Ep. 2: Smile of the Demagogue (Andrew Johnson)

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He came from humble beginnings. He was born in a log cabin and had virtually no education. Through hard work, he rose to become a successful businessman. He fell in love and was married for almost 50 years. His life was the epitome of the American dream.
He found his calling in politics. He was known as a man of the people, especially the poor and downtrodden. He identified with them and he consistently fought for their interests. They returned him to office again and again. He was their fighter and their champion. He was also one of the most experienced men to ever become president of the United States.
And yet, Andrew Johnson is universally regarded as one of the worst and most hated presidents in American history. How is this possible? You’ll find out in this episode of This American President.

President Andrew Johnson

Ep. 1: The First American Action Hero (George Washington)

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General George Washington

We all know that George Washington was our first president, that he “could not tell a lie,” and that he supposedly had wooden teeth (he didn’t). However, to us, he seems to be a distant figure; more monument than man. He is as familiar as the one dollar bill, but even there he looks old and grumpy. Is this the real George Washington?   You might be surprised to find out that his contemporaries saw him very differently… They knew him as a warrior of the highest order. This episode takes a closer look at the real George Washington; you may be surprised to find that he consistently plunged himself headlong into battle, making him the first American action hero.

If you want to learn more about today’s episode, check out the books:

The song played during the outro is “How Could Washington Be A Married Man and Never Tell a Lie?” by M.J. O’Connell.

The scene from Ben-Hur:

The comparable clip with George Washington, played at the end, is from the 1959 film John Paul Jones, scene begins at 54:18:

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