In Episode 3 of Before Camelot, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy continue to peel back the veneer of America’s most storied political dynasty. It begins with the death of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Originally groomed for the presidency, Joe Jr.'s tragic end in World War II forced his younger brother John into the political spotlight, with Bobby soon following. The episode traces the family's rise to power, built on Joseph Kennedy Sr.’s fortune and ambition, and the burden his sons carried as heirs to a legacy forged in secrecy and scandal. From wartime sacrifice to political triumph, and the series of tragedies that followed, the conclusion confronts the origins of the so-called Kennedy curse and the heavy cost of America’s royal family.

In the latest episode of Atlanta History for Cocktail Parties, hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take a sharp-edged dive into the complicated life of Joseph P. Kennedy, the original architect of America's most storied political dynasty. From his savvy — and often suspect — stock market plays to his strategic forays into Hollywood and real estate, Kennedy emerges as a master of timing and influence. The conversation tracks his behind-the-scenes role in securing FDR’s nomination, his controversial stance on Prohibition, and his tangled relationships with both the British crown and organized crime.

Hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy explore the dark origin story of America’s most glamorous political dynasty. Long before JFK captured the nation's imagination, his father Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was amassing a fortune through bootlegging, stock manipulation, insider trading, and political backroom deals — with more than a few suspicious deaths along the way. This is the story of how the house of Kennedy was really built: Before Camelot.

Before it became a millionaire’s retreat and before U-boats prowled its shores during World War II, Jekyll Island began as a gift — an honor bestowed by James Oglethorpe upon one of Britain’s most principled and peculiar political minds: Sir Joseph Jekyll. A fiery Whig reformer, Jekyll spent four decades fighting corruption in Parliament, championing sobriety to the point of needing personal security, and helping bankroll Oglethorpe’s fledgling Georgia colony. His reward? A slice of untamed coastal wilderness in the New World that would one day bear his name.

Before it became a millionaire’s retreat and before U-boats prowled its shores during World War II, Jekyll Island began as a gift — an honor bestowed by James Oglethorpe upon one of Britain’s most principled and peculiar political minds: Sir Joseph Jekyll. A fiery Whig reformer, Jekyll spent four decades fighting corruption in Parliament, championing sobriety to the point of needing personal security, and helping bankroll Oglethorpe’s fledgling Georgia colony. His reward? A slice of untamed coastal wilderness in the New World that would one day bear his name.

In the final episode of Jekyll Island and the Secret Origin of the Fed, hack historians Thornton Kennedy and James Ottley peel back the curtain on the conspiracy theories—and cold, hard truths—surrounding the creation of the Federal Reserve. What was really at stake when six men, representing some of the wealthiest interests in America, met in secrecy on Jekyll Island? Was it public good or private gain that drove them? With a cocktail in hand and a raised eyebrow, your hosts explore the Fed’s shadowy birth, its elusive mechanics, and the enduring suspicion that it was less about stability and more about control. A century later, are we any closer to knowing who really holds the power?

In Episode 3 of Jekyll Island and the Secret Origin of the Fed, hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy recount the 1910 journey right out of a movie of America’s financial power players to a secluded Georgia island under the guise of a duck hunting trip. Using only first names and traveling in stealth, the group—including a man who had never hunted duck in his life—crafted the blueprint for what would become the Federal Reserve. It’s a tale of hidden agendas, private railcars, and one of the most consequential meetings in U.S. history.

In the second leg of the journey to Jekyll Island and the secret 1910 meeting that laid the groundwork for the Federal Reserve System, History for Cocktail Parties hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy dive into the economic chaos triggered by the 1890 Silver Purchase Act and the devastating Panic of 1893. This episode uncovers how debates over gold and silver shaped America’s monetary system, fueled the rise of the Populist Party, and inspired one of the most enduring allegories in American culture: The Wizard of Oz. With political unrest, economic collapse, and symbolism hiding in plain sight, the road to Jekyll gets even more colorful.

History for Cocktail Parties hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take listeners on a journey that ultimately leads to Jekyll Island, Georgia — the secluded site of a secret 1910 meeting that laid the groundwork for the Federal Reserve System. This episode explores the dramatic history of American money, revealing how financial panics, backroom deals and banking reforms shaped everything from the formation of political parties to the location of the nation’s capital.

In the final installment of our three-part series on The Masters Tournament, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take listeners back to the very first tee-off in Augusta. This episode explores the inaugural 1934 tournament and how Bobby Jones—after serving with distinction during World War II—returned home to find his dream had taken root. Ottley and Kennedy trace how Jones' postwar legacy and vision helped elevate The Masters into one of the most prestigious events in all of sports.