Plodding Through The Presidents
Join history blogger Howard Dorre and his wife Jessica Dorre for a deep irreverent dive into lesser-known stories of the early American presidents. They dig into the myths, mysteries, scandals, and drama of the founders and their families, with a dash of marital banter.
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 89
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
James Monroe and the Tongs of Fire
We plunge into the personalities behind a showdown between President James Monroe and his strong-willed Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford, in a moment that truly captures the end of the E…
00:35:26 |
Wed 04 Dec 2024
Friendsgiving Spectacular 2024
Howard joins Kenny Ryan from [Abridged] Presidential Histories, Alycia from Civics & Coffee, and Jerry Landry from Presidencies of the United States for a conversation covering everything from their …
01:05:08 |
Mon 18 Nov 2024
George Washington's Incompetence with James Early
We're joined by James Early, host of the hit podcast Key Battles of American History, for a look at the devastating military failure of young George Washington and the qualities that later made him s…
00:38:49 |
Tue 05 Nov 2024
Presenting: Country Over Self
We're sharing the first episode of a new podcast we think you'll enjoy. It's called "Country Over Self: Defining Moments in American History."
In each episode of this miniseries, host Matt Blumberg i…
00:27:02 |
Fri 01 Nov 2024
The Last Check on Democracy with Savannah Eccles Johnston
We’re joined by Savannah Eccles Johnston (savypolitics on Instagram and cohost of the new podcast This Constitution) to talk about the formation of the American presidency, checks and balances, and t…
00:54:34 |
Tue 22 Oct 2024
The Thing in the White House - Southern Gothic
We're excited to share an episode of the Southern Gothic podcast coproduced by Howard, who also pops up as a guest commentator.
This is the story of "The Thing," a supernatural entity who reportedly …
00:42:39 |
Tue 08 Oct 2024
Murder & The Masons
We dig into the history of the Freemasons, focusing on the disappearance and alleged murder of William Morgan, the mysterious man who wrote a book exposing their secrets in 1826. The conspiracy to pr…
00:44:50 |
Tue 24 Sep 2024
Living Constitutionally with A.J. Jacobs
We welcome author and human guinea pig A.J. Jacobs to chat about his new book The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning. For a year he …
00:41:52 |
Tue 10 Sep 2024
John Adams Under Fire with Lindsay Chervinsky
First, we talk about how a day of fasting and prayer in 1798 turned into a night of fear and flying "cockades." Then we’re joined by presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, author of the new b…
00:50:03 |
Tue 27 Aug 2024
Thomas Jefferson's Beloved Dick
We explore Thomas Jefferson's love of mockingbirds, especially his favorite pet mockingbird, Dick. We also look at what this tells us about Jefferson's personality and why mockingbirds are anything b…
00:37:26 |
Tue 13 Aug 2024
Andrew Jackson's True Role in the Trail of Tears
Andrew Jackson’s legacy is forever tied to the Trail of Tears, but what role did he actually play in the controversial Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the atrocities that followed? We look at how much…
00:48:40 |
Tue 30 Jul 2024
FDR and the Spirit of America with Paul Sparrow
We’re joined by Paul M. Sparrow, former director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, to discuss the subject of his exciting new book “Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War on Words …
00:40:36 |
Tue 16 Jul 2024
The Legacy of Lyncoya
We explore the final years and legacy of Lyncoya, the Native American child raised at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, focusing on Jackson's attempt to get Lyncoya into West Point Military Academy and the…
00:37:19 |
Tue 02 Jul 2024
The Adoption of Lyncoya: Andrew Jackson's Native "Son"
The story of Lyncoya, an orphaned Native American child adopted by Andrew Jackson, is often used to soften the image of the man most associated with the Trail of Tears. In this episode, we explore th…
00:41:10 |
Tue 18 Jun 2024
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with David Head & Timothy Hemmis
The Burr Conspiracy and the most notorious early American scoundrels are the focus of our chat with historians David Head and Timothy Hemmis, co-editors of the new book “A Republic of Scoundrels: The…
00:38:59 |
Tue 04 Jun 2024
Presidential Grave Hunter with Kurt Deion
We dig into the story of Attorney General and one-time presidential candidate William Wirt's missing skull, followed by a conversation with historian and author Kurt Deion whose unique journey is chr…
00:49:47 |
Tue 21 May 2024
The Undeniable Rizz of Aaron Burr
We dig into the powerful, hypnotic charisma—the rizz—of Vice President Aaron Burr, specifically two events in March 1805 that showed his mesmerizing effect on those around him.
Find out more at plodp…
00:43:45 |
Tue 07 May 2024
Adapting Franklin & John Adams with Kirk Ellis
We welcome Emmy and Peabody award winning screenwriter and producer Kirk Ellis to the show to talk about his work adapting Apple's new series Franklin as well as HBO's John Adams series. We dig into …
01:00:20 |
Tue 23 Apr 2024
Mount Vernon's Stone of Secrets
We dig into the centuries-old mystery of a cornerstone in Mount Vernon’s cellar that inspired a pivotal prop in the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Then we hunt for the truth behind that pro…
00:43:03 |
Tue 09 Apr 2024
Joe versus Mount Vernon
This is the story of one man with big dreams who wanted to turn George Washington's Mount Vernon into a stop on his massive proposed theme park—a Disneyland on the Potomac named "The Spirit of Americ…
00:41:55 |
Tue 26 Mar 2024
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