1 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: Yea, let's open today show with a tiny bit of trivia. 2 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: My name is Ben and I was actually born in Nashville. 3 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: My name is Noel, and I have been to Nashville once, 4 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: but my driver's license expired, so I didn't get to 5 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: go to any of the sweet honky tonks. Oh that's 6 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: a shame, you know. We should go to Nashville together. 7 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: We should take a road trip. It's a pretty swell place. 8 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: You'd like it, No, I. I like the street. I 9 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: bought a hot dog. All my friends went to Robert's 10 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: Western World, which is apparently the spot where all of 11 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: the grizzled Nashville session guys just show up at two 12 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: in the afternoon and play until three in the morning, 13 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: just like you do. And I really felt like I 14 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: missed out on something. But I'll tell what I did 15 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: not miss out on. That I recently returned from a 16 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: work trip to Los Angeles, where I happened upon a 17 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: little place called the Museum of Death. Oh, yes, you went? 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: Did you refuse to refuse? And I'm not going to 19 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: talk too much about this, but they do not allow 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: photos for good reason. Um. It's quite grizzly, quite upsetting. Um, 21 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: and they had a whole section with funereal artifacts, UM, 22 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: embalming tools, and and they had a quite impressive collection 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: of coffins um. And I only bring this up because 24 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: today we're talking about digging up bodies. That's that is 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: the base level for my segue. Right. So for everybody wondering, Ben, 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: why are you giving us personal information about Nashville? Noel, 27 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: why are you telling us about uh coffin Rey, It's 28 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: it's because those two things do have uh an alarming 29 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: and we think fascinating connection point here in today's episode, owed, 30 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: if you visit the Tennessee State Capital in Nashville, you'll 31 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: see President Andrew Johnson, who's got sort of this wind 32 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: swept thing, kind of prefiguring Claire al herbal Essences commercials, 33 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: a bit of a fabio look if we're being honest. 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: And then you have the other Andrew. That would be 35 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: Jackson sitting astride his trustees steed and rearing back kind 36 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: of pose, looking a little bit wind swept himself, but 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: with a little bit more of an edge to him, 38 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: a little pinash. I believe he's tipping his hat. Here's 39 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: the thing, folks, Neither of those presidents are actually buried 40 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: at the Tennessee State Capital. But those statues are so 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: prominent that they've become local landmarks. And there's another important thing, 42 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: because it turns out they overshadow another president. That's right, 43 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: poor James K. Polk, the US is eleventh President, who 44 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: along with his wife Sarah, are currently buried on the 45 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: those grounds of the Tennessee State Capital. And a very 46 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: modest compared to the giant sweeping statues, a modest structure 47 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: um that is kind of flanked by these columns, and 48 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: it was actually designed by the same architect that designed 49 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: the US State Capital in kind of a Greek style. 50 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: And as we record today's episode, turns out that Sarah 51 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: and James may not be located there much longer. You see, 52 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: there's a movement to disenter or exhume the Polk couple 53 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: and move them about fifty miles away to their family's 54 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: historic home, which is actually in a town called Columbia, 55 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: very close to Murfreesboro. If I'm not mistaken as the 56 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: ore Silent in Murfreesboro, I've always I've always kind of 57 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: been winging it. We got some we've got some great 58 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: pronunciation emails earlier, I've leaving the show, So help us 59 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: out this time, folks. Murfreesboro versus Murphy. Yeah, that is 60 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: the question. But Columbia is in fact a pretty small 61 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: town near Murphysboro that is largely known for its yearly 62 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: Mule Festival. I'm a big fan of festivals, man, and 63 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: it's time that the mule finally got it's do. Yeah, 64 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's more than just a little horse, 65 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: right man. I mean, I don't know. Just because it's 66 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: a relatively small species doesn't mean it's not a big deal. Technically, 67 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and 68 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: a female horse, so it's a different species. That's interesting. 