Plodding Through The Presidents

How Taft Got Stuck in the Bathtub

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:20:00 -0000

We go behind the story that Howard just published in Smithsonian Magazine, digging into the forgotten origins of the story that William Howard Taft got stuck in a White House bathtub.

Check out the article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/

You can also hear Howard on these recent podcasts:

The Big Fib: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/will-we-impeach-wisdom-when-telling-fibs-about-us-presidents/id1348469682?i=1000748336772

Talk That Pod: https://talkthatpod.net/episode-002-howard-dorre/

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In Pursuit of a Rising Sun

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

We kick off a season full of weird science and pseudoscience with a tale of two very different chairs in Philadelphia—George Washington’s “rising sun” chair and Benjamin Rush’s tranquilizer chair. Then we welcome Colleen Shogan, former archivist of the United States and CEO of the exciting new initiative In Pursuit, honoring America’s 250th.

Check out the excellent essays from In Pursuit written about presidents and first ladies and written BY presidents and first ladies (and more) at inpursuit.org

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Season 7 Trailer

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:22:00 -0000

Join us this season for weird science! Deeply researched, deeply irreverent dives into the real—and pseudo—scientific beliefs of the early presidents and founders.

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Hamilton, Jefferson, and an American Caesar with Jeffrey Rosen

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In our Season 6 finale, we welcome Jeffrey Rosen, author of “The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America” for a conversation about Hamilton and Jefferson’s nation-defining differences, and their shared fear of the "embryo-Caesar" Aaron Burr.

Check out the fantastic resources at the National Constitution Center’s website at constitutioncenter.org.

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Friendsgiving Spectacular 2025

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Howard joins fellow history podcasters Jerry Landry from Presidencies of the United States, Alycia from Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast, and Kenny Ryan Austin from [Abridged] Presidential Histories (and the new podcast Democricide) for their fourth annual Friendsgiving special for a discussion about history, podcasting, confounding presidents, and bringing back duels.

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Listen to [Abridged] Presidential Histories: https://aph.buzzsprout.com/

Listen to Democricide: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democricide/id1820630367

Listen to Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast: https://www.civicsandcoffee.com/

Listen to Presidencies of the United States: https://www.presidenciespodcast.com/

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Writing The American Revolution with Geoffrey C. Ward

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:00:00 -0000

We welcome Geoffrey C. Ward, the writer behind The American Revolution documentary series and its companion book, for a conversation about the revolutionary characters he’s excited to bring into the spotlight, the iconic images of the Revolution, his long partnership with Ken Burns, and his fascination with Franklin Roosevelt.

Find out more about The American Revolution film series at pbs.org and check out Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns’ gorgeous book The American Revolution: An Intimate History based on the film.

Sign up for the free Plodding Substack newsletter at plodding.substack.com by 11/30/25 for a chance to win a copy of Joseph Ellis’s new book.

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Directing The American Revolution with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:15:00 -0000

We welcome the codirectors of the new documentary The American Revolution, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, for a conversation about what it took to bring this massive project to life. They share behind the scenes stories about the collaborative process with Ken Burns, the incredible voice cast, the Revolution’s fascinating characters, and their road to documentary filmmaking.

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Joseph Ellis & America’s Great Contradictions

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000

We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph Ellis to talk about his new book The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding, and what we can learn from the founders on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. Ellis also shares his disdain for “presentism” and his strong feelings about America’s present.

Sign up for the free Plodding Substack newsletter at plodding.substack.com for a chance to win a copy of Ellis’s new book.

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Bringing Eliza Home

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000

How did Eliza Monroe Hay, unofficial first lady and daughter of fifth president James Monroe, end up buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris? We welcome author Barbara VornDick to share her incredible story of researching Eliza, pushing back on her historically bossy reputation, and working to bring her home.

Check out “Eliza's True Story: The First Biography of President Monroe's Eldest Daughter” by Barbara VornDick: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elizas-true-story-barbara-vorndick/1145846740

Latest information from the Bringing Eliza Home project: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Bringing-Eliza-Home-Project-61558069665312/

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Thomas Jefferson's Swordfish Treason

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We dig into the origins of the story that Thomas Jefferson once shot a man for treason on the White House lawn, made popular by the 2001 film Swordfish.

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Theodore Roosevelt and the Piranhas of Doubt

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We dive into the real story of Theodore Roosevelt’s encounters with piranhas in the Amazon, his impact on the ferocious reputation of the fish, and how one fishmonger titan—Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod—turned a fish story into a whopper about a cow. Stick around for a piranha survival quiz that just might save your skin.

Sources include Candice Millard’s excellent book The River of Doubt, Roosevelt’s Through The Brazilian Wilderness, and The Star-Ledger’s impressive investigative work on Axelrod.

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Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

In this story from the archives, we look at the haunting sounds and even more haunting history of Benjamin Franklin’s favorite invention: the glass armonica.

For more information about Mayling Garcia visit maylinggarcia.com

Learn more about William Zeitler at williamzeitler.com

(William Zeitler’s music used with his permission.)

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A Tale of Two Cheeses

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We dig into the stories behind two giant cheeses gifted to Presidents: First, the Mammoth Cheese presented to Thomas Jefferson in 1802 by Elder John Leland, and then an even bigger cheese made for Andrew Jackson. It’s a story of human ingenuity, religious freedom, chaos, and democracy. With a little old-school cheddar and sherry.

