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-triedan...
Jul 01, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 10
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. Find out more at plodpod.com. Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 17, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 9
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. Find out more at plodpod.com. Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 04, 2025•36 min•Season 6Ep. 8
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. Find out more at plodpod.com. Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch—including our William Henry Harrison: For A Good Time Not...
May 21, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 7
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. Find out more at plodpod.com and send your local lore to ploddingthrough@gmail.com. Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https:...
May 06, 2025•52 min•Season 6Ep. 6
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. Find out more at plodpod.com and send your local lore to plod...
Apr 15, 2025•44 min•Season 6Ep. 5
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 Rega...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 4
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. Find out more at plodpod...
Mar 18, 2025•49 min•Season 6Ep. 3
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-nation...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min•Season 6Ep. 2
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/p...
Feb 17, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 1
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294 Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Feb 12, 2025•1 min
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! Find out more at plodpod.com...
Jan 31, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 28
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.v...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 27
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." Find out more at plodpod.com Behold our brand new 2025 Presidential Pets wall calendar at https://www.lulu.com/shop/plodding-through-the-presidents/presidential-pets-plodding-through-the-presidents/paperback/product-rmv...
Dec 30, 2024•12 min•Season 5Ep. 26
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! Behold our brand new 2025 Presidential Pets wall calendar at https://www.lulu.com/shop/plodding-th...
Dec 24, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 25
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. Check out Rebecca and many more furry friends in our 2025 Presidential Pets wall calendar at https://www.lulu.com/shop/plodding-through-the-presidents/p...
Dec 18, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 24
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. 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. Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out...
Dec 04, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 23
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 ...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 22
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Check out James Early's podcast Key Battles of American History at https://omny.fm...
Nov 05, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 21
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 legislat...
Nov 01, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 20
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 you...
Oct 22, 2024•57 min•Season 5Ep. 19
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 an...
Oct 08, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 18
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 m...
Sep 24, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 17
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 fam...
Sep 10, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 16
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. NEW: Please send us your Local Lo...
Aug 27, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 15
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. 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! Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon family at https://ww...
Aug 13, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 14
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon family at https://ww...
Jul 30, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 13
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 total...
Jul 16, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 12
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon family at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch store at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294 Key source...
Jul 02, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 11
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. Find out more at plodpod.com Consider joining our Patreon family at https://www.patre...
Jun 18, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 10
