We dig into the truth behind the chaotic 1902 Mississippi bear hunt that forever linked Teddy Roosevelt to a cute little bear and we explore the competing versions of the teddy bear's origin—and the clear winner. Then we look at the bizarre religious backlash against the teddy bear craze in 1907.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com—special thanks to "Holt Collier: His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear" by Minor Ferris Buchanan and "Margarete Steiff, Morris Michtom and Teddy Roosevelt - Hunting Down the Origin of 'Teddy Bear'" from the Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog by Peter Jensen Brown

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Guest Tegan Kehoe—medical historian and author of the fascinating new book "Exploring American Healthcare Through 50 Historic Treasures"—joins Howard for an enlightening and personal discussion about George Washington's dentures, Vitamin D beer, the tragic story of the Kennedy baby, and our firsthand experiences with lifesaving advancements in preemie care. But first, Howard and Jess talk about a medical treatment gone wrong with Thomas Jefferson's nightmarish trip to Warm Springs, Virginia in 1818.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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We dig into the stories behind Benjamin Franklin's notoriously naughty reputation on a quest to determine whether he was a flirt, a feminist, or the philandering father of dozens of children. And we dive into a letter of Franklin's that was considered too obscene to print until 150 years after his death.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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We look at the haunting sounds and even more haunting history of Benjamin Franklin's favorite invention: the glass armonica. Then we welcome author Michael Meyer to discuss his new book Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet. The conversation brings Franklin to life and covers his unique bequests to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston and his rocky relationship with his son (hereby known as William Franklin, Patriot Hunter). We also touch on what Elon Musk and modern politicians could learn from Franklin.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

More on Michael Meyers at inmanchuria.com

For more information about Mayling Garcia visit maylinggarcia.com

Learn more about William Zeitler at https://www.williamzeitler.com/

(William Zeitler's music used with his permission.)

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In 1799, New York City needed clean water to prevent the spread of Yellow Fever and Aaron Burr needed a friendly bank to fund his election efforts. We dig into how the brilliant, scheming Burr addressed both problems at once with the "perfect monster" known as The Manhattan Company, and how he duped Alexander Hamilton into being his greatest champion.

Show notes and sources at plodpod.com

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In our fourth season premiere we dig into the 1799 murder of Elma Sands, a young woman whose body was found in the Manhattan Well. With a boardinghouse full of suspects—none of whom can be trusted—the trial was always going to be a sensation. But with the accused killer Levi Weeks being defended by the dream team of rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, it became a truly dramatic event.

Enter to win our Season 4 3-book giveaway! https://kingsumo.com/g/k3clkv/3-book-giveaway-plodding-through-the-presidents-season-4

Sign up for History Camp America on November 5th! Use promo code PLODDING22 for $5 off! https://historycamp.org/events/history-camp-america-2022/

Listen to the podcast Fresh Hell at https://freshhellpodcast.com/

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Season 4 premieres Tuesday, October 25th!

Enter to win our 3-book giveaway of fascinating historical books from our first three guests this season: https://kingsumo.com/g/k3clkv/3-book-giveaway-plodding-through-the-presidents-season-4

These are the books:

1. Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet: The Favorite Founder's Divisive Death, Enduring Afterlife, and Blueprint for American Prosperity by Michael Meyer

2. Exploring American Healthcare through 50 Historic Treasures by Tegan Kehoe

3. In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls by Peter Shea & Tom Maday

Drawing will be held November 2nd.

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In our third season finale, we look at confounding founder Benjamin Rush—his outstanding humanitarian accomplishments, his controversial bleeding and purging treatments during the Yellow Fever epidemics, and the dramatic trial where he sued newspaper publisher William Cobbett for accusing him of killing his patients. 

Sources and more at plodpod.com but a special shoutout to the extremely helpful Law and Medicine in Revolutionary America: Dissecting the Rush v. Cobbett Trial, 1799 by Linda Myrsiades and Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father by Stephen Fried.

We'll be back in 2022!

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