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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40:28
Bringing Eliza Home
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
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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18:00
Theodore Roosevelt and the Piranhas of Doubt
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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54:09
Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica
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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Join 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.
New Zealand