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Recent Episodes
S7E2 How Taft Got Stuck in the Bathtub
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…
S7E1 In Pursuit of a Rising Sun
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.…
S7 Season 7 Trailer
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. Find out more at…
S6E21 Hamilton, Jefferson, and an American Caesar with Jeffrey Rosen
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…
S6E20 Friendsgiving Spectacular 2025
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…
S6E19 Writing The American Revolution with Geoffrey C. Ward
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…
S6E18 Directing The American Revolution with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt
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…
S6E17 Joseph Ellis & America’s Great Contradictions
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…
S6E16 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…
S6E15 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. Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon…
S6E14 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.…
S6E13 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…
S6E12 A Tale of Two Cheeses
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…
S6E11 Presidents vs. Sharks
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…
S6E10 Presenting History Dispatches: Billy Possum
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,…
S6E9 AI vs. The Founders
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…
S6E8 The Wrestling Legacy of Abraham Lincoln
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…
S6E7 The Death and Balls of William Henry Harrison
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…
S6E6 Tecumseh's Curse
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…
S6E5 Sarah Shelton Henry and the Scotchtown Basement
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…
Frequently Asked Questions
Plodding Through The Presidents has published 99 episodes since January 2020, covering topics in Arts, Books.
Plodding Through The Presidents is currently declining with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 49m.
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