1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. So this episode was 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: a gear change because I was working on something else 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: that I was being frustrated with, and then I was 6 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: having a conversation with friend of the show, Brian Young 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: while he and I were recording our Star Wars podcast 8 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: Full of Seth, which I heart very kindly lets me 9 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: record because it's not part of iHeart. And then he 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: mentioned Rebecca Raccoon because we also talk about history when 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: we're not talking about Star Wars, and that got me 12 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: thinking about the odd pets that lived in the White 13 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: House and how that would be fun. So thanks Brian 14 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: for that idea. Some of these pets that we're talking 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: about today were mentioned very briefly in the second part 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: of a twenty ten to two parter that Sarah and 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: Katie did on the show on interesting History Animals, but 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: their stories didn't get a lot of attention. It was 19 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: kind of just like their names and the fact that 20 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: presidents kept them. It's kind of a list. Yeah, And 21 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: like in that particular moment, they're whipping through like a list. 22 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: They're not even necessarily the animals they were talking about 23 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: on the show. But some of these animals are really 24 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: interesting in terms of how they arrived at the White 25 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: House and became part of the First family. Two of 26 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: them are related to holidays, so technically this is seasonal. 27 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,559 Speaker 1: We're also going to do a little mythbusting on one 28 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: of them. The information in that previous episode was incorrect, 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: but we'll talk about why a lot of people had 30 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: that wrong. And another one is kind of shaky in 31 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: terms of documentation. Heads up, there are no dogs or 32 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: cats on this list, so if you were hoping to 33 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: hear about Clinton's cat socks or Nixon's dog checkers, those 34 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: will not be making an appearance. Also, none of the 35 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: Teddy Roosevelt menagerie is on here, although part of me 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: thinks that would be a fun future episode own thing, 37 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: because I mean, aside from his daughter Alice's pet snake 38 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: Emily Spinach, there were a lot of other wild animals, yeah, 39 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: running around that house in the grounds, but those are 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: not the ones we're talking about today. Also, this goes 41 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: without saying, but I will say it just the same. 42 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: Wild animals are not supposed to be pets. So while 43 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: these stories in some cases involve wild animals that get adopted, 44 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: that is a bad idea. We are not telling you 45 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: to go out and get the kakamamie animal that really 46 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: belongs outside. And in one case, we'll talk about one 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: that I'm really obsessed with that probably did bite the president. 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: So then maybe they should not be adopted as pets. Yeah, 49 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: if you're disappointed that there are no dogs in the episode, 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: there are other dog episodes, specifically, so many back in 51 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: the archive, a number of them, So there's plenty of 52 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: dog stuff, just not in this one. So first up, 53 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: as Holly alluded to some myth busting, there have been 54 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: so many online and in print mentions stating that John 55 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: Quincy Adams had a live alligator in the White House. 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: I think we may have even said that at some 57 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: point in the long past. This factoid has appeared online 58 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: and in books and even on a Snapple lid, and 59 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: in a lot of cases the details have been embellish 60 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: to suggest that Adams would send people he did not 61 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: like into the bathroom where he kept this reptile without 62 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: telling them that it was in there. There is literally 63 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: nothing to back up this story. Adams is well known 64 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: for keeping detailed notes and diaries, and there's no mention 65 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: of an alligator. So where did this pretty outlandish myth 66 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: get its start. A lot of people have tried to 67 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: hunt down the origin, and a number of them have 68 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: traced this confusion and the first mention of the alligator 69 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: back to one book from eighteen eighty eight, which was 70 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: written by Harriet Taylor Upton. Her writing The Household of 71 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: John Quincy Adams, which was later republished in a collection 72 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: of her other writing to be a bigger book about 73 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: multiple presidential households, includes this mention of a visit from 74 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: French General Lafayette to the Adams White House. Quote. There 75 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: was no conservatory then. The grounds were rough and uncultivated. 