69 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: Only mentioning this to show that you know, Columbia um 70 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: charming place to live, I'm sure, But Broadway, it's not Broadway, 71 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: It is not not not a whole lot of a 72 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: tourist attractions for this city, and I think there are 73 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: some that hope that might change with the movement uh 74 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:05,559 Speaker 1: to move said presidents remains right. So Polk was born 75 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: in North Carolina in sev but his family did eventually 76 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: move to the Tennessee Frontier, where his father built a 77 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: home there in Columbia in eighteen sixteen, and because he 78 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: lived there for several years as as a ute as 79 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: an adolescent. Uh, the home now serves as the James K. 80 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: Polk Museum. And this happens very often here in the 81 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: United States. I don't know whether it's the case in 82 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: other countries, but in our neck of the Global Woods, 83 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: a famous were historically influential person just has to spend 84 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: time in a location for it to become, you know, 85 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: their ancestral home or their museum. It doesn't have to 86 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: be the place where Mark Twain regul Alapo was born necessarily. 87 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: It could be the home where Mark Twain lived or 88 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 1: Samue Old Clemens lived in I think Springfield, Connecticut. You know, 89 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 1: he wasn't a kid there. That's that's where he lived 90 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: and lost a bunch of money betting on terrible inventions. Niche. 91 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: But let's let's get not get too ahead of ourselves. 92 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: What was Poke known for? Benny? He was only one 93 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: term president, but accomplished a pretty obscene amount of stuff, right, 94 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: he did some great stuff. I want to open with 95 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: his nicknames though, because I think they're hilarious. Uh. Every 96 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: president has a bunch of nicknames, and just just a 97 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: few of James Knox Pulp. Nick names would be Napoleon 98 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 1: of the Stump and Young Hickory. And the reason he 99 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: was Young Hickory was because when he was Speaker of 100 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: the House, really trumpeted his mentor Andrew Jackson's policies. Uh, 101 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: and that informed a lot of what he would accomplish 102 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: as president in terms of really pushing hard for this 103 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: manifest destiny idea of expanding the United States borders um 104 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: to the Pacific. That we will get into that surely 105 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: that was one of the accomplishments. But Old Hickory was 106 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,039 Speaker 1: Andrew Jackson's nickname, and so that was that he was 107 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: his boy, Little Hickory or young Young Hickory. Yeah, he 108 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: was definitely a protege. So Polk had actually been a lawyer, 109 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: and while he was in law school, he clerked for 110 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: the state Senate. UM and then in eighteen three got 111 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives and was reelected 112 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: a whopping six times, where he eventually became the Speaker. 113 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: And that's when he was able to really champion Andrew 114 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: Jackson's various political positions and got that nickname Young Hickory. Um. 115 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: He actually went on to become Tennessee's ninth governor, and 116 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: in eighteen forty four he became President of the United States. 117 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: He was forty nine years old, which sounds, you know, 118 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: like pretty cool batting average now, but at the time 119 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: he was the youngest candidate ever to become president. So 120 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: there's a there's a star, gold star form. Definitely young Hickory, 121 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: Totally young Hickory for days. He also re established the 122 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: treasury system, which was kind of a precursor to what 123 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: we have today under the Federal Reserve. He created the 124 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: Naval Academy, and legislation that he signed actually established the 125 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: creation of the Smithsonian Institution, which is responsible for preserving 126 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: artifacts and American culture and it is free to visit. Additionally, 127 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: let's see what's the best way to say this, During 128 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: his administration, the very first US postage stamp was issued, 129 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: which is still a big deal today for philatelists in 130 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: the crowd. Pen Did you just pull that word right 131 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: off the top of your dome? Sort of, but I 132 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: didn't make it up. It is the fancy word for 133 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: stamp collectors. I should have guessed that, but that is 134 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: a weird one for me. Voluminoust is the fancy word 135 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: for matchbook collectors. I am full of cartoonistly specific words, 136 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: but we are talking about specific and historically significant actions 137 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: by the eleventh President. And there's the real big one 138 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: that we hinted that earlier with this whole da of 139 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: manifest destiny, which was the notion that the US should 140 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: basically colonize other places. And during the Mexican American War, 141 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: James K. Polk pushed pretty damn hard to make that 142 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: happen and had some success, didn't he, Yes, he did. 143 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: He was instrumental in expanding the territory of the United 144 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: States by more than eight hundred thousand square miles, which 145 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: means it goes all the way. This this is where 146 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: it became a c deshining cea country. Yeah. In eighteen 147 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: thirty six, Texas, which was at the time ruled by Mexico, 148 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: was given independence and it was not initially incorporated