bookseller Who Mastered Artillery: How Henry Knox educated himself and earned George Washington’s trust
- The Noble Train of Artillery: How Knox moved nearly 60 tons of weapons across 300 miles of winter terrain
- The Hudson River Crisis: What happened when a cannon crashed through the ice
- The Victory at Dorchester Heights: Why the American position made British control of Boston untenable
- The Lesson for America Today: What Knox teaches us about preparation, initiative, competence, and civic duty
Episode Chapters
- 00:00 Henry Knox and the Siege of Boston
- 00:53 From Boston Bookseller to Washington’s Artillery Chief
- 02:02 Fort Ticonderoga and the Noble Train of Artillery
- 06:50 Henry Knox’s 300 Mile Winter Artillery Mission
- 10:02 The Cannon Crisis on the Frozen Hudson River
- 14:32 Dorchester Heights Breaks the Siege of Boston
- 18:26 Henry Knox’s Lessons for America Today
⭐ Help Keep Authentic American History Alive:
If you believe the sacrifices that built this nation must never be forgotten, follow The P.A.S. Report Podcast, leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and text a link to this episode to 3 or 4 friends and family members right now.