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Presidents vs. Sharks

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws, we dig into the most notable encounters between presidents and sharks—from John Adams on the Atlantic to JFK in the Pacific. Then we look at the shark attacks in July 1916 in New Jersey that caused America’s first shark panic and forced Woodrow Wilson to declare a war on sharks.

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Presenting History Dispatches: Billy Possum

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:52:00 -0000

We're excited to share an episode of the daily podcast History Dispatches, hosted by Matt and McKinley Breen, where Howard is the special guest talking about one of his favorite topics: Billy Possum, the stuffed toy that failed to dethrone the popular Teddy Bear.

Smithsonian Article: "How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America’s National Toy" by Howard Dorre - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-stuffed-animal-named-billy-possum-triedand-failedto-replace-the-teddy-bear-as-americas-national-toy-180986072/

History Dispatches: https://historydispatches.com/

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AI vs. The Founders

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We look at how Artificial Intelligence is waging a sophisticated attack on historical sources—the very sources we depend on for our research—and why we can't count on the government to save us.

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The Wrestling Legacy of Abraham Lincoln

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We pin down the truth behind the tall tales of Abraham Lincoln’s reputation as a Hall of Fame wrestler credited with inventing the chokeslam.

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The Death and Balls of William Henry Harrison

Wed, 21 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000

We look into the giant victory balls that kept on rolling during William Henry Harrison’s 1840 presidential campaign. Then we welcome Jerry Landry of the Presidencies of the United States podcast to talk about Harrison’s rise to fame and the most likely explanation for his death just one month into his term.

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Tecumseh's Curse

Tue, 06 May 2025 07:51:00 -0000

We dig into the eerie presidential death cycle known as Tecumseh’s Curse or the Zero-Year Curse. Tracing the origins of the legend to Native American revenge, planetary alignment, and even Satan, we look at the facts and fantasies behind this pattern—and how it had a real-life impact on the presidency.

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Sarah Shelton Henry and the Scotchtown Basement

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 07:03:00 -0000

We dig into the truth and lore about the mysterious life and death of Sarah Shelton Henry, Patrick Henry’s wife—a woman who suffered from mental illness and was confined in the basement of their home in Beaverdam, Virginia.

This local lore was suggested by our listener Klayr. An essential source in putting this episode together was the book "In Sickness and in Health: The Marriage of Patrick Henry and Sarah Shelton" by Mark Couvillon.

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Unbusting the Cherry Tree Myth

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:05:00 -0000

We welcome James Bish and Dr. Richard Gardiner to talk about why they strongly believe the story of George Washington and his father’s cherry tree is not a myth—and that the real myth is that the story has been firmly debunked.

James Bish is the author of I Can't Tell A Lie: Parson Weems and the Truth about George Washington's Cherry Tree, Prayer at Valley Forge, and Other Anecdotes

Bish and Gardiner cowrote a fascinating paper backing up their claims: An Analysis of the Scholarly Consensus Regarding George Washington and the Cherry Tree “Myth.”

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Parson Weems & The Cherry Tree

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:20:00 -0000

In the first part of our deep dive into one of the greatest myths in American history, we explore Mason Locke Weems—the complex character behind the story of young George Washington taking a hatchet to his father's favorite cherry tree. Who was this book-peddling parson, and how did this story become so popular and so debunked?

You'll definitely want to hear our next episode, too, where we talk with two men seeking to turn everything you know about this myth on its head.

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The Return of Billy Possum

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0000

20 years after William Howard Taft’s famous possum and taters feast inspired the failed Billy Possum toy, a real live Billy Possum wandered into the annals of presidential—and baseball—history. This is his story.

Check out our Season 4 episode "The Rise and Fall of Billy Possum" and Howard’s just-published article in Smithsonian Magazine about Billy Possum at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-stuffed-animal-named-billy-possum-triedand-failedto-replace-the-teddy-bear-as-americas-national-toy-180986072

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The Great Presidential Pot Hoax

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:00:00 -0000

We kick off Season 6 with a deep dank dive into a hoax about the early presidents and cannabis that fooled a Surgeon General in 1971 and is still claiming victims today. It’s the straight dope on the relationship between hemp and presidents like George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

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Season 6 Trailer

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:31:00 -0000

Season 6 premieres this Presidents Day, and it's focused on some of the biggest and weirdest myths in presidential history. From cherry trees to bath tubs, we're digging into the drama, personalities, and real stories behind these legends.

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Presenting Historical Blindness: The Illuminati in America

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 23:18:00 -0000

During our hiatus ahead of Season 6, we're excited to share this fascinating episode of a podcast called Historical Blindness. In this episode, host Nathanial Lloyd digs into the conspiracy theories surrounding the Illuminati in America, including the role they played in the Election of 1800 between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

Check out Historical Blindness at https://www.historicalblindness.com/ - including his latest on the legends surrounding Abraham Lincoln!

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Presenting Presidencies of the United States - The Jeffersonian Revolution: 1800

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:40:00 -0000

While we’re on hiatus before Season 6 debuts, we’re excited to share this episode of Presidencies of the United States, an excellent podcast hosted by our good friend Jerry Landry. Howard is Jerry’s guest on this special episode where they talked about one of Howard's favorite topics: the wild Election of 1800.

Check out Presidencies of the United States at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com/

For information on how you can help folks affected by the California wildfires, check out https://www.vox.com/climate/395295/los-angeles-wildfires-help-donate-volunteer-organizations

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Jimmy Carter and the Swamp Rabbit

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:28:05 -0000

Remembering 39th President Jimmy Carter, we share the quirky story of Carter's encounter with a distressed swamp rabbit while fishing in Georgia—and how it turned into front page news. This was originally part of our Season 3 episode "Cara Finnegan & Photographic Presidents."

