My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

In this episode, we speak with Cheryl Woodruff Brooks, author of  Washington was a cosmetic entrepreneur whose company turned her into one of of America's first black millionaires. She was founder and president of Apex Enterprises consisting of Apex Beauty Colleges, Apex Publishing Company, Apex News & Hair Company, Apex Laboratories and Apex Drug Company. Offices were located in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Newark, Richmond, Brooklyn, Washington, DC, Baltimore and Atlantic City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Constitution contains two possible forms of presidential removal outside of election, one is the much-discussed impeachment process. The other is the 25th Amendment's fourth section. We discuss 25 Section 4 with Professor Brian C. Kalt, Professor of Law & Harold Norris Faculty Scholar at Michigan State University, including how the amendment works, its uses and its common misunderstanding by the public and Hollywood writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1892, a dreaded disease caused a President to navigate local health situation and created a new law. We look at the precedent-setting quarantine order of the 23rd President, Benjamin Harrison. While we are at it, we look at Harrison's presidency, policies, his influence on future events, his failed attempt to obtain fair elections for both African Americans and city dwellers, and how he annoyed Theodore Roosevelt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who was Chester Arthur's secret pen pal?  How did Herbert Hoover spend his last day in office?  What was McKinley's obscure accomplishment?  What was Rutherford B. Hayes passionate hobby? What event hurt Taft's Presidency from the get-go? How did Martin Van Buren contribute to today's politics?  For Presidents Day, a conversation with Jeremy Anderberg of The Art of Manliness website and podcast and ReadMoreBooks.co newsletter. Music -"Swallow" by Pistol Jazz  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Eugene Debs to Richard Nixon, from a previously run episode, the President's power to pardon is examined.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We speak often of Democracy, but do we really know what it is? We point to Athens as an example. But what was Greek Democracy really like? A conversation with Dr. Paul Cartledge, A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, author of "Democracy: A Life."   A lot of topics here and while we chose not to break it up in 2 parts, you might want to listen to it in 2 parts.  Music from Lee Rosevere on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bruce Carlson reflects on 14 years of the podcast, provides a show update. Plus some listener questions on masks then and now, Presidents leaving (or not leaving) the Oval, and Kennedy's 1960 election and allegations of fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Weisberg has traced Ben Franklin's early advice-writing, read the "Lord Chesterfield" letters that early Americans read to learn how to act, attended Dale Carnegie workshops and spoke with Miss Manners all in a quest to track down why Americans are so obsessed with advice. We speak with Jessica about her book "Asking For a Friend" and discuss whether we've gotten far away from Dale Carnegie or Chesterfield, the selfless advice of our early American ancestors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's fascination then and now with sea rebels, sea dogs, privateers, smugglers, and pirates by other names is pretty clear. Books, movies and video games with pirates sell. We talk with pirate expert and historian Rebecca Simon, Ph.D. and author of "Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever"  We talk about connections between the American Revolution and piracy, and the different ways pirates were viewed in Britain and America.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we look at an enduring mystery, one that didn't matter too much in the 1960 election but has since taken on significance. Could it be that Kennedy lost, and Nixon won, the popular vote nationally in 1960. We looked at it a decade ago, and at that time MHCBUYP declared that Richard Nixon may have won the pop vote.  Now, we think it's complicated. But still possible. This, plus the "Gumps of History" and other listener questions.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices