Stay ConnectedJoin history blogger Howard Dorre and his wife Jessica Dorre for a deep irreverent dive into lesser-known stories of the early American presidents. They dig into the myths, mysteries, scandals, and drama of the founders and their families, with a dash of marital banter.
Best History Podcast, Discover Pods Awards, 2025.
Copyright: © Copyright 2024 Plodding Through The Presidents
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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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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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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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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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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Plodding Through The Presidents returns Tuesday, February 13th as an ongoing biweekly podcast!
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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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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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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
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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.
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