In Lesson 008: Part 1, we open the door to some of America’s most inappropriate and influential political scandals… and reveal how they shaped history far more than the textbooks ever admitted.

From Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings to the Reynolds Pamphlet, from Grover Cleveland’s cover-up to Gary Hart’s “follow me around” challenge, and finally the groundbreaking testimony of Anita Hill, this episode examines the intersections of sex, power, consent, race, media, and political fallout.

We examine how these scandals influenced politics and how our institutions protected powerful men for generations while holding women responsible for the fallout.

Want to follow along with this lesson? View the full presentation here.

Part 2 continues with:

Clinton & Lewinsky, Kavanaugh & Ford, the Epstein files, and the emotional psychology that shapes elections.

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Resources & Citations:

• Wikipedia - List of Federal Political Sex Scandals in the United States

Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson

• Monticello - “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: A Brief Account”
• History.com - “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: What’s Known”
• Gilder Lehrman Institute – Essay: “When Past Speaks Present: Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings”

Mariah Reynolds and Alexander Hamilton

• The Reynolds Pamphlet by Alexander Hamilton
• National Archives – Founders Online (All Hamilton Documents)

Maria Halpin and Grover Cleveland

• PBS / American Experience biography
• Huck, C., 2017. "The Halpin Affair: How Cleveland went from Scandal to Success
• Serratore, Angela (September 26, 2013). "President Cleveland's Problem Child"

Donna Rice and Gary Hart

• Bai, Matt (September 18, 2014). "How Gary Hart's Downfall Forever Changed American Politics". The New York Times Magazine.

Anita Hil and Clarence Thomas

• C-Span / October 11, 1991: Anita Hill Full Opening Statement 
• CNN / Flashback: Clarence Thomas responds to Anita Hill
• Vice New / Watch The Most Outrageous Questions Senators Asked Anita Hill In 1991