1 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: Don't call it a comeback. Friends and neighbors are actually 2 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: go ahead and please do so, because this is part 3 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: two of our continuing series of weird George Washington Facts. 4 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to the show. My name is Ben, my name 5 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: is Noel. If we are joined with our super producer, 6 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: Casey Pegram and our returning a special guest. It's an 7 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: immense privilege to have you on the show. Anytime Christopher 8 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: hascy otis what a delight to be here. Thank you, 9 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: and Ben, you've got your groove back, my friend, you're glowing. 10 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: You're absolutely glowing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's 11 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: all the Hemp, very versatile crop, very first. Yes, is 12 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: that shirt you're wearing woven from Hemp? Yes, yes it is, 13 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: And as are my shoes and my coat undergarments. Is 14 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: that what you're gonna say, undergarments? Yeah? Traded in the 15 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: myth rill? That did I finally upgraded from myth rill 16 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: to imp So this is, as you mentioned, part two 17 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: of a two part series. If you have not checked 18 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: out part one of our George Washington Facts, it's it's okay. 19 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: Don't stress out. Just hit pause, you know, and and 20 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: and shake your fists at the podcast gods that list 21 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: the shows in reverse chronological order and just scroll back 22 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: and listen to the show from two days ago. Yeah, 23 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: that's such a bummer when they list them in that 24 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: reverse order. You know, I believe that the I Heart 25 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: Radio app you can swap things around and point them 26 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: in the other direction and start from start from earlier, 27 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: and go towards later. That's crazy talk. Who would ever 28 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: do that? What a time to be alive. The industry 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: is a morphing thing. So we it up the basic 30 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: gist of George Washington's life in our earlier episode, And now, 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: what do you say, gentlemen, should we dive straight into 32 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: the weird stuff? Yeah, there's a whole bunch of strangeness 33 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: to get into. I say, let's dive down that Washington hole. 34 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: Was it the muddy hole? The muddy hole, Washington's money. 35 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: Let's dive down Washington's muddy Hole. It sounds like the 36 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: worst ride at the Presidential theme park of my dreams. 37 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that's the one where there's never aligned. Yeah, 38 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: Lincoln's spooky log Cabin. I think, um man, if I 39 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: had a lot of extra time, we could just come 40 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: up with theme rides and uh for for every single 41 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: president that's out there, weird glitching robot, Lincoln's spewing sparks, 42 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: the theater, the taft bathtub you've got to escape taft tub, 43 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: taft tub that's full of old beans, of old beings. Yeah, 44 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: and then we get we get weird because we would 45 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: have the most fun I think with more obscure presidents, 46 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: like years, do you think he's the most obscure? Uh? 47 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: He You know that's a matter of personal opinion, isn't it. 48 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: That's why I'm asking you maybsonally. Oh you're asking me personally. 49 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: We're here, just you and me, and uh, we don't. 50 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: I guess no one Casey and millions and millions of listeners. 51 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, I don't know. Yeah, who is the most 52 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: obscure president? I have great fascination with those lists that 53 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: come out every so often of ranking presidents from best 54 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: the worst. And they usually don't do every single president. 55 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: They usually do maybe the top five best ones in 56 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: the bottom five worst ones. And I gotta say the 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: bottom five are usually the same couple of dudes. Yeah, 58 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: you've got the obscure ones. You've got your Pierce here, 59 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: Millard Fillmore. Um, you know William McKinley, who was very 60 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: popular at the time but just kind of was forgotten 61 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: even though he was killed and was involved in a 62 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: lot of different things. So one who's constantly at the 63 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: bottom of list is Andrew Johnson. He's the one who 64 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: kind of after Lincoln' assassination, he took over, but he 65 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: didn't manage the situation well. He let the country fester. 66 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: Things were not handled well. Reconstruction was not handled in 67 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: a way that maybe look towards future generations. But I 68 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: think a lot of Americans would be hard pressed to 69 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: name Andrew Johnson. And I gotta tell you, I think 70 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: it's because his name is a little generic. It is 71 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: it is. It's a real uh, it's real John Doe. Yeah, 72 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: it's just not as memorable if he had some sort 73 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: of villainous name, or if he had some sort of name. 74 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: But you know, I mean, maybe maybe it's better that 75 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: his name is a little more kind of milk toast 76 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: and banal, because honestly, that's how some of the things 77 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: that fall apart in politics do. So it's just sort 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: of through no specific malice, through no ill will, it 79 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: just sort of the banality of things kind of things 80 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: fall apart. All right, so we're talking about bad presence. 81 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: Where's your boy g dub fall? That's true, this is 82 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: an episode about George Washingtons. Oh, I do want to 83 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: point out, did you know that Andrew Johnson never went 84 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: to school? Is it sort of like I never learned 85 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: to read and I somehow managed to become president. Turns 86 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: out I was bad at it. I think the closest 87 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: he got to a formal education was when his wife 88 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: taught him the basics, uh, like basic mathematics and writing 89 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: and so. So he is one of the worst regarded presidents. 90 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: So maybe, uh, we can draw some conclusions that an 91 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: intellectual curiosity and education, these are things that are important 92 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: for a president. That the desire to learn, the admission 93 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: that maybe other people have more information than you and 94 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: that you should rely on them for information like that, 95 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: that's the thing a president should espouse to aspire to. Yeah. Yeah, 96 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: I think I think that's solid and I don't think 97 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: that's a controversial point at all. We know that George 98 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: Washington had no problem learning from other people, and he 99 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: took advice pretty well well done, expertly played, my friends. 100 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: I know that means you have to go first especially 101 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: the part where you say, just so you guys, now, 102 00:05:57,760 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: Ben's doing this really sweet move where he's drawing his 103 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: ur finger and thumb together from them touching each other 104 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: to apart in the same cadence as he's saying, sege, 105 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: it's a slow parting of the Red Sea. We actually 106 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: made this a two part episode because we we wanted 107 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: to spend some time really focusing on that hand gesture 108 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: and really trying to up our vamp game. And whenever 109 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: Christopher Hassiotas joins us in the tank here, it's just magic. 110 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: Sparks fly. Yeah, but well that's true. Sparks did fly earlier. No, 111 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: you were electrocuted slightly by your headphones. That's true, saying that, um, 112 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: you all, you all, you do have a bit of 113 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: an electric person saying I'm not not saying that. Is 114 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: this is this part of are you still a little 115 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: weirded out by the mic situation? Is this part of 116 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: a revenge scheme? No, what happens is I'm wearing wool 117 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: socks and before you guys came in here, I was 118 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: just running back and forth the class. We just called 119 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: that a hassiotas at the office you got sapped so 120 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: I will go first. This is a little bit stranger. 121 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: This is not a social activity of George Washington, nor 122 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: is it a political activity. This is a medical fact 123 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: about the guy. He was one of the sickliest presidents 124 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: in US history. Over the span of his life, he 125 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: suffered from diphtheria, tuberculosis, smallpox, dysentery, malaria, quinsy which was tonsilitis, carbuncle, pneumonia, 126 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: and epiiclytitis. In fact, he was so afflicted that people 127 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: started speculating this may have played a role in his infertility, 128 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: because Washington did not have issue, as they would say 129 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: in the world of aristocracy, and it's well known that 130 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: he had no children of his own. In two thousand seven, 131 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: man named John k Amory at the University Washington School 132 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: of Medicine proposed that it wasn't for lack of trying. Instead, 133 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: he said Washington may quite possibly have been infertile, and 134 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: Armory list a number of possible reasons for this infertility, 135 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: including an infection caused by tuberculosis. We have a quote 136 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: here wherein he says classic studies of soldiers with tuberculosis 137 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: plur Z during World War Two demonstrated that two thirds 138 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: developed chronic organ tuberculosis within five years of their initial infection. 139 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: Infection of the epididymus or testes is seen in twenty 140 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: percent of these individuals and frequently results in infertility. Dude, 141 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: I just made a horrible mistake. I googled images of carbuncles. 142 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: Not good. I'm guessing you are not seeing the The 143 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: image of the cute little monster from the Final Fantasy 144 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: Video Games was his name? There? There was one called 145 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: a carbuncle. Interesting. Please please Ridiculous Historians correct me if 146 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: I'm wrong. These are disgusting, pus filled boils that cover 147 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: one's body who went and afflicted with them. It's not 148 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: a carbohydrate loving uncle. Nope, this is something we will 149 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: not be posting photos of on Ridiculous Stories. Well WHA 150 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: will not be too hasty. I'm gonna I'm not even 151 00:08:58,200 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: a regular host here, but can I put this to 152 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: a vote? Do I get a full vote? I'm gonna 153 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: take I'm taking a triple vote, and I'm voting no 154 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: photos of carbuncles on Ridiculous Historians three against two. I 155 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: support that. I see the gentleman to my left, I 156 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: you know, but I'm just saying, if you you know 157 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: if you want to gross yourself out, just google carbuncle. 158 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: If you would have a really disturbing the more you 159 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: know moment with the star flying over your head as 160 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: you throw up a little bit in your mouth. Carbuncle. 161 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: Do you think the fact that George Washington didn't have 162 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: children kind of cemented his legacy? You know, that he 163 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: didn't have kids who could kind of tarnish the Washington one. Yeah, 164 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 1: he was. He was alone. He set things in motion, 165 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: and he stepped back and that was it. Quite possibly. 166 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's a very good point, I would say. 167 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: And it's so rare for people to do that at 168 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: that level because I mean, they have all these idiot 169 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: sons that go and screw it all up for him. 170 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: You're not talking about Ben Stiller, are you. I'm talking 171 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: about that. One of the things that I know you 172 00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: hate is nepotism. The adams Is, they, the Bushes, the Roosevelts. Look, 173 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: all those guys are like distant cousins. You can't. I 174 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: mean they came from a big, big family, I know, 175 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: but name recognition is still key now I will. I 176 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 1: totally see your point there, Christopher. Just like a Justice 177 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: Kennedy is not related to the former President Kennedy, Right, 178 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: So there shouldn't be any law barring them from occupying 179 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: positions of power. You know what I mean. I'm just 180 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: saying that it's very strange to explain to someone from 181 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: another country or another culture that this is purportedly a 182 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: meritocracy and then say in the same breath that, despite 183 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: being a meritocracy, through some amazing coincidence, the most qualified 184 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: people for a job happened to be related to each 185 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: other pretty often. But that just further underlines the point 186 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: that you make with Washington. Prehaps he was a safe 187 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: figure to mythologize. While he did not have children, one 188 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,319 Speaker 1: thing that he did have was a non consensual workforce, 189 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: that's true. One of the things I wanted to talk 190 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: about was Washington's slaveholding. It's not really a happy topic 191 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: because we're talking about enslaved people, but it's a fact 192 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 1: of life at the time, especially for landowners. Um that 193 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: and and Washington had control over hundreds of slaves, more 194 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: than three people. Washington gets a lot of credit for 195 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,439 Speaker 1: quote unquote freeing his slaves in his will. You know that, 196 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: that's one thing that people who defend the practice of 197 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: enslaving others when it comes to Washington, who is rightly 198 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: revered as the father, as one of the fathers of 199 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: our country, and who put a lot of great systems 200 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: in motion, but that doesn't change the fact that he 201 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: ran this giant plantation, and a plantation of that size 202 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: in what's sort of the South at the time was 203 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: run essentially on the on the free labor of enslaved Africans, 204 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: and at the time of his death, Washington owned more 205 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: than three hundred slaves. He inherited his first slave at eleven, 206 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: when his father passed away. So you had this young man, 207 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: George Washington, who was born into a life of maintaining 208 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: control over other human beings. When