into 149 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: the Union. And this became an issue after that and 150 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: continuous raids by the Mexican government. And then in eighteen 151 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: forty four when Polk was elected, he pushed really hard 152 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: to reannex Texas, which is kind of what set off 153 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: this conflict. What does that mean, Member, This would mean 154 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: that the territory at hand becomes part of the United 155 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: States property of it. So, for instance, if the US 156 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: today were too annex of Baja California, or if Baja 157 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: California were to annex California right, then what that would 158 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: mean is that this territory would become the property of 159 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: the governing state. Annexation is typically not a move that 160 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: everyone agrees with. Right So, if our super producer Casey 161 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: Pegram and you and I are each three state actors 162 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: who are neighbors, and two of us decide to split 163 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: up the other one's property and annex it, it's pretty 164 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 1: much a declaration of war exactly. And also part of 165 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: the reason that there was issue with making Texas part 166 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: of the Union was that lawmakers did not want another 167 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: slave state. Um. And then there were these, you know, 168 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: occasional raids, border raids by the Mexican government. But like 169 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: we said, when Polk was elected, he threw all that 170 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: aside and reannexation procedures began, and this set off the war, 171 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: and ultimately, long story short, we won and we got 172 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of land as a result. And that 173 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: all happened under the watch of James K. Polk during 174 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: his very short presidency, which was a purposeful presidency. You see, 175 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: he was a one term president by designing that was 176 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: part of his campaign platform, and unlike many many, many, many, 177 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: many other state leaders or politicians in general, he kept 178 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 1: his word and after four years in the White House, uh, 179 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: he returned to Tennessee. We do want to make a 180 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: note here that the Mexican American War and eat all 181 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: wars are tragic things. This was not This was not 182 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: necessarily a position where there were clear cut good or 183 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: bad guys in the United States, and many many organizations 184 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: commanded by the United States did horrific things. Yeah, and 185 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: I mean, and the American military vastly outnumbered the Mexican forces, 186 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: sort of a you know, shooting fishing a barrel kind 187 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: of not age equal playing field. Now, So what happened 188 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: after Polk left the presidency. He died, That's right. He 189 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: did pass away, as people are unfortunately want to do. 190 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: He died on June eighteen forty nine, so not long 191 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: after he served his term as president, and he passed 192 00:12:55,679 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: away in Nashville, Tennessee. He did. And it's actually he's 193 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: super interesting because he passed away after contracting cholera, and 194 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: at the time there had been a massive cholera outbreak 195 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: in Nashville such that there was a city ordinance that 196 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: required any cholera victims be buried in the local municipal cemetery. Okay, right, 197 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: so don't even have their bodies around for say a 198 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: family ceremony or something. And so Polk's first burial place 199 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: was very specifically tied to these conditions that it was 200 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: just they had to do it. They put him there 201 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: with everyone else who had suffered from this disease, and 202 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: his after his post presidency of one hundred and three days, 203 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,439 Speaker 1: the shortest of any president, did not die in office. 204 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: Uh I believe it was. It was about a year after, 205 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: isn't that right, nol where they his body was dug 206 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: up and moved after the first burial. That's right. It 207 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: was dug up and moved to Polk Place, which sounds 208 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: like a uh a square on Monopoly or a place 209 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: where they would sell poke bowls. Okay, here's a pitch. 210 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: Here's a pitch. Just let me know what you think. 211 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: A James K. Polk themed poke bowl restaurant. See, I 212 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: I have issue with Poke versus Polke and I know 213 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: you've made your line in the sand that it is poke. 214 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: And I have said that to people who have looked 215 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: at me askance. So, folks, what do you think? We're 216 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: talking about raw fish in a bowl with rice and deliciousness. 217 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: Is it poke or poke? Right in? What do y'all think? No? 218 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: If your problem with this persists, then don't worry. I've 219 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: still got us covered. I've got a backup plan. It's 220 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: a poke a bowl place that's Pokemon themed. That's easy love. 221 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: You could serve it in a pokey bowl, right, and 222 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: you can collect the bulls love it all right. But 223 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: but Polk Place, it turns out, is different. That is 224 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: the that is the property where James K. Polk was 225 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: intending to establish his like who wanted to be buried there. 226 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: He wanted kids to grow up there. He wanted it 227 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: to remain the seat of the Polka state. Yeah, and 228 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: this was the true kind of ancestral home of the 229 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: Polke family. After Polk died, his wife Sarah continued to 230 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: live at Polke Place for forty two years until she died. Um. 231 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: But here's where the plot thickens and things start to 232 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: get really interesting. Polk actually drew up his will a 233 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: mirror five months before he passed away, and in it 234 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: he used some very specific language. He was, after all 235 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: a lawyer. Um that said that his and his wife's 236 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: remains should be buried at Polk Place, and that after 237 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: he and his wife died, the property should be held 238 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: in trust by the state, and that there should always 239 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: be a blood relative living there. And there were a 240 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: number of heirs, and they waited, They bided their time, 241 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: but not direct heirs. Not direct I think because of 242 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: a childhood malady. He had the kidney stones really bad. 243 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: He had an operation that rendered him sterile. Right, he 244 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: did not have any direct issue. But there were a 245 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: number of heirs who, as I were saying, bided their 246 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: time for decades, waiting for Sarah Polk to expire. And 247 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: then they filed lawsuits arguing that this will was a 248 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: you know, a burlap sack full of bologny for legal purposes. 249 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: The court ruled in their favor, and the court said 250 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: that the will violated the common law rule against perpetuities, 251 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: things that limit an owner's ability to leave property to 252 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: unborn future generations. I guess Polk might have been a 253 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: cracker jack one term president, but not that greatable lawyer, 254 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: and who knows, you know, if he were, That's that's 255 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: the thing about Wills. You're not around to defend it 256 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: in person, you know. So he very well may have 257 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:03,359 Speaker 1: been able to defend his position, but unfortunately with everyone 258 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 1: who really had a stake in that perspective gone, yeah, 259 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 1: you're right. He had to just depend on the language 260 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: as he had written it. So Polk Place was sold 261 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: and torn down right, and today there's a boutique hotel 262 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: on the property. Yeah. Apparently initially, um, they were trying 263 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: to turn it into the Governor's mansion there in Nashville, 264 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: but that did not pass muster. And then um, they 265 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: it was scooped up by a developer. I think it 266 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: was an apartment for a while, and then it was 267 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,199 Speaker 1: it's the boutique hotel today. And that initial developer, his 268 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: name was Craig McClanahan. Um. He apparently donated part of 269 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: the property to be turned into a Carnegie Library. And 270 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: according to UH Tennessee magazine and article written by Bill 271 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: Carey UM, who talks a good bit about this debacle 272 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: moving moving Polk's remains, Um, he says all of this 273 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: was done just to appease Nashville residents who might have 274 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:07,719 Speaker 1: been irritated that this this fat cat developers swooped in 275 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: and you know, crushed their their history, which unfortunately is 276 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: a tale as old as American time. If we're taking 277 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: on the capitalist clock, right, developers come in and change things, 278 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: and it's tough to decide what should be kept historic 279 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: and what becomes ephemeral and what has a strip mall 280 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: or a mixed use development in the future. We're in 281 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: an interesting spot where we sit here now, Ben We're 282 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 1: in a place called Pont City Market. That is a 283 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: historic building. It used to be a city hall before 284 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 1: that in the what forties, I want to say, it 285 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: was in Sears and Roebucks Shipping and receiving center by 286 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: train right by the train line when they call the 287 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: belt line now and to this day, we it's basically 288 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: kind of a bougee mall, uh and we have our 289 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: studios here, which we love. It's it's a neat spot, 290 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: but it has that interesting give and take between history, 291 00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: preserving history and progress. And and here's a great example, Stoners, 292 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: you may find this interesting. Even before there were buildings here, 293 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: this road is named Pontst. Leon. This building is named 294 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: Pont City Market because it's on a road called Ponsta Leon, 295 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: which is relatively famous here in the US. It's named 296 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: that because people used to drive outside of the city 297 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: proper when it was a dirt road to find the 298 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: curative springs that were said to be Panacey is for 299 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: what all ails you. And they named this street ponstant 300 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: Leon as just a blatant marketing thing to have it 301 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,360 Speaker 1: associated with a fountain of youth famously searched for by 302 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: Ponsta Leon himself. Totally. And now when you drink from 303 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: the water fountains at Pont City Market, you are granted 304 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 1: eternal life. True story right right, Well, you're on the 305 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: eternal life plan, which I believe is starts at ten 306 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: dollars a month and an internal life coach that's going 307 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: to uh. Seriously, though, the water does come from those 308 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: same springs. That's why there's that big systems or reservoir. 309 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: So back to Polk. On September nineteen three, James K. 310 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: Polk's body was moved again. This time it was moved 311 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: to the capital where our story began with the statues 312 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: of Jackson and Johnson. Uh. And he was buried alongside 313 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: of his wife, and we talked a little bit earlier 314 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,439 Speaker 1: about how there's a little bit of a kerfuffle about 315 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: this potential choice to move them um to it's a 316 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: huge Yeah, yeah, I'm probably downplaying a little bit. And 317 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: a lot of that has to do with the idea 318 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: that the folks in Columbia are just pushing for this 319 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: because it would be a tourist destination, because we talked 320 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: earlier about how at the Tennessee State Capitol, Polk's grave 321 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: is largely dwarfed by these, you know, really ostentatious sculptures 322 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: of potentially more well known presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew 323 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: Johnson not necessarily more important, not necessarily more important at all. 324 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: And again, the whole connection is interesting how Jackson was 325 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: old Hickory and uh and Polk was little Hickory. I'm sorry, 326 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: it's not a little Hickory. It was young Hickory, young Hickory. Um. 327 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: And and he's dwarfed in in other ways than that. 328 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: Jackson is buried also in Tennessee at his estate called 329 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 1: the Hermitage, which is a hugely popular tourist destination. And 330 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: you know, why wouldn't the folks in Columbia want to 331 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: get a little piece of that sweet, sweet tourist action. Right. Yeah. 332 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: According to Bill Carry, a researcher and writer who focuses 333 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 1: on this region, the reinterment of President and Mrs Polk 334 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: is one of the most disrespectful deeds ever committed by 335 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: the state of Tennessee. The second one, the second reinterment, right, 336 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: the first one colra you know, Colar graveyard, second one 337 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: family homestead, then when they toured that's the gross one. 338 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: And then to the capital. And so we're seeing that's 339 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: a great distinction because we are seeing collectively this um, 340 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: this grab for money. It seems as if you know, 341 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: as Asnal said earlier that to the opponents of the 342 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: Columbia move from the Capital to Columbia, this seems as 343 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: though it is little more than a blatant grab for 344 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: authenticity and tourism dollars. Right, Or we're not particularly honoring 345 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: the wishes of this former president because the former president 346 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: wanted to be interred in a place that has been 347 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: torn down, Right, We're not necessarily honoring the wishes of 348 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: the man himself the woman herself because they wanted to 349 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: be interred at place which was torn down for development purposes. 350 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: This move, this idea of move from the Capitol to Columbia, 351 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 1: has no small amount of critics, including Bill Carey, but 352 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: also Carol Van West, who is the state historian there 353 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: of Nashville. She said, when Polk left the White House, 354 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: he came home to Nashville, his wife stayed there for 355 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 1: decades afterwards. There's no reason to move them, essentially, except 356 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: there's an argument on the other side too, right, because 357 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: you've got this guy Tom Price, who's the creator of 358 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: this place we're talking about now, the James K. Polk 359 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:39,400 Speaker 1: Home and Museum, Columbia, Tennessee, which was the home that 360 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: his father built and that he later purchased. And you know, 361 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 1: Mr Price argues that it's not about tourism dollars, that 362 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: it's about doing the best job possible given conditions, to 363 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 1: honor the language and that will because he wanted to 364 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: be buried at home. This is the closest thing you got. 365 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: So it's like the spirit of the law. If we 366 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: cannot adhere to the letter, I don't know what do 367 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: you think. I am all on the fence because he 368 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: does acknowledge that it's difficult to get