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Attack on Christmas Pies with Bennett Rea

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:41:49 -0000

We're joined by Bennett Rea of Cookin' with Congress to talk about his historical culinary adventures and our team-up to recreate a massive Yorkshire Christmas pie like the ones George Washington unsuccessfully attacked each year at Mount Vernon.

You can find Cookin' with Congress at https://www.cookinwithcongress.com/ and on Instagram & TikTok @cookinwithcongress — check out the Christmas pie!

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Rebecca the Disgraceful Raccoon

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We look at the wild life of Rebecca, President Coolidge's pet raccoon. She was sent to the Coolidges to be part of their Thanksgiving dinner, but Calvin and Grace instead fell in love with the critter—and the press couldn't get enough of Rebecca's scandalous behavior.

Our thanks to veterinarian Dr. Jake Levin for his insights on raccoon as pets.

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James Monroe and the Tongs of Fire

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:29:14 -0000

We plunge into the personalities behind a showdown between President James Monroe and his strong-willed Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford, in a moment that truly captures the end of the Era of Good Feelings.

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Friendsgiving Spectacular 2024

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Howard joins Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories, Alycia from Civics & Coffee, and Jerry Landry from Presidencies of the United States for a conversation covering everything from their favorite lesser-known historical figures and the role of historians in the future to who would be the killer in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery where all the presidents are suspects.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/PLODDING and get on your way to being your best self.

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Listen to [Abridged] Presidential Histories: https://aph.buzzsprout.com/

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George Washington's Incompetence with James Early

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We're joined by James Early, host of the hit podcast Key Battles of American History, for a look at the devastating military failure of young George Washington and the qualities that later made him so successful in the military and politics.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/PLODDING and get on your way to being your best self.

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Presenting: Country Over Self

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We're sharing the first episode of a new podcast we think you'll enjoy. It's called "Country Over Self: Defining Moments in American History."

In each episode of this miniseries, host Matt Blumberg interviews a different presidential historian about a pivotal moment when a president chose to put their country ahead of their party and themselves.

In this episode, Matt talks with Julian Zelizer about the 36th President, Lyndon B. Johnson, and how Johnson used his detailed knowledge of the legislative process and his unique blend of personal intimidation and charm offensive to bring about what he considered the moral imperative of his day: Civil Rights and Voting Rights.

To learn more about Country Over Self or to check out other episodes head to www.countryoverself.com

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The Last Check on Democracy with Savannah Eccles Johnston

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We’re joined by Savannah Eccles Johnston (savypolitics on Instagram and cohost of the new podcast This Constitution) to talk about the formation of the American presidency, checks and balances, and the death of institutions at the hands of partisanship. First we take a look at what the American presidency might have looked like, if Alexander Hamilton got his way.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/PLODDING and get on your way to being your best self.

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Vote.

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The Thing in the White House - Southern Gothic

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:06:24 -0000

We're excited to share an episode of the Southern Gothic podcast coproduced by Howard, who also pops up as a guest commentator.

This is the story of "The Thing," a supernatural entity who reportedly terrorized the White House staff in 1911, and the key players involved: chief of staff Archibald Butt, President William Howard Taft, and lady's maid Florence Marsh—the only person to have actually seen the ghost. Southern Gothic host Brandon Schexnayder takes us on a journey through this haunting and explores possible identities of this ghost based on Florence's description.

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Murder & The Masons

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -0000

We dig into the history of the Freemasons, focusing on the disappearance and alleged murder of William Morgan, the mysterious man who wrote a book exposing their secrets in 1826. The conspiracy to protect those involved and the intense public backlash led to the first third party in America, the Anti-Masonic Party. Though short-lived, they managed to rack up a few electoral votes in the Election of 1832 with William Wirt as their reluctant presidential nominee. It's a tale of two Williams, one missing skull, and a prime example of the Streisand effect.

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Living Constitutionally with A.J. Jacobs

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 07:28:03 -0000

We welcome author and human guinea pig A.J. Jacobs to chat about his new book The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. For a year he tried to put himself in the shoes—and tricorn hat—of the founders, and he shares what he learned from an absurd and enlightening immersion into the document that defines our nation.

NEW: Please send us your Local Lore — hometown histories, interesting historical markers, and weird local claims to fame! Send them to ploddingthrough@gmail.com and we might feature them in an upcoming series!

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John Adams Under Fire with Lindsay Chervinsky

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

First, we talk about how a day of fasting and prayer in 1798 turned into a night of fear and flying "cockades." Then we’re joined by presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, author of the new book Making The Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged The Republic, for an insightful conversation about how President John Adams was a much savvier politician than he gets credit for—especially considering he was surrounded by saboteurs and jerkfaces.

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Thomas Jefferson's Beloved Dick

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:04:45 -0000

We explore Thomas Jefferson's love of mockingbirds, especially his favorite pet mockingbird, Dick. We also look at what this tells us about Jefferson's personality and why mockingbirds are anything but innocent.

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Andrew Jackson's True Role in the Trail of Tears

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 09:01:00 -0000

Andrew Jackson’s legacy is forever tied to the Trail of Tears, but what role did he actually play in the controversial Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the atrocities that followed? We look at how much blame Jackson deserves by evaluating 7 of the most common points used to defend him—including the ideas that Indian removal was popular and inevitable, and that Jackson had the best interests of Native Americans at heart.

