In the spirit of Texas, we’re sharing this episode from the archives where we took 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.

Find out more at plodpod.com.

Join our Patreon family at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents for exclusive bonus content!

Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294

Houston Event June 13th, 2026 Details: https://calendar.houstonlibrary.org/event/16693436

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices