Podcast
Plodding Through The Presidents
Hosted by Howard & Jessica Dorre · EN
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.
Best History Podcast, Discover Pods Awards, 2025.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Bringing Eliza Home
Oct 1600:45:21Tap to summarizeHow 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/ Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon community for ad-free episodes and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://plodding-through-the-presidents.dashery.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Thomas Jefferson's Swordfish Treason
Sep 2500:18:00Tap to summarizeWe 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. Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon community for ad-free episodes and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://plodding-through-the-presidents.dashery.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Theodore Roosevelt and the Piranhas of Doubt
Sep 900:54:09Tap to summarizeWe 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. Find out more at plodpod.com Join our Patreon community for ad-free episodes and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch at https://plodding-through-the-presidents.dashery.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Presidents vs. Sharks
Jul 22, 2025Tap to summarizeInspired by the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws, we dig into the most notable encounters between presidents and sharks—from John Adams on the Atlantic to JFK in the Pacific. Then we look at the shark attacks in July 1916 in New Jersey that caused America’s first shark panic and forced Woodrow Wilson to declare a war on sharks. Find out more at plodpod.com. Join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents Check out our merch shop at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Friendsgiving Spectacular 2024
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeHoward 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 favorite lesser-known historical figures and the role of historians in the future to who would be the killer in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery where all the presidents are suspects.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/PLODDING and get on your way to being your best self.Find out more at plodpod.comListen to [Abridged] Presidential Histories: https://aph.buzzsprout.com/Listen to Civics & Coffee: https://www.civicsandcoffee.com/Listen to Presidencies of the United States: https://www.presidenciespodcast.com/Join our Patreon family at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidentsCheck out our merch at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294Send your local lore to ploddingthrough@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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