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FDR and the Spirit of America with Paul Sparrow

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:59:00 -0000

We’re joined by Paul M. Sparrow, former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, to discuss the subject of his exciting new book “Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War on Words with Charles Lindbergh—and the Battle to Save Democracy” and the ways those struggles are mirrored today.

We look at how Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh were leading voices against American involvement in World War II, believing that democracy’s stint might be over and that totalitarianism was the wave of the future—and how FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt used their voices to inspire a nation to fight for democracy and freedom.

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The Legacy of Lyncoya

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We explore the final years and legacy of Lyncoya, the Native American child raised at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, focusing on Jackson's attempt to get Lyncoya into West Point Military Academy and the way Lyncoya has been memorialized in Calhoun County, Alabama.

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Key sources for this episode include The Andrew Jackson Papers published by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Dawn Peterson's "Indians in the Family: Adoption and the Politics of Antebellum Expansion," Christina Snyder's essay “Andrew Jackson’s Indian Son” from the book "The Native South" edited by Tim Alan Garrison and Greg O’Brien, and Melissa Gismondi's dissertation "Rachel Jackson and the Search for Zion, 1760s-1830s"

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The Adoption of Lyncoya: Andrew Jackson's Native "Son"

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The story of Lyncoya, an orphaned Native American child adopted by Andrew Jackson, is often used to soften the image of the man most associated with the Trail of Tears. In this episode, we explore the events that made Lyncoya an orphan, what we know about his childhood at The Hermitage and his role in Jackson's family, and his usefulness as a political tool. This is the first in a two-part series about Lyncoya.

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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with David Head & Timothy Hemmis

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The Burr Conspiracy and the most notorious early American scoundrels are the focus of our chat with historians David Head and Timothy Hemmis, co-editors of the new book “A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers and Adventurers Who Created a New American Nation.” But first, we look at an anonymous letter sent to John Adams in 1798 warning him that the most dangerous scoundrel in the nation was right under his nose.

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Presidential Grave Hunter with Kurt Deion

Tue, 21 May 2024 10:04:38 -0000

We dig into the story of Attorney General and one-time presidential candidate William Wirt's missing skull, followed by a conversation with historian and author Kurt Deion whose unique journey is chronicled in the book "Presidential Grave Hunter: One Kid's Quest to Visit the Tombs of Every President and Vice President."

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Learn more about Kurt Deion at presidentialgravehunter.com and kurtshistoricsites.com

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The Undeniable Rizz of Aaron Burr

Tue, 07 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We dig into the powerful, hypnotic charisma—the rizz—of Vice President Aaron Burr, specifically two events in March 1805 that showed his mesmerizing effect on those around him.

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Special thanks to Gwen Fries, author of The Beehive blog post Sympathy for the Devil: John Quincy Adams's Brush with Aaron Burr

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Adapting Franklin & John Adams with Kirk Ellis

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 08:12:01 -0000

We welcome Emmy and Peabody award winning screenwriter and producer Kirk Ellis to the show to talk about his work adapting Apple's new series Franklin as well as HBO's John Adams series. We dig into the rich characters and settings of Franklin, what Michael Douglas brings to the role of Benjamin Franklin, and what it was like adapting David McCullough’s book John Adams and Stacy Schiff’s book A Great Improvisation—including the scenes Ellis and the authors disagreed about.

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Mount Vernon's Stone of Secrets

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We dig into the centuries-old mystery of a cornerstone in Mount Vernon’s cellar that inspired a pivotal prop in the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Then we hunt for the truth behind that prop’s role in a battle between Hollywood and historical accuracy. Along the way we explore The War of Jenkins’ Ear, what the War of 1812 smelled like, and what happened when air conditioning came to Mount Vernon.

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Joe versus Mount Vernon

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This is the story of one man with big dreams who wanted to turn George Washington's Mount Vernon into a stop on his massive proposed theme park—a Disneyland on the Potomac named "The Spirit of America." In the 1960s and 70s, Joseph I. Goldstein was called the greatest threat to Mount Vernon since the British navy, and we dig into his wild plot and how the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, his neighbors, the government, and all the elements of nature joined forces to stop him.

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Saving Mount Vernon and Everything the Light Touches

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We explore two women responsible for preserving George Washington’s Mount Vernon: the "Southern Matron" Ann Pamela Cunningham, who dedicated her life to saving the mansion from ruin in the 1850s, and the eccentric Congressperson Frances Payne Bolton who used her wealth and power to save Mount Vernon's pristine view from becoming an industrial wasteland in the 1950s. It's a story of perseverance, partnership, and different kinds of power—economic, political, and even psychic.

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Party Time with H. W. Brands

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:22:51 -0000

We welcome historian and author H. W. Brands to the show to talk about the subjects of his new book, Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics. Topics include why everybody hated Hamilton, James Madison's political metamorphosis, and the founders' fear of election-stealing demagogues.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

Enter to win a copy of "Founding Partisans" at https://basicfront.easypromosapp.com/p/971239

You can subscribe to H. W. Brands' newsletter "A User's Guide to History" at hwbrands.substack.com.

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The John Adams Diet

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

We bring you The John Adams Diet, a revolutionary new lifestyle based on the documented personal habits and diet of America's second president. From chocolate for breakfast to hard cider and long walks, the John Adams Diet can unlock the big sassy founder within you. (Results not typical or likely.)

Visit JohnAdamsDiet.com for more details.

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Season 5 Trailer

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Plodding Through The Presidents returns Tuesday, February 13th as an ongoing biweekly podcast!

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Friendsgiving Spectacular 2023

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In a special bonus episode, Howard joins Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories, Jerry Landry from The Presidencies of the United States, and Alycia from Civics & Coffee for a fascinating Friendsgiving conversation about their podcasts and shared passion for history.

We'll be back soon! Find more info and sign up for our mailing list at plodpod.com

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The Shipwrecked Ring of John C. Calhoun

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:01:00 -0000

This episode's deep dive takes us to the bottom of the Pacific where a relic belonging to the family of John C. Calhoun was discovered 61 years after it was lost. We explore how it was lost during the tragic Honda Point Disaster and the story of the man who discovered it—and the target it put on his back. And it all starts with a little street in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles named Calhoun Avenue.

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Living Monuments of the Lost Cause with Karen L. Cox

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:44:00 -0000

We explore the Lost Cause narrative—the myth that the South didn't actually secede from the Union and fight the Civil War over slavery. First, we focus on Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens' chilling "Cornerstone Speech" defining the cause of the Confederacy, and then Howard talks with Dr. Karen L. Cox about her fascinating book "No Common Ground: Confederate Monuments and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice."

Please note: the interview with Dr. Cox was recorded in October 2022 and does not take into account any events that transpired since then.

Sources:

"The Black family that claims Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy, as an ancestor" by Jim Galloway, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 17, 2020

"Confederacy leader’s Black, white heirs unbury past at Georgia estate" by Jim Galloway, The Atlanta Journal-Constitutuon, June 23, 2023

Find show notes, additional sources, and more at plodpod.com

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Assassinating Andrew Jackson

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:42:00 -0000

In 1835 a man ambushed Andrew Jackson outside the Capitol and fired at him with two different pistols from less than 10 feet away—yet Jackson was unharmed. We dig into this failed assassination attempt, the wild trial of would-be assassin Richard Lawrence, and the conspiracy theories that started circulating immediately.

Then we welcome guest David S. Brown, author of The First Populist: The Defiant Life of Andrew Jackson, for a chat about Jackson's image, personality, and his crusades against the National Bank and for the forced migration of Native Americans.

Find show notes, sources, and more at plodpod.com.

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Washington & Madison's Founding Fracture

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:01:00 -0000

How did James Madison go from being one of George Washington's best friends to someone Washington went to his grave despising? We look at the rise and fall of Washington and Madison's friendship, from their partnership to create the Constitution to their bitter breakup amidst the birth of America’s two-party system. Of all the rifts, rivalries, and betrayals that shaped the nation, this one might be the most personal.

After digging into Madison's ratlike behavior, we read some listener responses to Jess’s strong feelings about possums from our Billy Possum episode.

Find show notes, sources, and more at plodpod.com.

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Populism in The Wizard of Oz

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:01:00 -0000

We go on a bimetal-curious adventure over the rainbow to dig into the history of L. Frank Baum's American fairy tale The Wizard of Oz and its alleged connections to William Jennings Bryan and the Populist movement of the 1890s. Then, Howard talks with author Peter Shea about Bryan and other presidential candidates who never made it to the presidency—including Aaron Burr and John C. Calhoun—all featured in Shea's book "In The Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls."

Special thanks to finance professional and friend of the pod Martin Smith for his insights on the appeal of the bimetallic standard.

Find show notes, sources, and more at plodpod.com

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John Quincy vs. The Sun, The South & The Mole People

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:01:00 -0000

Guest Bob Crawford tells us about his new podcast "Founding Son: John Quincy's America" and John Quincy Adams's epic post-presidential battle against the Southern slavocracy and the Gag Rule. Before that, we dig into JQA's battle with solar eclipses and cover some exciting updates about JQA and the mole people—a myth we first discussed in our Season 1 episode "John Quincy Adams vs. The Internet."

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The Rise and Fall of Billy Possum

Tue, 09 May 2023 07:01:00 -0000

Fearing the Teddy Bear was just a fad, some folks started looking for a successor toy. They settled on the Billy Possum. We dig into the birth of Billy Possum at a lavish Atlanta banquet for William Howard Taft in 1909, the innovative and disturbing promotional efforts of Susie W. Allgood to make Billy Possum happen, and the series of unfortunate events that led to the stuffed marsupial's downfall.

Show notes and more at plodpod.com

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Follow the Southern Gothic podcast at https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/follow

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Teddy Bear's Creation Myths

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 11:16:00 -0000

We dig into the truth behind the chaotic 1902 Mississippi bear hunt that forever linked Teddy Roosevelt to a cute little bear and we explore the competing versions of the teddy bear's origin—and the clear winner. Then we look at the bizarre religious backlash against the teddy bear craze in 1907.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com—special thanks to "Holt Collier: His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear" by Minor Ferris Buchanan and "Margarete Steiff, Morris Michtom and Teddy Roosevelt - Hunting Down the Origin of 'Teddy Bear'" from the Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog by Peter Jensen Brown

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Treasures of Healthcare History with Tegan Kehoe

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 08:01:00 -0000

Guest Tegan Kehoe—medical historian and author of the fascinating new book "Exploring American Healthcare Through 50 Historic Treasures"—joins Howard for an enlightening and personal discussion about George Washington's dentures, Vitamin D beer, the tragic story of the Kennedy baby, and our firsthand experiences with lifesaving advancements in preemie care. But first, Howard and Jess talk about a medical treatment gone wrong with Thomas Jefferson's nightmarish trip to Warm Springs, Virginia in 1818.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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The Passion of Benjamin Franklin

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:01:00 -0000

We dig into the stories behind Benjamin Franklin's notoriously naughty reputation on a quest to determine whether he was a flirt, a feminist, or the philandering father of dozens of children. And we dive into a letter of Franklin's that was considered too obscene to print until 150 years after his death.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Friendsgiving Spectacular

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:01:00 -0000

It's a Thanksgiving supergroup of history podcasters when Howard joins Kenny Ryan of [Abridged] Presidential Histories, Alycia from Civics & Coffee, and Jerry Landry from Presidencies of the United States for a special Friendsgiving spectacular to talk about some of their favorite things.