students to tour 369 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: the home because Andrew Jackson's hermitage is so close by 370 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: exactly so like again in life, dwarfed also in death um. 371 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: And it's interesting because the Tennessee lawmaker, State Senator Joey Hensley, 372 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,959 Speaker 1: who sponsored this bill that we're talking about that would 373 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: um disinenter these remains and move them to this Polk 374 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: House in Colombia, is quoted as saying this, I honestly 375 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: served up here in the Tennessee state capital for fourteen 376 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: years and had never seen Polk's grave. He told this 377 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: to the New York Times. It's not handicap accessible. It's 378 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: not really talked about much when they do do the 379 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: capital tour, uh, and not many people visit it. It's 380 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: just not a very good play to honor his legacy. 381 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: So all kidding aside, I can see both sides, you know. Yeah, 382 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: that's a really good point, because if they're not including 383 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: it when they're doing the tour, if it's not easy 384 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: to get to, Usually for anyone who's been on an 385 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,239 Speaker 1: historical tour before, what happens is you become inundated with 386 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: information and so you're you're not most people are not 387 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: very likely to go above and beyond what the tour 388 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: guide tells them to look at. And this brought us 389 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: to a very interesting question, which is, what does it 390 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: take to disenter the corpse of a president? If we 391 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: just decided, Hey, we're not doing anything with the next 392 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 1: few years, let's pick up a new hobby. Uh, it 393 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: turns out it's not too easy. You have to have 394 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: the approval of the governor, the state House of Representatives, 395 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: a local judge from the area, and in the case 396 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: of Tennessee, the volunteer state, you have to have the 397 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: approval of the Tennessee Historical Commission. You have to have 398 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of different moving pieces worked together. 399 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: In Unison, about a week after the Senate bill passed, 400 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: the Tennessee Historical Commission had come out against the plan 401 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: to exhume James K. Polk and said that moving the 402 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: graves would create a false sense of history at the 403 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: home in museum in Columbia. Even given all of that 404 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: red tape you have to get through to make this happen. 405 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 1: And I'm not sure if this has always been the 406 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,679 Speaker 1: case in exactly the way that you laid out, but 407 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 1: there are several historical precedents for exhuming presidential remains. And 408 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: three times it's not even not even close. Man, In 409 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty eight, James Monroe, who was our fifth president, 410 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: was exhumed and relocated from New York to his home 411 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: state in Virginia. And then we've got this one that 412 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: is just an absolute doozy. How many times been do 413 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,159 Speaker 1: you think Abraham Lincoln's body was moved? I know, do 414 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: you want me to pretend I don't know, you can 415 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: just say it, Okay, seventeen times so far. So far. 416 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: That's the thing with Abraham Lincoln. I feel like we 417 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: have to add so far every time we mentioned that's 418 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,400 Speaker 1: to just just let the man rest. And that is indeed, 419 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 1: that is the presidential record for the amount of posthumous 420 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,640 Speaker 1: moves per president. And in the case of Lincoln, these 421 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: all occurred within the balance of Springfield, Illinois. What is 422 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: that even about? Yeah, and I found this it was 423 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: it's on a discussion board Lincoln Assassination Forum, from a 424 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 1: man named Roger Norton. I can't speak to Mr. Norton's credentials, 425 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: but he does have an example or a little account 426 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: of every single time Lincoln's remains were moved and One 427 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,919 Speaker 1: of them reads as such, November seven, seventy six, and 428 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: an attempt to kidnap Lincoln's body and hold it for ransom. 429 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 1: Ghoule's partially dismantle the sarcophagus and slide Lincoln's coffin halfway out. 430 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: The conspiracy is foiled, however, and the kidnappers escape, leaving 431 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: Lincoln's body behind Lee. Lincoln also in a way that 432 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 1: reminds me of our earlier episodes involving Winston Churchill. Lincoln 433 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: also felt that he experienced precognitive dreams, but he never 434 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: as far as we know in the historical record, he 435 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: never said, guys, They're going to move my body seventeen times. 436 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 1: But that's a weird prediction for people to make at 437 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:28,360 Speaker 1: this point. Only time will tell if James and Sarah 438 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 1: Polk are going to be disinterred and reinterred a fourth time. 439 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: And we want, we want to hear your opinion on this. 440 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: Is it a matter of historical accuracies and matter of disrespect? 