Imperfect Men

This week, Cody and Steve dive into the biggest name on the Declaration (literally) and see if John Hancock lives up to the hype.Podcast to recommend: Our Fake History (Our Fake History – Historical Myths Relished and Ruined!)Sources·        Adams, James Truslow. “Portrait of an Empty Barrel.” Harpers Magazine 161 (p. 425-34), September 1930.·        Barbier, Brooke. King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father. Cambridge, MA: Harvard U. Press, 2023.·        Fowler, William M. Jr. The Baron of Beacon Hill: A Biography of John Hancock. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1980.·        Unger, Harlow Giles. John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot. Edison, NJ; Castle Books, 2005.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve continue their discussion about the Dick Grayson to George Washington's Bruce Wayne, Alexander Hamilton.Podcast to recommend: Lost Ballparks (Lost Ballparks Podcast)Sources·        Brookheiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton: American. New York City, NY: The Free Press, 1999.·        Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. New York City, NY: Penguin, 2005.·        Freeman, Joanne B. The Essenial Hamilton: Letters and Other Writings. New York City, NY: Library of America, 2017.·        Hendrickson, Robert. Hamilton I (1757-89). New York City, NY: Mason Charter, 1976.·        Randall, Willard Sterne. Alexander Hamilton: A Life. New York City, NY: Harper Collins, 2003.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve tackle another giant in the American pantheon, the man who had a million things to do, Alexander Hamilton.Sources·        Brookheiser, Richard. Alexander Hamilton: American. New York City, NY: The Free Press, 1999.·        Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. New York City, NY: Penguin, 2005.·        Freeman, Joanne B. The Essenial Hamilton: Letters and Other Writings. New York City, NY: Library of America, 2017.·        Hendrickson, Robert. Hamilton I (1757-89). New York City, NY: Mason Charter, 1976.·        Randall, Willard Sterne. Alexander Hamilton: A Life. New York City, NY: Harper Collins, 2003.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sourcesLinks to suicide prevention and counseling:Suicide prevention resources | AFSPOhio Suicide Prevention Foundation – Ohio's Voice for Suicide PreventionSuicide Prevention - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

On this episode, Steve and Cody talk about Lyman Hall's ministerial misdeeds, representation in Congress, and about half a dozen other things that have nothing to do with this blip of a Founder.Podcast to recommend: Irish History Podcast (Irish History Podcast)Sources·        Cook, James F. The Governors of Georgia, 1754-2004. Macon, GA: Mercer U. Press, 2005.·        Lockwood, Thornton C. “Lyman Hall.” Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. <https://www.dsdi1776.com/signer/lyman-hall/>. Retrieved 3 Feb 2025.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss the lifetime of failures that is one of the most uniquely named figures of the era, Button Gwinnett.Podcast to recommend: History’s Trainwrecks (History's Trainwrecks)Sources·        Jackson, Harvey. Lachlan McIntosh and the Politics of Revolutionary Georgia. Athens, GA: U. of Georgia Press, 1979.·        McNamara, Jr., Rieman, ed. “Button Gwinnett.” Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. 2007, <https://www.dsdi1776.com/signer/button-gwinnett/>. Retrieved 28 Jan 2025.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss the man who would be okay with us having a king, Nathaniel Gorham.Podcast to recommend: Totalus Rankium Pirates (Totalus Rankium | Ranking all the Roman Emperors and American Presidents)Sources·        Hauptman, Laurence M. Conspiracy of Interests: Iroquois Dispossession and the Rise of New York State. Syracuse, NY; Syracuse U. Press, 2001.·        Morton, Joseph C. Shapers of the Great Debate at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2006.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss the Creature from the Exeter Lagoon, Nicholas Gilman, as well as review some fun statistics from the first 50 subjects and answer a few listener questions.Podcast to recommend: Kingdom (Kingdöm: Swedish Rulers – A Flatpack History of Sweden Podcast)Sources·        Wright, Jr., Robert K., and Morris J. MacGregor, Jr. Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution. Washington, DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1987.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for list of general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss Elbridge Gerry, gerrymandering, grumbles, and the nature of the word “gubernatorial.”Podcast to recommend: History of Africa (History of Africa Podcast)Sources·        Billias, George. Elbridge Gerry: Founding Father and Republican Statesman. New York City, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1976.·        Glynn, John C., Jr., and Grace Keiper Staller. “Elbridge Gerry.” Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. <https://www.dsdi1776.com/signer/elbridge-gerry/>. Retrieved 17 Dec 2024.·        Seabrook, Nick. One Person, One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America. New York City, NY: Pantheon Books, 2022.·        Witcover, Jules. The American Vice-Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2014.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources

On this episode, Cody and Steve discuss the dark legacy of Christopher Gadsden and how he still affects us to this very day.Podcast to recommend: Grand Dukes of the West (Grand Dukes of the West – A History of Valois Burgundy)Sources·        Butler, Nic. “The Story of Gadsden’s Wharf.” Charleston County Public Library. 2 Feb 2018. <https://www.ccpl.org/charleston-time-machine/story-gadsdens-wharf>. Retrieved 26 Nov 2024.·        Eldridge, Kelcey M., "A Forgotten Founder: The Life and Legacy of Christopher Gadsden" (2018). All Theses. 2949. <https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2949?utm_source=tigerprints.clemson.edu%2Fall_theses%2F2949&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages>. Retrieved 26 Nov 2024.·        Godbold, Stanley, Jr., and Robert Woody. Christopher Gadsden and the American Revolution. Knoxville, TN: U. of Tennessee Press, 1983.·        McDonough, Daniel. Christopher Gadsden and Henry Laurens: The Parallel Lives of Two American Patriots. London, UK: Associated U. Press, 2000.·        See pinned post on Bluesky for general sources