Check them out:

[Abridged] Presidential Histories

Civics & Coffee

Presidencies of the United States

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Why John Adams Hated Benjamin Franklin

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:01:00 -0000

We delve into the reasons behind John Adams's intense loathing of Benjamin Franklin, from their time as strange bedfellows in the Second Continental Congress to their time in France as diplomats with wildly different methods and work ethics. Even long after Franklin's death, Adams held a grudge against the man he considered a phony, glory-stealing sloth.

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Key source: Evans, William B. “John Adams’ Opinion of Benjamin Franklin.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 92, no. 2, 1968, pp. 220–38. JSTOR

Check out the podcast The Internet Says It's True with Michael Kent.

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The Resounding Will of Benjamin Franklin

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 05:01:00 -0000

We look at the haunting sounds and even more haunting history of Benjamin Franklin's favorite invention: the glass armonica. Then we welcome author Michael Meyer to discuss his new book Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet. The conversation brings Franklin to life and covers his unique bequests to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston and his rocky relationship with his son (hereby known as William Franklin, Patriot Hunter). We also touch on what Elon Musk and modern politicians could learn from Franklin.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

More on Michael Meyers at inmanchuria.com

For more information about Mayling Garcia visit maylinggarcia.com

Learn more about William Zeitler at https://www.williamzeitler.com/

(William Zeitler's music used with his permission.)

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A Perfect Monster: Burr, Hamilton, and the Manhattan Company

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:06:00 -0000

In 1799, New York City needed clean water to prevent the spread of Yellow Fever and Aaron Burr needed a friendly bank to fund his election efforts. We dig into how the brilliant, scheming Burr addressed both problems at once with the "perfect monster" known as The Manhattan Company, and how he duped Alexander Hamilton into being his greatest champion.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Hamilton, Burr, and the Murder of Elma Sands

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 07:01:00 -0000

In our fourth season premiere we dig into the 1799 murder of Elma Sands, a young woman whose body was found in the Manhattan Well. With a boardinghouse full of suspects—none of whom can be trusted—the trial was always going to be a sensation. But with the accused killer Levi Weeks being defended by the dream team of rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, it became a truly dramatic event.

Listen to the podcast Fresh Hell at https://freshhellpodcast.com/

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Season 4 Trailer

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 07:01:00 -0000

Season 4 premieres Tuesday, October 25th!

Enter to win our 3-book giveaway of fascinating historical books from our first three guests this season: https://kingsumo.com/g/k3clkv/3-book-giveaway-plodding-through-the-presidents-season-4

These are the books:

1. Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet: The Favorite Founder's Divisive Death, Enduring Afterlife, and Blueprint for American Prosperity by Michael Meyer

2. Exploring American Healthcare through 50 Historic Treasures by Tegan Kehoe

3. In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls by Peter Shea & Tom Maday

Drawing will be held November 2nd.

Visit our website at www.plodpod.com

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Benjamin Rush To Judgment

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:37:04 -0000

In our third season finale, we look at confounding founder Benjamin Rush—his outstanding humanitarian accomplishments, his controversial bleeding and purging treatments during the Yellow Fever epidemics, and the dramatic trial where he sued newspaper publisher William Cobbett for accusing him of killing his patients.

Sources and more at plodpod.com but a special shoutout to the extremely helpful Law and Medicine in Revolutionary America: Dissecting the Rush v. Cobbett Trial, 1799 by Linda Myrsiades and Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father by Stephen Fried.

We'll be back in 2022!

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Mary Hellen's Petticoat Magic

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 08:49:32 -0000

We explore the tragic stories of John Quincy Adams’s sons—George Washington Adams, John Adams II, and Charles Francis Adams—through the structure of their cousin Mary Hellen playing a real life game of "F*ck Marry Kill" with them.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

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Ghosts of the White House & New England with Jeff Belanger

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:36:38 -0000

We dig into the dubious story of Winston Churchill's naked encounter with the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Then we welcome author, paranormal investigator, and New England Legends host Jeff Belanger for a fascinating conversation about the long history of reported hauntings in the White House, why New England has so many legends, and the value of ghost stories in teaching history.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

We'll be back November 9th!

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The Haunted Hermitage & The Stone Library Heist

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:46:15 -0000

First, the Hermitage’s director of interpretation Bryan Gilley shares a historical haunting from Andrew Jackson’s home and a hair-raising experience of his own. Then, Adams National Historical Park curator Kelly Cobble describes the hauntingly beautiful Stone Library built to house John Quincy Adams’s books. And then we dig deeper into something Cobble mentioned – a 1996 heist at the Stone Library where the priceless Mendi Bible was stolen.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

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Conspiracy Theories & The Corrupt Bargain with Mark Cheathem

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 07:43:00 -0000

We look at the role of the Illuminati in the Election of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson before welcoming Dr. Mark Cheathem to the show. He teaches a course on conspiracy theories in American history at Cumberland University, and he joined us to talk about his course, his personal inspiration for teaching it, and conspiratorial thinking. Then we dig into a conspiracy theory about a rigged election and the men who rode it all the way to the White House – Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

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The Amistad, The Creole, and Madison Washington

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 09:59:09 -0000

We explore the incredible story of the Amistad captives and the sensation sparked by their rebellion, along with the opportunities their situation offered to the abolitionist cause and the rabble-rousing John Quincy Adams.

And we look at the impact of the Amistad rebellion on a man named Madison Washington who helped lead the most successful slave revolt in American history aboard a ship called The Creole.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

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Cara Finnegan & Photographic Presidents

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 09:38:11 -0000

Author Dr. Cara Finnegan (Photographic Presidents: Making History From Daguerreotype to Digital) joins Howard for a conversation about the early days of photography and some of the most intriguing presidential photographs, including a photo of a painting of William Henry Harrison that looks eerily lifelike and a "spirit photograph" of Mary Lincoln and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Before the interview, Jess and Howard tackle Jimmy Carter's brief but devastating encounter with a "killer" swamp rabbit, and the photographic proof.

Show notes, photos, and sources at plodpod.com

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The Mythology of Mary Ball Washington

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 07:23:18 -0000

George Washington's mother Mary Ball Washington has been unfairly portrayed as a greedy shrew for decades. This week, we dig into the truth of the most popular allegations levied against her by biographers. We also trace the origins of two legends about her – the deadly lightning bolt said to have changed her and her founding fetus forever and the story of a wild horse (you thought we were done with animals?) that inspired the legend of young George and the cherry tree. Along the way we look at two recent biographies of Mary that approach their subject with very different perspectives.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Lindsay Chervinsky & Washington's Cabinet of Personalities

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 10:12:28 -0000

Our very first guest, Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, joins Howard for a conversation about her book The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution and about the personalities and relationships of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton. And of course we talk a bit about our mutual love for John Quincy Adams.

Jess and Howard kick off the episode with a look at the most famous story of George Washington's profanity.

Note: Our interview with Chervinsky was recorded in June 2021 and does not take into account any events that have transpired since.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Potty-Mouthed Parrots

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:05:08 -0000

We continue the theme of naughty animals and dive into the stories of two parrots named Polly – Dolley Madison’s violently jealous macaw and Andrew Jackson’s purportedly potty-mouthed parrot.

We dig into the plausibility of the popular story that Jackson’s parrot had to be removed from his funeral for swearing, and along the way we explore the burning of the White House and the history of profane parrots in the United States.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Thomas Jefferson's Killer Ram

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 09:32:00 -0000

This episode is all about Thomas Jefferson's lust for wool and how it caused him to ignore the violence of a particular four-horned Shetland ram until it was too late. Come for the killer ram, stay for the sheep breeding and a quiz that could save you from getting rammed.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Season 3 Trailer

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 10:45:54 -0000

Season 3 premieres Tuesday, August 31!

Enter our book giveaway to win books by our first two guests, The Cabinet by Lindsay Chervinsky and Photographic Presidents by Cara Finnegan at https://kingsumo.com/g/aiwbpi/plodding-through-the-presidents-podcast-season-3-book-giveaway.

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The Sauciest Presidential Love Letters

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 08:45:00 -0000

In this Valentine's Day/Presidents Day bonus episode, we discuss a few sweet and weird love letters from early presidents like John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson before diving into the raunchy trove of letters borne of Warren G. Harding's semi-treasonous affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips. Listener discretion advised.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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The Peacemaker and the Cradle Robber

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 10:19:27 -0000

In our Season 2 finale, we take on the single deadliest disaster to befall a presidential cabinet – the explosion aboard the USS Princeton in 1844. We look at four of the key players aboard and how they got there - President John Tyler, Secretary of State Abel Upshur, Captain Robert Stockton, and Julia Gardiner, "The Rose of Long Island" – and how this tragedy shook up Tyler's plans for love and Texas.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Gouverneur Morris and the Vampire of Bizarre

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 08:09:00 -0000

We delve into the big penman energy of founding father Gouverneur Morris, the peg-legged sex-positive anti-slavery aristocrat who penned multiple constitutions and sailed through life with care-free confidence. We also explore the story of his wife, Ann Cary "Nancy" Randolph Morris and the sensational scandal at Bizarre that she struggled to overcome.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Finding Madison's Funny Bone

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 09:10:00 -0000

We go on a hunt for the often-mentioned but little-documented wicked sense of humor of James Madison. That hunt includes his abusive college poetry, his weird experimentation with animals and humans, and his special relationship with Thomas Jefferson.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com.

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Died On The Fourth Of July

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:17:00 -0000

We explore the unbelievable "coincidence" of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both dying on the Fourth of July on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the uncomfortable fact that James Monroe also died on the Fourth of July five years later, and the circumstances surrounding James Madison's deliberate choice to break with this weird tradition.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com.

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Elizabeth Jefferson's Earthquake Drowning

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:04:00 -0000

We explore the mysterious deaths of Thomas Jefferson’s sister Elizabeth and her enslaved body servant Little Sall, who both drowned just days after the first recorded earthquake in Virginia’s history. We also dig into how Elizabeth’s apparent intellectual disabilities were handled by biographies over the years.