he passed in he 209 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: had a hundred and twenty three slaves who were legally his, 210 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: and then there were a hundred and ninety three that 211 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: he also controlled that were known as dower slaves. And 212 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: what that means is they were technically legally owned by 213 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: his wife, Martha. Now Martha married George when she was 214 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: twenty five. She was a widow at the time, and 215 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: she had taken on slaves both from her own family 216 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: and from her ex husband who passed away. So it's 217 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: it's really really interesting, and it can be kind of 218 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: fascinating to look at the the legal structure of slavery 219 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: until you remember that we're talking about actual human beings. 220 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: But a way that slavery and the legality of who 221 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 1: owns what was structured in the sevent hundreds is it's 222 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: just to me, it's so odd that you can be 223 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: talking about a human being in this way. So the 224 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,599 Speaker 1: hundred slaves that Washington himself had, they were matched with 225 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 1: a hundred and nine which were legally Martha's but as 226 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: a married couple, were legally controlled by George. And there's 227 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: all this strange legally is that when George or Martha dies, 228 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: certain segments of the Washingtonian slaves are passed to a 229 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: grandchild or a cousin, and it all depends on this 230 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: sort of weird patriarchal but then also matrilineal lineage of 231 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: ownership of another person. But but there is one enslaved 232 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: person that I want to talk about, and that's only Judge. Now, 233 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: only Judge is one of the most well known enslaved 234 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: people involved in in Washington, and that's because she escaped. 235 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: She was able to tell her story two abolitionist newspapers 236 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: at the time and got her account out there. Now, 237 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: what makes this such a strange bit of history is 238 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: that Only Judge was a slave that Washington pursued until 239 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: the end of his life. She got away. And if 240 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: you listen to the episode from last week, Noel talked 241 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: about how Washington's thoughts on slavery were somewhat liberal and 242 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: they evolved over time. And that's true. He did grow 243 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: to oppose the idea of slavery, the idea of holding 244 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: other people in bondage, but he never freed his own slaves. 245 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: He still kept them enslaved, He used their free labor, 246 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: and he built his fortune and his empire, whether it 247 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: was a large fortune or not, on the labor of others. 248 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: So let's talk about Only Judge. She was born in 249 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: seventeen seventy three. She probably came into the Washington family 250 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: when she was around ten or eleven and was purchased 251 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: as a playmate. It's thought for one of the family 252 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: members now only has her own interesting history. Her father 253 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: was a British businessman. He was white, but he never 254 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: acknowledged paternity, and so she was able to be sold 255 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: into slavery and that's where where she comes in. Um Now, 256 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: in seventeen nineties six only learned that she was going 257 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: to be gifted to Washington's granddaughter. And when we talk 258 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: about the granddaughters of Washington, basically we're talking about the 259 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: children of Martha Washington and kind of her her folks, 260 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: because as we just mentioned, George himself never had any kids. 261 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: And so In only learns that she's going to be 262 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: gifted at presented as a wedding present to these new newlyweds. 263 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: So she escapes in May of seventeen ninety six. She 264 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: she flies the coupe Um and for a couple of 265 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: years she's she's free. But a couple of years later 266 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: she's spotted in New Hampshire, and this whole time the 267 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: Washington family is is after her. They've lost property. Despite 268 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: the fact that Washington had mixed feelings about slavery, it 269 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: seems like from the historical record that a lot of 270 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: his family, including Martha, did not have mixed feelings, and 271 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: they felt pretty strongly that enslaved Africans were their property 272 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: and we're owned wholly by them. So they took out 273 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: ads in local papers advertising a reward for the return 274 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: of owning, and a couple of years later she spotted 275 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: in New Hampshire, and Washington reaches out to a friend 276 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: of his in New Hampshire and asks him to abduct 277 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: only to return this person back to Mountain Vernon. And 278 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: so you know, he's he's encouraging kidnapping. At the time, 279 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: he probably saw it as a as a return of property. 280 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: But the thing about Washington and and his slaveholding is 281 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: it wasn't as straightforward. It wasn't wholly villainous as a 282 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: as it's easy to paint, but it's also wasn't wholly 283 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: by the books. Washington was pretty eager to to skirt 284 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: some of the laws when it came to slavery. When 285 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: he was president, he was living in Philadelphia, which at 286 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: the time was the capital of the United States. In 287 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania had certain laws for slaveholders and uh and citizens 288 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: of Pennsylvania because at the time different states had their 289 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: own citizenship. Washington argued, though, that he was a citizen 290 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: of Virginia so that he didn't have to bide by 291 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: some of the slavery laws of Pennsylvania. He also would 292 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 1: rotate his slaves between the home in Pennsylvania and Virginia 293 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 1: for periods of time of less than six months, just 294 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: moving them around like property so that they would not 295 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: qualify or meet certain criteria under Pennsylvania law. So this 296 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: is a man who saw financial assets, who pursued them 297 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: as as they escaped, and until his death he he 298 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: tried to get Ony back. Um. Thankfully, Oni was was 299 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: never returned. She was captured at one point, and she 300 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: tried to negotiate with Washington. She said she sent message saying, look, 301 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 1: I will willingly be returned to enslavement with your family 302 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: if you promised that upon your death and the death 303 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: of Martha, I am free. And Washington didn't even negotiate. 304 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: He said, I'm not even going to consider these demands 305 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: because doing so would set a bad precedent. And this 306 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: is not you don't negotiate with pretty essentially, Yeah, and um, 307 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: I wish there were a happy ending to this story. 308 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 1: There's also not a sad ending to the story. Only 309 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: eventually she stayed in New Hampshire. She was not returned 310 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 1: to the Washington family. She married a sailor named Jack Stains. 311 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: Over their married life, they had three kids, who then 312 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: had their own children. Um. But the fact of the 313 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: matter is that throughout the rest of her life, even 314 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: though she had escaped enslavement by the Washington family, she 315 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: lived as a fugitive under the Fugitive Slave Act, which 316 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: Washington signed into law, and until her dying day in 317 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight, she lived as as a fugitive. There 318 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 1: was always, always, always a chance that she could be 319 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: taken back to Virginia. Terrifying way to live. I can't imagine. 320 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: So no, not a happy ending at all. Huh no, 321 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: And and and it's you know, I don't I don't 322 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 1: want to tarnish the legacy of a great American, But 323 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: we also don't need to look back and and over 324 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: mythologize someone. I think it's more accurate to look at 325 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: history as it was, to look at the man as 326 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: he was, and to acknowledge that this was part of 327 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 1: a complicated life and he had complicated feelings. And as 328 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: America has evolved and continues to evolve, so too did Washington, 329 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: just just not at the pace that um that it 330 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: would be nice to acknowledge. You know again, people say 331 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: that he freed all of his slaves in his will. 332 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 1: The fact of the matter is that after he died 333 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: of those more than three hundred slaves that he had 334 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: control over, only one, a man named William Lee, was 335 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: set free. Martha dragged things out for a lot of 336 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: the other hundreds of slaves. They were still enslaved for decades. 337 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: Eventually some of them gained their freedom. But again we're 338 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: talking five, ten, fifteen years. So despite despite George Washington's 339 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: will and his desire to set his slaves free, which 340 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: I might add is after he's left this earth and 341 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 1: after he has to deal with the ramifications of what 342 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: that means, He's still throughout his life benefited from their 343 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 1: free labor. It still took years and years and years 344 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: for the people that he enslaved to find their freedom. 345 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: And we would be remiss if we did not point 346 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: out these facts. You know, I think it is it 347 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: is an unpleasant and disturbing part of the story. But 348 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 1: I believe that same disturbing aspect is what makes it 349 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: crucial that we not just us on the show, not 350 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: just us listening, but we as a country remember what happened. 351 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: I've got to say, Christopher, I feel that I feel 352 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: it would be weird for us to end on such 353 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:50,159 Speaker 1: a very serious somber note. Um what what do you 354 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: think you're you're the guest today. What do you think 355 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: about us exploring one more strange George Washington fact? Oh 356 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: yeah absolutely. I mean again, it's a man contained smalltitudes, 357 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: and there's a lot to George Washington, and he's one 358 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: of the foundational characters of our country and there's so 359 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: much to know about him. So um yeah, like let's 360 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: turn to no, no, let's can you can you dig 361 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: us out of this slavery hole? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, only 362 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: our original idea of the muddy hole was much more whimsical. Yeah, 363 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: I'm not so, you know now I'm not as on 364 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: board as it was with finding this guy a cool 365 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: middle name. No, no, So we all know the classic 366 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: Washington I in look the profile, you know, with the 367 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: what appears to be a powdered wig of some sort 368 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: that's wore at the time. Peruke a peruke, well done, Chris, 369 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,679 Speaker 1: really step for Benjamin Franklin. That's right, Benjamin Franklin just 370 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: had kind of a desperate top and a bit of 371 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: a greasy ponytail on the back. The ponytail was the 372 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: height of fashion at the time. Um. But here's the thing, 373 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: and again, that profile you probably know it well from 374 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: those dollar bill as you were lest saying, that's not 375 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: a profile in dollar bill, it's a profile in the quarter. 376 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: But on the dollar bill it's a it's a it's 377 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: a three quarter kind of and then you know you've 378 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: got your creepy pyramid eye. But that's a whole another thing. 379 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:12,679 Speaker 1: We did a whole episode on that on our other 380 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: show Stuffy Don't Want you to Know, and actually took 381 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: it on the road. So we know the creepy pyramid eye. Well, 382 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: the eye of Horace, I believe. Right, then that's what interpretation. 383 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: That's right, that's true. Listening to the show to to 384 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: find out more. Um, But no, it turns out that 385 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: that weird peruke looking do that Washington was supporting was not, 386 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: in fact a wig. Those were his natural hairs, um, 387 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: and he went to great lengths to quaff them as such. Well, 388 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: now it didn't grow like that. He he had that 389 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: would be nice in he had quite a regiment when 390 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: it came to his um keeping up his appearances. So 391 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: let me let me run through some of them real quick. Um. 392 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: That his hair actually was more of kind of a 393 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: reddish brown. Um. And here's the thing too, about that 394 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: particular hair the time, it was a really big deal. 395 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: People like to show as much forehead as possible. That 396 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: was like a sign of strength or something intelligence that 397 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: you had, like, you know, big, big, broad forehead. So 398 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 1: in order to do that, the reason they bound their 399 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: hair back in those ponytails was because it literally pulled 400 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: you know, tightened it up and pulled the brow up 401 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: so you'd have more brow on display. And thought exactly, 402 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: those guys would have been a king or you know else. 403 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 1: They would have loved facelifts. Can you imagine, yeah, founding 404 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: father facelifts. That's a reality show waiting to happen right there, 405 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,199 Speaker 1: at least a spoof reality. Sounds like a weird website too. 406 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: It's Founding Father's facelifts dot com and hard to say 407 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: ten times fast. But his his hair was quite in fashion. 408 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: It was kind of a tough hair to right very much. So. Yeah, 409 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: and it wasn't a wig. But he powdered it as 410 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: as in the same way that these perukes would be powdered. 411 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: But here's the crazy part about it. In order to 412 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 1: do this, you know this stuff, it would be a 413 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: couple of different potential types of powder. Um could be 414 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: anything from talcum powder to other kind of crushed up 415 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: earth minerals that were a little more expensive, which is 416 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: more likely what he would have used. You think shock 417 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: is another possibility, the bones of the British that would 418 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: be cool. I I have nothing to confirm or deny 419 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: that possibly asbestos um. Yeah, But here's the thing. When 420 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: he was doing it, in order to keep it from 421 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: you know, going up his quite sizeable schnaz uh and 422 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: you know, down his throat, he wore like a weird 423 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: cone on his face, like a like a rolled up 424 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: paper cone that he would hold over his face while 425 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 1: applying this powder. Um. And he applied the plaster of 426 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: Paris was another option. What happened if it rained? Oh man, 427 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: there's so many questions. What we're going to get to that. 428 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,239 Speaker 1: So in order to apply this stuff, he would use 429 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,199 Speaker 1: almost like a makeup brush made of silk strips that 430 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: were bound together in a bunch um. So he would 431 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: dip this into to the powder and then just douse 432 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 1: himself with it, you know, and when his face would 433 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 1: be covered up, and he'd also be wearing something called 434 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: a powder robe, and that would keep it off of 435 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: his clothes. I feel like you need a whole powder room, huh, 436 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: because I mean otherwise, Ate Christopher the powder everywhere, And 437 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: I guess that is so you're thinking of the powder 438 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: room more like Dexter's kill room. It's just covered in 439 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: fred Oh man, we're on a we're on a roll here. 440 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: But what a mess, right, an absolute mess. You know, 441 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: you're totally right, my friend, because even though he was 442 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: wearing his powder robe, what was to keep this powder 443 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,880 Speaker 1: from just dusting every surface, you know, in the vicinity 444 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: And he's wearing this weird sort of it looks almost 445 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: like a plague mask thing to cover his exactly. So 446 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: it's a very odd situation to walk in on and 447 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: he's doing it to himself. Presumably that's everything I've read 448 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: says he would this was his morning routine. Um. So 449 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: he would powder the hell out of his hair that 450 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,199 Speaker 1: was already uh, dolled up in this do um, and 451 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: then he would curl the sides up into these kind 452 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 1: of winglets, this a little like a little kind of 453 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: they'd stick out, you know, like little ridges, a little 454 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: shelves on the side. In order to do that, he'd 455 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: use palmade, you know, get it all nice and greasy 456 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,359 Speaker 1: and it would hold its shape. Um. So yeah, he 457 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: got his hair so saturated with this powder that it 458 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: didn't look like it was just kind of dusted. I mean, 459 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: it was just white as the driven snow. Here's the 460 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: thing too, this is a question that was raised in 461 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: this fantastic article that had really great company illustrations by 462 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: Wendy McNaughton for National Geographic Um, that has these really 463 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: great cartoons showing him what it must have looked like 464 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: for him to be doing this. I cannot recommend this 465 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 1: highly enough. It's not called George Washington's oh so mysterious hair. Um, No, 466 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: will you? Will you post that on the ridiculous Historian space? 467 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 1: That's all, and that is going to remain a carbuncle 468 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: free zone if I have anything to do with it, 469 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,679 Speaker 1: ben um. But here's the thing. A question that she 470 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: raises in this article is, well, how the hell did 471 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: he keep this off his clothes? In all of these 472 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,160 Speaker 1: portraits of him, he looks so pristine, and you would 473 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: think that this stuff would just be flaking off, every 474 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: flaking off. I mean, you're you're wearing these tight clothes 475 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,959 Speaker 1: made of wool in with the American South, are you not? 476 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: I would be sweating buckets and just have white powder 477 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: dripping down. Wouldn't it just be dripping down? Yeah, it 478 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: does seem like it would be very gross. And there 479 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: is one portrait by Adolf Ulric wort Mueller who depicts 480 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: him with some kind of a little dan draffee flakes 481 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: on one show on one lapel of Touch of Humanity. 