Why listen
Two founding fathers traded career-ending smears in a presidential race that got genuinely ugly.
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In this episode
- How Jefferson and Adams went from allies to bitter political enemies
- The real scandal Jefferson used to hit back at Adams in the press
- What DNA evidence revealed about Jefferson and Sally Hemings
- A classic gin martini recipe to sip while the history unfolds
About this episode
We have DNA evidence that Thomas Jefferson slept with Sally Hemings, a biracial enslaved woman that he owned (and fathered the children of). So, John Adams tells his son to spread word of this to the papers to try to do Jefferson dirty. In retaliation, Thomas Jefferson accuses John Adams of procuring prostitues for the Czar of Russia (fake news). How did these former friends and founding fathers become bitter rivals in their race for the Presidency?Plus, the history of the martini! Want to sip along while you listen? Here's Craig's recipe for our shared cocktail of choice.
Dr. Craig R. Smith's INFAMOUS Gin Martini
In a shaker with ice...a splash of vodka (calm down!), half a cap of dry vermouth, two ounces London dry gin. Shake twenty times. Pour into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a stuffed olive, lemon twist, or slice of cucumber.
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About History. Rated R.
Let's be honest. History is full of f*cked up sh*t. But what are we gonna do, pretend like it never happened? Have a drink with your host, actor and writer Will Sterling, and his more qualified former Presidential Speechwriting co-host, Dr. Craig Smith.
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