441 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 1: Is it a matter of doing our best? Is the 442 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: living to adhere to the wishes of those who have passed? 443 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: And in this Polk House and museum now a lot 444 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: of the furniture from the raised ancestral Polk home is 445 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: on display, you know, and sort of like place out 446 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: of time, kind of pastiche So, I'm sure it's a 447 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: fascinating place to go. Do you need to dig up 448 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: the guy's bones move them? I mean, this all depends 449 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: on your view I guess of historical uh completionism. I guess, 450 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: I don't know, right, Like is it I don't know. 451 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: Can't they just put up a plaque? It just seems 452 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 1: like an awful big to do, right, And then it 453 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: also goes into well, we could argue that it goes 454 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: into the spiritual beliefs of the people when they were alive, 455 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: you know, because there there's some people who find it 456 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: tremendously offensive to be moved around. And then there are 457 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: some people who would say there were some people would say, 458 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 1: like lenin style, just don't just preserve me and keep 459 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: me on display. Right, And as it turns out, we 460 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: have an update to this story. Um So, the the 461 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: resolution that called for the movement of President Polk and 462 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 1: his wife's remains was passed by the state Senate in 463 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: Tennessee in March, but it was put on hold until 464 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,719 Speaker 1: later this year. So the State House will not actually 465 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: vote on it until sometime this year, when we do 466 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: not know, as the gears of law tend to grind 467 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: pretty slow. But we'll keep an eye on this one. 468 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: So will there be an update in the future, Will 469 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: there still be momentum for this legislation or will it 470 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: fall to the wayside? Unfortunately, as so much legislation often does. Uh, 471 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: there's only one way to tell. Well, there are several 472 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: ways to tell. They all depend on time, and we 473 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: hope that your favorite way to tell will be tuning 474 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: into another episode of Ridiculous History in the meantime. I'd 475 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: like to add this Pulk quotation towards the end of 476 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: our episode here because I think it's an interesting contrast. 477 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: One of his more famous quotations was the following, I 478 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: cannot whilst President of the United States descend to enter 479 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: into a newspaper controversy. Okay, bold words from President James K. Polk. Well, 480 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: he did say wild president, and he's not currently president. 481 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: That's fair, But now it seems that controversy has sprang 482 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: up in his wake. He was really trying to just 483 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: be super chill and under the radar, especially when he 484 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: you know, invaded Mexico. He said some other stuff I 485 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: like too. He said, thank god, under our constitution there 486 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: was no connection between church and state. That's cool. Yeah, 487 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: I had no idea that would turn controversial again, did you, 488 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: President Polk? And it's funny because he has kind of 489 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: a pale, kind of milk toast kind of look to him, 490 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: something almost puritanical exactly, So you know, I could see 491 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: him wanting to be uncontroversial and some of the stuff 492 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: that we're talking about, especially like the whole you know, 493 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: Mexican American War and manifest destiny and all that. You know, 494 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: we like California, but not the most popular political stance 495 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: these days. Right, Let's just go take uh, you know, 496 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: from beyond our borders. Oh yeah, and no, what do 497 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: you think about this quotation the world has nothing to 498 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: fear from military ambition in our government. Don't want that 499 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: one either. Let us know what your favorite James K. 500 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: Polk quote is. Any any historical figures, send us quotes, 501 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 1: will read them on the air. We'll have a new 502 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: section in the show called quote Corner. I'm just spitballing here, 503 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,440 Speaker 1: and you can put corner behind anything and it can 504 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: be a segment but right to us. We are Ridiculous 505 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:33,360 Speaker 1: at how stuff Works dot com. You can also find 506 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: us on Facebook, Twitter, we are Ridiculous History and check 507 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: us out on iTunes and leave us a review Apple 508 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: Podcast rather excuse me. We appreciate and that kind of 509 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: helps discover ability of the show. Go up or anywhere 510 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: else you listen to podcast. Just just write us a 511 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: note if you dig the show, we really appreciate it. 512 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: And perhaps not most importantly, but let's put it in 513 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: the top five there at James K. Polk themed Pope 514 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 1: poll place or a Pokemon aimed poke a bowl place. 515 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: Let us know