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. Then we welcome Colleen Shogan, former archivist of the United States and CEO of the exciting new initiative In Pursuit, honoring America’s 250th.

Check out the excellent essays from In Pursuit written about presidents and first ladies and written BY presidents and first ladies (and more) at inpursuit.org

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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.

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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 Jefferson’s nation-defining differences, and their shared fear of the "embryo-Caesar" Aaron Burr.

Check out the fantastic resources at the National Constitution Center’s website at constitutioncenter.org.

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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 Histories (and the new podcast Democricide) for their fourth annual Friendsgiving special for a discussion about history, podcasting, confounding presidents, and bringing back duels.

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Listen to [Abridged] Presidential Histories: https://aph.buzzsprout.com/

Listen to Democricide: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/democricide/id1820630367

Listen to Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast: https://www.civicsandcoffee.com/

Listen to Presidencies of the United States: https://www.presidenciespodcast.com/

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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 spotlight, the iconic images of the Revolution, his long partnership with Ken Burns, and his fascination with Franklin Roosevelt.

Find out more about The American Revolution film series at pbs.org and check out Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns’ gorgeous book The American Revolution: An Intimate History based on the film.

Sign up for the free Plodding Substack newsletter at plodding.substack.com by 11/30/25 for a chance to win a copy of Joseph Ellis’s new book.

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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 behind the scenes stories about the collaborative process with Ken Burns, the incredible voice cast, the Revolution’s fascinating characters, and their road to documentary filmmaking.

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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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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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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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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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