76 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: The house was lighted with candles, and the east room 77 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: was bare and empty, save for the mahogany frames of 78 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: some upholstered sofas and chairs. When General Lafayette made his 79 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: visit there, this famous east room was given to him 80 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: to deposit the many curiosities sent to him, some live 81 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: alligators being among them. So that mentions alligators, But the 82 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 1: way it's worded, it sounds like those live alligators she 83 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: mentions were gifts to Lafayette, not from him to President Adams. 84 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: Lafayette stayed at the White House from August eighteen twenty 85 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: four to September eighteen twenty five, so that might have 86 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: been part of this confusion. If he kept such an 87 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: animal or animals in the residence for almost a year, 88 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: people might have thought it belonged to Adams or some 89 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: mention of it may not have specified ownership and an 90 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: assumption was made. But we also don't know if Lafayette, 91 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: if he did receive alligators, hung on to them. So 92 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: many question marks. It's still understandable, though, that people believed 93 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 1: this story for so long, because at one point even 94 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: the White House website mentioned it as though it were 95 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: a fact. In two thousand and two, then First Lady 96 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: Laura Bush chose the theme all Creatures Great and Small 97 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: for the White House Christmas Day Corps, and that included 98 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: all kinds of sculptures and representations of animals that had 99 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: been part of the Holmes history. And there was an 100 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: alligator sculpture accompanied by a placard that read Alligator President 101 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: John Q. Adams. When a photo of the decoration was 102 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: put on the White House website section that showcased the 103 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: holiday decors. The caption of the image read quote. The 104 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: alligator given to President John Quincy Adams by the Marquis 105 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: de Lafayette resided in a bathroom in the East Room 106 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: for a time. President Adams served from eighteen twenty five 107 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: to eighteen twenty nine, So whoops. In any case, whether 108 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: there ever were live alligators present in the White House, 109 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: there is not evidence that Adams specifically had one. Yeah. 110 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: Moving on to turkeys, the practice of a turkey getting 111 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: a presidential pardon each year is actually quite new, according 112 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: to Smithsonian Magazine, While a number of presidents have referenced 113 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: the idea of pardoning a turkey, it was not until 114 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: President George H. W. Bush that it became an official 115 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: annual activity. That kind of broke my brain, because I 116 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: could have sworn that happened when I was a kid, 117 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: but that would have been too late. But well before that, 118 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: there was one particular bird's life that was spared, although 119 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: it was not for Thanksgiving. The death of Mary Todd 120 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: and Abraham Lincoln's son Willie has come up a number 121 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: of times on the show. I don't really think though, 122 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: that we've ever talked about Willy's younger brother, Tad. Thomas Lincoln, 123 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: who went by Tad, was born in April of eighteen 124 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: fifty three, while his father was still a lawyer living 125 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: in Springfield, Illinois. The nickname Tad is said to have 126 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: come from his father, who described this little boy as 127 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: quote Wiggley as a tadpole. In the wake of Willy's 128 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: death in February of eighteen sixty two, Tad was the 129 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: only Lincoln child remaining at the White House. He had 130 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: actually also come down with typhoid fever when Willie had, 131 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: but Tad survived it. His other surviving brother, Robert, was 132 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: older and he was away at school, and perhaps because 133 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: of his parents grief, Tad was given very little discipline. Additionally, 134 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: he had a speech impediment, and his parents tended to 135 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: coddle him. He was also the baby of the family, 136 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: and so they were quite permissive of him. Based on 137 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: accounts of their friends, even before the family tragedy of 138 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: the loss of Willie. Truthfully, he sounds very precocious and 139 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: even something of a terror at times. There are numerous 140 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: accounts written by Abraham Lincoln's associates, both before and after 141 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: he became president, that really indicate that Tad was a lot. 142 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: We had an episode about Alice Roosevelt back in twenty fifteen, 143 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: and we talked about how she was rebellious, and while 144 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: Tad did some similar things like bursting in on meetings, 145 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: his behavior seemed less rebellious and more bent on mayhem 146 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 1: and mischief. For example, at one point he started charging 147 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: visitors to see his father. The plan was to give 148 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: the money to charity, but he started the little endeavor 149 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: all on his own, and the President didn't initially known 150 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: that he was basically shaking down official visitors until he 151 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,839 Speaker 1: had been doing it for a while. He was also 152 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: known to drive away his tutors with his rambunctious behavior. 153 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: He would dress in a custom made military uniform and 154 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 1: order all of the ground staff around like he was 155 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: a little dictator. There are a lot of photographs of 156 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: young Tad in this uniform. He also tried to have 157 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: a yard sale on the White House lawn and at 158 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: one point turned a hose on visiting dignitaries. The kindest 159 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: descriptions of him describe him as precocious. He does seem 160 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: to have been kind hearted as well as rambunctious, and 161 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: he did raise money for charities. Even as a little boy, 162 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: he influenced his father to try to help anyone he 163 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: met who seemed to need that help. Yes, sometimes when 164 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: random people would come to the White House that maybe 165 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: did not have an appointment but were just general people 166 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: that felt hopeless and we're looking for something, Tad would 167 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: talk to them and then would be like, Dad, this 168 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: woman really needs help. So a good heart, but woo. 169 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: He seemed to really test the patience of the adults 170 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: in the Lincoln circle. In eighteen sixty three, the President 171 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: was given the gift of a turkey that was intended 172 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: to be the entree for the family's Christmas dinner. This, interestingly, 173 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 1: was the same year that Lincoln had determined that Thanksgiving 174 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: would be a national holiday. It didn't get celebrated that year, 175 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,079 Speaker 1: there were some years before that all happened. But this 176 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: bird was not for Thanksgiving. It was for Christmas. But 177 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: Tad took a liking to this bird and named him 178 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: Jack and started treating him like a pet. And Jack 179 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: seemed to reciprocate Tad's affection, and this bird basically followed 180 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: this kid everywhere. He was like his little av in shadow. 181 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: On Christmas Eve, Jack was scheduled to be killed for 182 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: the family dinner, but Tad realized this plan and begged 183 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: for the bird to be given a reprieve. He cried, 184 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: and he said to his father, quote, I can't help it. 185 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 1: He's a good turkey and I don't want him killed. 186 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: And in line with how often the President gave in 187 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: to his youngest son, Lincoln wrote this turkey a pardon. 188 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: The card it was written on was given to Tad, 189 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: and Jack was officially his pet at that point. Tad 190 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: showed the handwritten pardon to the White House chef so 191 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: that he would know that Jack was not ever to 192 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: be turned into a meal. Is unclear what happened to 193 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,719 Speaker 1: Jack in the long term. We know that Tad had 194 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: him for another year, and there is a cute story 195 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: about Lincoln seeing his son with the bird in eighteen 196 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: sixty four on election day, and according to that tale, 197 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: when the President asked Tad if Jack was going to vote, 198 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: Tad told his father that the turkey was not old 199 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: enough to vote. It seems the turkey was already gone 200 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: by the time President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes 201 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: Booth on April fourteenth, eighteen sixty five. Tad was at 202 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: a different theater for children when that shot was fired. 203 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: He was watching a production of Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. 204 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: It was at that production that Tad learned that his 205 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: father had been attacked, and while Jack the Turkey was 206 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: gone from the picture by that point. He is memorialized 207 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: today in a statue at Riverside Park in Hartford, Connecticut. 208 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: That statue was part of a project funded by the 209 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: Lincoln Financial Group in two thousand and five, and Jack's 210 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 1: stylized likeness was created by Philip Grausman, and it has 211 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: a plaque detailing the story of his pardon. Coming up, 212 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: we'll talk about a foul mouthed fowl, but first we 213 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: will pause for a sponsor break. Okay, this one comes 214 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: with a caveat that we don't know with certainty if 215 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: it is true, although it has served only been repeated 216 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: a lot. We'll talk about where it came from. But 217 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: it is also a case where the story sort of 218 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: hits that confirmation by a sweet spot, because at one 219 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: hundred percent sounds plausible given the president that it evolves. 220 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: On June fifth, eighteen twenty seven, Andrew Jackson purchased an 221 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: African gray parrot for his wife, Rachel. This parrot, named Paul, 222 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: was beloved. That's Paul polll, not Paul, which is what 223 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: it sounded like when it came out of my mouth. 224 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: So Rachel died a year later, but Jackson adopted the bird. 225 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: Paul lived at Jackson's Tennessee home, the Hermitage, for the 226 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: rest of Jackson's life. When he became president in eighteen 227 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: twenty nine, the bird stayed in Tennessee, but Jackson frequently 228 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: asked after her and his letters home. He said things 229 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: like quote, I intend to foster the bird and prolong 230 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 1: its life as long as I live, for the fondness 231 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: my dear wife had for her. His nephew, William Donaldson, 232 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: was passed with looking after Paul in Jackson's absence and 233 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: was the recipient of these queries. He responded back at 234 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: one point that Paul quote is doing well. She is 235 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,199 Speaker 1: as fat and saucy as ever. From her continued good health, 236 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: I think she will live to be an old bird. 237 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: African gray parents can live a very long time, Yes 238 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: they can. I also kind of I want to be cremated, 239 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: but part of me wants a headstone that just says 240 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: fat and saucy as ever, it's pretty great. When Jackson's 241 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: time as president ended in eighteen thirty seven, he returned 242 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: to the hermitage and at that point he lived alongside 243 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: Paul until he died on June eighth of eighteen forty five. 244 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: His funeral drew a massive crowd of an estimated three 245 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: thousand people, and that was Paul's time to shine. There 246 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: is one single account that mentions this bird as part 247 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: of what happened at the funeral. That account was written 248 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: by the Reverend Normant. This has been the cause of 249 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: some confusion and debate about whether what Normant relayed actually happened. 250 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: So here is his account quote. When hearing that he 251 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: was dead, I with others, decided to attend the burial. 252 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: The funeral was preached by a Presbyterian pastor from Nashville, 253 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: standing on the front porch to a great concourse of people. 254 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: His body was then taken by a military company and 255 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: born to the garden and placed beside his wife in 256 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: a vault that he had prepared. A military salute was 257 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: then fired, and we left him there to rest in peace, 258 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: to await the Great resurrection. Morn before the sermon and 259 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: while the crowd was gathering, a wicked parrot that was 260 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: a household pet got excited and commenced swearing so loud 261 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: and long as to disturb the people, and had to 262 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: be carried from the house. And thus the man of 263 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: nerve that won battles and guided the ship of state 264 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: through Stormnes had finished his work. Clearly, this person was 265 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: very fond of Andrew Jackson mixed reviews. Not everyone would 266 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: speak so kindly of him. But this account was written 267 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: on February eighteenth, nineteen twenty one, at the request of 268 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: a writer who wished to have a first person reminiscence 269 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: of the day that Andrew Jackson was buried. That means 270 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: that it happened more than seventy five years after the 271 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: funeral took place. Further, Normant who wrote this account was 272 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: born in eighteen twenty nine, so he was a teenager 273 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: around sixteen years old when he attended this funeral. So 274 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: it is possible that his account wasn't accurate. You know, 275 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: we've said many times like memory shifts things. Although it 276 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: does seem like something that would leave an impression if 277 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: he felt compelled to include this bird detail. The other 278 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: thing that has led to issues with this account being 279 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: taken seriously is when people talk about it and they 280 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: only include that segment about the bird's profanity, having nothing 281 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: to do with the writer. Modern accounts often report this 282 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: as having come from the minister who presided over the funeral, 283 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: which it obviously did not. Even if you did not 284 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: have the information about Normant being so young at the time, 285 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: it's very apparent when the entire passage is included that 286 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: he was not the minister because Normant mentions the other minister. 287 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: But Andrew Jackson did have a reputation for having a 288 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: potty mouth, so it would make sense that a parrot 289 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: that had lived with him for years would have picked 290 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: up some choice words. After Jackson's death, it's believed that 291 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: Paul lived out the rest of her life with his relatives, 292 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: who hopefully did not mind the swearing. If that was 293 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: indeed happening, I have a really good bird swearing at 294 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: an inopportune moment story for behind the scenes on Friday. 295 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 1: But now we get to the real star of this episode, 296 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 1: which is Rebecca Raccoon. President Calvin Cool was known to 297 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: love animals, and during his presidency he was actually given 298 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: a lot of animals as gifts. I read one newspaper 299 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: account that said that basically like when people would hit 300 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: hard times and be like, we can't afford to feed 301 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: this animal anymore, we'll just give it to the President, 302 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: which I think happened with some frequency. Coolidge later wrote 303 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: in his autobiography quote, A great many presents come to 304 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: the White House, which are all cherished, not so much 305 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: for their intrinsic value as because they are tokens of 306 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: a steeb in affection. Almost everything that can be eaten comes. 307 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: We always know what to do with that. But some 308 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: of the pets that are offered us are more of 309 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: a problem. I have a beautiful black haired bear that 310 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: was brought all the way from Mexico in a truck, 311 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: and a pair of live lion cubs now grown up, 312 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 1: and a small species of hippopotamus which came from South Africa. 313 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: These and other animals and birds have been placed in 314 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 1: the zoological quarters in Rock Creek Park, Just in case 315 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: you don't know, Rock Creek art is part of the 316 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: National Zoo. But what animal that was not mentioned there 317 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: was intended to be eaten but instead became a cherished pet, 318 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: And that was Rebecca the raccoon. In late November nineteen 319 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: twenty six, several newspapers ran the story live raccoon gives 320 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 1: Coolidge big problem. A man named Vinnie Joyce of Nitty Yuma, Mississippi, 321 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: had sent this live animal to the White House as 322 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: a gift to the president quote, with the intention that 323 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: the raccoon should share the honors of White House Thanksgiving 324 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: dinner with Governor Baker's prize turkey. So the raccoon was 325 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: intended to be served as part of the holiday meal. 326 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: So it is not a common practice today, but in 327 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: the nineteen twenties, plenty of people ate raccoon. The Evening 328 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: Star of Washington, DC ran an article that made it 329 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 1: sound like plenty of people thought it was odd that 330 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: the President had not eaten raccoon himself, stating, quote, mister 331 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: Coolidge need not be hesitant. According to the testimony of 332 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: the those who his gustatorial pleasure, have munch toothsome mouthfuls 333 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: of this small nocturnal animal. It is strange that during 334 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: his New England boyhood he never tasted it. For among 335 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: the granite hills, it is of a surprising delicacy, especially 336 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: when young and tender. This article goes on for some 337 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: time about the various ways that raccoon has been cooked 338 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: in various cultures and regions, before concluding by saying, quote, 339 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: without wishing to suggest too freely to the presidential minage, 340 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: it is hereby recommended that the recent Thanksgiving Day gift 341 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: be killed, dressed, and properly roasted if it gets by 342 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: the first table. There are plenty of people below stairs 343 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: who know a good thing when they see it. But 344 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: though a lot of people seemed to enjoy raccoon as food, Coolidge, 345 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: as that article mentioned, had never had it before and 346 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: was just not in any kind of hurry to try 347 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: it now with a live raccoon on the property. News 348 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: stories reported that quote, the problem has now arisen whether 349 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: to hand the raccoon over to the chef or present 350 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: it to the zoo. Neither of those things happened, because 351 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: the Coolidgees opted for a third choice, which was making 352 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: the raccoon a pet. By December first, the announcement had 353 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: been made and papers are running the story raccoon sent 354 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: to Coolidge to be White House pet. The Coolidges tried 355 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: to set Rebecca up with proper lodgings. According to first 356 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: Lady Grace Coolidge's writings. Quote. We had a house made 357 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: for her in one of the larger trees, with a 358 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: wire fence built around it for protection. We kept her 359 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: chained when out of doors, but in the house she 360 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: had her liberty. She was a mischievous, inquisitive party, and 361 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: we had to keep watch of her when she was 362 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: in the house. She enjoyed nothing better than being placed 363 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: in a bathtub with a little water in it, and 364 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: given a cake of soap with which to play. In 365 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: this fashion, she would amuse herself for an hour or more. 366 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: The Cincinnati Inquirer and other papers ran a piece titled 367 00:21:55,280 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: Meet Rebecca on Christmas Day in nineteen twenty six. Bad quote. 368 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: The latest White House pet today received a noteworthy Christmas 369 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: gift a name. It will be known to the world 370 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: as Rebecca Raccoon. The President and the pet have become pals. 371 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 1: It strolls over the White House grounds with the President 372 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: and jumps into his lap. A bright red bow ribbon 373 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: was placed upon Rebecca's neck today by Missus Coolidge. The 374 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: President gave the pet a collar with a metal plate 375 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: upon which its name will be inscribed. White House attaches, 376 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: by direction of the President, have built a wooden box 377 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 1: in the branches of a tree in which Rebecca nestles 378 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: at night. Rebecca clearly made a lot of journalists happy 379 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: because they almost always had a go to on a 380 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: slow news day. While there was a pet raccoon in 381 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: the White House. There were reports about how she rode 382 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: in cars with President Coolidge, how the President fed her 383 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: from his hand. Basically, anything the raccoon did was a headline. Additionally, 384 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 1: she offered up new material for political cartoonists. She was 385 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: drawn in cartoons skewering the President for his advocacy for 386 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: high tariffs, and a later cartoon made use of the 387 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: President's attachment to the raccoon to associate the creature with 388 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: tax reduction, which he also believed was important. A raccoon, again, 389 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: is the wild animal, which means that sometimes it's going 390 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 1: to be unpredictable or get into mischief. That, of course, 391 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: can also happen with domesticated animals, but with wild animals 392 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: it's a little different. We will talk about some of 393 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: Rebecca's antics after we take another sponsor break. In March 394 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 1: of nineteen twenty seven, the White House was undergoing construction, 395 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: and while initially Rebecca was to stay on the White 396 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,959 Speaker 1: House grounds while the family stayed elsewhere. That plan changed quickly, 397 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: according to the News Journal of Mansfield, Ohio. Quote, when 398 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: the Coolidges moved moved, Rebecca was left behind in the 399 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: regular domicile, which is being repaired. Her Lord and Master 400 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: found he needed her to pet in the evening, so 401 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: the presidential limousine took her to the temporary residence in 402 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: DuPont Circle. Rebecca is a pet raccoon. But it seems 403 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: like something went down in the DuPont Circle residence because 404 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: six days later, a very different headline ran, quote, Rebecca 405 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: raccoon is banished from Coolidge domicile. The brief notice, which 406 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: appeared in the San Francisco Examiner, noted that the President 407 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: and Rebecca had a parting of ways. It's a short 408 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: piece that ends with quote, when the Coolidgees moved to 409 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: DuPont Circle, Rebecca was taken along. That was the beginning 410 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 1: of the end for Rebecca. She has been banished to 411 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: the zoo. It is believed that Rebecca bit the president. 412 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 1: He was appearing in public with a bandaged hand around 413 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: the same time she was, as that suggests, moved to 414 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: the National Zoo. Yeah, he never gave an extra for 415 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: the bandage hand it just didn't acknowledge it. But fear not, 416 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 1: Rebecca was soon back in the good graces of the 417 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: First Family and back in the White House, although she 418 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 1: did continue to make trouble from time to time. In 419 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: spring nineteen twenty seven, Rebecca was the star of the 420 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: White House egg roll for Easter. There are a number 421 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 1: of photos of her wearing her collar and with her 422 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: bow on being carried through the party by the First Lady. 423 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: Rebecca had a leash on that day, and Grace Coolidge 424 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: would sometimes set her down so that visiting children could 425 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,199 Speaker 1: pet her, although she was carefully watched. Since she had 426 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: a penchant for escaping, and because she was a wild animal, 427 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: I think she would have wanted to eat some of 428 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:49,439 Speaker 1: those eggs probably, I mean, raccoons love an egg. In 429 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: June of nineteen twenty seven, the Coolidges headed to the 430 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: Black Hills of South Dakota, and they took a lot 431 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: of their animals with them, including Rebecca. Papers described it 432 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: as quote the largest menagerie that has ever been transported 433 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: on a presidential special. So the Coolidges brought their two collies, 434 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 1: rob Roy and Prudence, prem two canaries their cat Blackie, 435 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: and Rebecca, who was carried aboard the train in a basket. 436 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: I have questions because not all animals like to travel anyway, 437 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: seems like a lot. I just keep thinking about how 438 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: much destruction raccoon can do and it gets into somewhere, 439 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: like into the attic or under the deck or whatever. Yeah. Well, 440 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: on that journey, Rebecca made headlines for making White House 441 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 1: staffers really frustrated with her antics. When they were in 442 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: the Black Hills, she was able to get out of 443 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: her enclosure and up a tree near the temporary White House, 444 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: but as she was approached, she got really wily. One 445 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: paper read quote, the raccoon, a favorite with the President, 446 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: seemed to take considerable delight in leading the searchers from 447 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: tree to tree before she finally scented quite peacefully to 448 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: being returned to her house on top of a stump 449 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: in the rear of the temporary White House. At the 450 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: end of nineteen twenty seven, there were new articles about 451 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,640 Speaker 1: Rebecca's bad behavior, which is just normal behavior for a raccoon. 452 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 1: One headlined as Rebecca in disgrace again as she flees 453 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: White House kennels to spend night out states that Rebecca 454 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: managed to escape and wander about overnight before being recaptured 455 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,400 Speaker 1: in the morning when her absence was noted. That rite 456 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: up is definitely tongue in cheek, and it mentions things 457 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 1: like Rebecca retaining quote a faraway look in her eyes 458 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 1: after being recaptured. It does seem, though, that at least 459 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: some people had started to believe that Rebecca's tendency to 460 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: go on walk about might be because she was seeking companionship. 461 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: So several months after that disgrace article came out, newspapers 462 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: were reporting that a plan had been hatched to find 463 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: Rebecca a male recondoon friend. The Buffalo News reported in 464 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 1: March nineteen twenty eight, quote another chapter has been added 465 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: to the history of the already interesting White House menagerie. 466 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: It was begun when several White House attaches on a 467 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: coon hunt in nearby Virginia cornered an unusually fine male 468 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: of the species and brought him back to share the 469 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: newly refurnished log cabin bungalow. Or Rebecca Raccoon, presidential pet 470 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: and president occupant of the new home. What the next 471 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: chapter will be, no one knows. The White House staff 472 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: named this new raccoon Hector, but Coolidge did not like 473 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 1: that name and changed it to Ruben. But from the 474 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: get go, Ruben did not seem to love being captive. 475 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: He started escaping immediately after being installed on the White 476 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: House grounds. At one point, Ruben got off the Executive 477 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: Mansion property and caused a halt to the traffic for 478 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: half an hour when he wandered onto Pennsylvania Avenue. In 479 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: any case, Rebecca and Ruben never really hit it off, 480 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: so if anybody was hoping for a story about presidential 481 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 1: raccoon kits, they were sorely disappointed. Ruben's fate is reported 482 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: differently in different places. The White House Historical Association says 483 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: that quote Ruben's tenure at the Executive Mansion was short lived, 484 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: as he later escaped the grounds and was not found 485 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: by the staff afterward, And indeed, First Lady Grace Coolidge's 486 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: own writing suggests that Rebecca drove Ruben away. Quote Rebecca 487 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: had lived alone and had her own way so long 488 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: that I fear she was a little overbearing and dictatorial, 489 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: perhaps reminding her spouse that he was living on her bounty. 490 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: She mentions that Rebecca was single again after one of 491 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: Ruben's escapes, but there are also quite a few newspaper 492 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: write ups mentioning Ruben as still being part of the 493 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: Coolidge's animal collection at the end of the presidency. In fact, 494 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: when Coolidge's presidency ended in early nineteen twenty nine, there 495 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: were a number of stories in the news about what 496 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: would happen to all of the animals that the First 497 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: family had been gifted in their time at the White House, 498 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: and they all seem to mention both raccoons going to 499 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: the National Zoo. Whether that was simply a matter of 500 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: assumption on the journalist parts is unclear, but Rebecca definitely 501 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: was rehomed into the National Zoo in the hopes that 502 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: the zoo could offer her a fulfilling life for the 503 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: remainder of her years. News about Rebecca's life after she 504 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: was turned over to the zoo seems to be non existent, though, 505 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:36,719 Speaker 1: so it is unclear exactly how that worked out. There 506 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,959 Speaker 1: is a fun little coda to Rebecca's story, which is 507 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: that her enclosure had a new tenant before long, during 508 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: the tenure of Coolidge's successor, Herbert Hoover, a possum wandered 509 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: onto the White House grounds and was adopted by the 510 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: dew first family, and Billy possum lived in Rebecca's former enclosure, 511 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: although it does not appear that this possum was a 512 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: lap the way that Rebecca had been. Yeah, possums can 513 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: be very sweet, but he seemed to just be like 514 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: an animal that was kept and cared for on the 515 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: White House grounds, not one that was paraded around at 516 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: children's parties. And those are some of the weird animals 517 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: that have lived in the White I mean, Paul the 518 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: parrot didn't live in the White House, but she was 519 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: a presidential pet. I have, of course, pet related listener mail. 520 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: I've clearly been on a pet kick lately because this 521 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: one is from our listener Sarah about our episode Inventions 522 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: for Pets. Sarah writes, I misread the episode title Inventions 523 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: for Pets as invention of pets, and maybe there's an 524 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: episode idea there. I'd love to learn more about the 525 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: roles that animals play in human civilization, beyond labor and livestock. 526 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:57,239 Speaker 1: When did we start adopting animals simply for companionship. I 527 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: have good news, sort of. We have one about the 528 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: domes cation of the cat yep, but it's quite old 529 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: and depending on what podcast player you listen on. It 530 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: may have cycled out, but it does exist in our archive. 531 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: Sarah attaches a picture, she says, of my beautiful dog 532 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: Rumford for tax. When we'd been trying to get pregnant 533 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: for a year and we're starting to pursue medical help, 534 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: I realized, we don't know if we'll ever have a kid, 535 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: but we could just get a dog now. And then 536 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: my husband and our good friend conspire to surprise me 537 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: with a puppy that Christmas. Rumford is five now, and 538 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: he's a wonderful big brother to our son, who is 539 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: now five. Congratulations on successfully having a son. And also, 540 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: Rumford is really cute. He has these beautiful silky ears 541 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: that are like a russet color, and I want to 542 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: pet them and maybe put a bow on him. He 543 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: might not like bums, but he's very beautiful and looks 544 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: like the sweetest pup in the world. Sarah, thank you 545 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: so much for this sweet email. I also, when I 546 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: started reading your email, I misread it initially thinking you 547 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: were going to talk about somehow pets inventing things, and 548 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: I was like, that would be a good episode. I'm 549 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: sure there's a pet that's invented something. If I ever 550 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: find one, you know, I'm going to talk about it. 551 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us and send 552 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: us pictures of your pets or anything. Is there something 553 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: crafty you've been doing, I want to see it. If 554 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: there's just this beautiful landscape you love, I want to 555 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: see that too. Whatever you want to talk about send 556 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: us an email. Doesn't even have to be about something 557 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 1: we talked about. You can email us whenever you want. 558 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,959 Speaker 1: You can do that at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 559 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,960 Speaker 1: You can also subscribe to the show on the iHeartRadio 560 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: app or anywhere you listen to your favorite shows. Stuff 561 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 562 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 563 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.