Show notes and sources (like Susan Kern’s The Jeffersons at Shadwell) detailed at plodpod.com

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Alexander Hamilton & John Adams: A Superabundance of Hate

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 08:01:00 -0000

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton barely touched on the relationship between Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, and we dive into the many reasons these men HATED each other. It all started with their differences during the Revolutionary War and the hate only grew during their power struggles in the Quasi-War and the viciously contentious Election of 1800. Not even Hamilton's untimely death could stop their feud, as Adams continued smearing Alexander's memory with a pseudo-medical theory that Hamilton’s “superabundance of secretions” were responsible for his power-hungry ways.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Paranormal Presidents Part 2

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 07:10:00 -0000

In our paranormal conclusion we dive into the wild story of Andrew Jackson and the Bell Witch, who terrorized the Bell family of Tennessee from 1817-1821. Then we explore John Quincy Adams's electrifying adventures in the hereafter via a bizarre spiritual autobiography written by the medium Joseph Stiles in 1859.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Paranormal Presidents Part 1

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:05:00 -0000

In our Season 2 premiere, we dig into three stories where presidential history meets the paranormal – an apparition of John Adams spotted while he was very much alive, the bloody medieval ritual of "bier right" attempted in a murder trial where John Adams was the defense attorney, and the nursery bogey of Rawhead and Bloody Bones that frightened founders like Thomas Jefferson as children.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Andrew Jackson's Slut-Shaming Evolution

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0000

In our Season 1 finale, we trace Andrew Jackson's feelings about women's honor from his early days as a rowdy outhouse-mover to his tragic relationship with his wife Rachel and finally to the Petticoat Affair – the scandal surrounding Margaret Eaton that nearly took down his entire administration.

We'll be back with more brand new episodes soon! Follow us on Facebook for updates.

Sources:

The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House by John F. Marszalek
Life of Andrew Jackson by James Parton

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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John Quincy Adams vs. The Internet

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 09:24:00 -0000

We dive into the truth behind four popular stories about John Quincy Adams, including the inspirational "if your actions inspire others" quote, the pet alligator in the White House, the skinny dipping interview with reporter Anne Royall, and the expedition to the center of the earth to visit the mole people.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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A Tale of Two Stepsons

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 09:30:00 -0000

George Washington and James Madison never had any biological children, but they each had a problem child stepson. We explore the lives of the "voluptuous" Jacky Custis and the debauchery enthusiast John Payne Todd and how they affected their famous stepfathers and mothers.

Sources:

My original (and unfairly harsh) article about Jacky Custis: George Washington's Disappointing Stepson

Letters between Jonathan Boucher and George Washington - Founders Online
Letter from James Madison to John Payne Todd - Founders Online
The Bad Boy: Payne Todd by William Seale
Payne Todd: Prodigal Son
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe
Dolley Madison's Son Payne Todd: The Final Blow by Feather Schwartz
Mrs. James Madison: The Incomparable Dolley by Ethel Stephens Arnett

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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The Scandalmonger's Revenge

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 08:03:00 -0000

We dig into the rise and fall of James Thomson Callender, the pamphleteer who exposed the greatest sex scandals in early American history. His story is told through his attacks on Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Sources:
With the Hammer of Truth: James Thomson Callender and America's Early National Heroes by Michael Durey
Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton by Tilar J. Mazzeo
The Rise and Fall of Alexander Hamilton by Robert Hendrickson
The Reynolds Pamphlet – "The variety of shapes which this woman could assume was endless."

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Jefferson's Broken Heart and Wrist

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:11:00 -0000

We explore Thomas Jefferson's dangerous liaison in Paris with the talented artist Maria Cosway and her monkey-like husband Richard Cosway - a love story that resulted in two broken hearts, one permanently damaged wrist, and one epic 4000-word love letter written as a dialogue between Jefferson's head and heart.

(A note: This is one of our very first episodes, and we were still finding our rhythm and voice. If you're new to the podcast, you might want to start with Season 2 or newer episodes for a better sense of how we've evolved!)

Sources:

Founders Online - Jefferson's Head and the Heart letter to Maria Cosway

Mr. Jefferson's Women by Jon Kukla

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Jefferson and the Rights of Man by Dumas Malone

Jefferson: A Revealing Biography by Page Smith

John Adams by David McCullough

Richard Cosway, “The Macaroni Miniature Painter” from The Art Amateur, Vol. 8, No. 2 (January 1883)

Inspired by my post "Thomas Jefferson's Head, Heart, and Wrist"

I won't link directly to the "don't say I didn't warn you" painting of Leda and the Swan, but it's up to you if you want to Google Leda and the Swan by François Boucher 1740. (Don't do it.)

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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John & Abigail & Smallpox

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:02:00 -0000

We dig into the separate smallpox inoculations of John and Abigail Adams and the heartfelt and hilarious love letters this supercouple exchanged during their quarantines, along with some background on Lady Mary Montagu's bold introduction of the smallpox inoculation from Turkey to England.

(A note: This is our very first episode, and we were still finding our rhythm and voice. You're welcome to start here, but you might want to start with Season 2 or newer episodes for a better sense of how we've evolved!)

Sources:

Founders Online - letters between John & Abigail Adams

Time Magazine: How One Daring Woman Introduced the Idea of Smallpox Inoculation to England by Thomas Hager

The Story of Smallpox in Massachusetts by Samuel Bayard Woodward, M.D.

Inspired by my post "Love in the Time of Smallpox"

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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Season 1 Trailer

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 06:55:00 -0000

Introducing Season 1 of Plodding Through The Presidents with presidential history blogger Howard Dorre and his wife Jessica Dorre.

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