482 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: So there you go. He had a weird hair routine. So, 483 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: and the lesson is that that that portraits are not 484 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: always accurate representation of what someone might really look like. Well, 485 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,400 Speaker 1: that's true. And at the end of the day, I mean, 486 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,640 Speaker 1: you're sort of beholden to the person that's paying you 487 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: to paint their portrait. So listeners, please do not run 488 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 1: into the National Portrait Gallery and throw a little flex 489 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: of white paint on anything that you think would be 490 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,159 Speaker 1: more historic accurate. And there we have it. George Washington, 491 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: first President of the United States, whiskey tycoon, dabbler in Hemp, 492 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: a freemason extraordinaire, slave owner, and a man with very 493 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: very strict priorities regarding his hair. It's very true. No 494 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 1: middle name, no middle name name. What else were some 495 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: of the little trivia bits from the top, Well, he's 496 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: got his his uh you know, his terrific title in 497 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: the military, that he will forever and always be Supreme 498 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:34,120 Speaker 1: Commander General of the Armies of the United States. Did 499 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: you mention the carbuncles that he's crusted with, krusty sickly man. 500 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: They're not clear on how how inundated he was with Carbuncles. 501 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: We can only hope that it was if these Google 502 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: images have anything to say about it, it was a 503 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,719 Speaker 1: real nightmare. I gotta say, Ben, you you mentioned him 504 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: as one of the sickliest presidents and listed out a 505 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: litany of maladies he'd been inflicted with. But if he 506 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: survived all those things, I'd say he's pretty strong and 507 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: and maybe we should wrap up by talking about these 508 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: somewhat ridiculous way in which he died. He did have 509 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: all these maladies, but Ina in December. What historians think 510 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: really killed him is a doctor medical malpractice, a doctor 511 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: who basically over bled him, drained him too much. Well, 512 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: and we already know that blood letting was a very 513 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: stupid remedy, and he was he was too blood let Yeah, yeah, 514 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: that's right. We have the We have the specifics here too. 515 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: It was a guy named All been Rawlins who all 516 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: in all, after four rounds of blood letting, removed something 517 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: like five pints of blood from the President that Dr 518 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: Alban I know, I know. I'm glad that blood letting 519 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: is not a common practice in medical centers today. Do 520 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: you think he got in trouble? I don't know. It's 521 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: a it's a it's a good question because I think 522 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: there have been some other presidents who died as a 523 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: result of well intentioned medical interven That's why they call 524 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: it practicing medicine. That's why they call it practicing medicine. Indeed, 525 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: and on that note, we hope you enjoyed our two 526 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: part series, A Weird George Washington Facts, which does count 527 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: technically until we do another one as our Washington episode 528 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: in a Bizarre series of Circumstances. Christopher, thank you so 529 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: much for dropping by. It is always an immense pleasure. 530 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: I'm I'm happy to count myself among the two of you. 531 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 1: As practicing podcasters. We do our best to keep our 532 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: podcasting chops sharp well practiced. Thank you, sir, and thank 533 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: you to our super producer, Casey Pegram. Thank you to 534 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: Alex Williams who composed our track. Thank you to Gabe, 535 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: our delightful research associate, and of course thank you to 536 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: our wonderful guest, Christopher Haciots and dear friend for as 537 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: always lighting up the room, sparking up our lives, giving 538 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,959 Speaker 1: Ben his groove back after you took it away. Truly, truly, truly, 539 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: this is something that sparks joy Boy. Well, if you 540 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: want to continue the conversation, if you want to check 541 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: out some of the things that we have mentioned other 542 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: than carbuncles, you can visit us on the internet. We're 543 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: on Instagram, We're on Facebook, We're on Twitter. That's the 544 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: other one. You can find our favorite partners, show your 545 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: fellow Ridiculous Historians on our Facebook community page Ridiculous Historians. 546 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: If you want to see some pictures of very strange misadventures, 547 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: I will be having shortly follow me on Instagram and 548 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: at Ben Bullen and I am at Embryonic Insider. Find 549 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: me over at hasciotes H A S S I O 550 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: T I S. Christopher will be having some incredible adventures 551 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: in podcasting coming down the pikes in the near future. 552 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: I will keep you all super updated. Please do. We'll 553 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: see you next time. Folix