Episode 64 — Benjamin Harrison: A New Map, New Laws, and a Wired White House
pplpod Episode 64 follows Benjamin Harrison—from Civil War general and Indianapolis lawyer to 23rd President presiding over a hyperactive, high-stakes Gilded Age. We trace the “Billion-Dollar Congress...
21 Sep 20251h 10min
Episode 63 — Grover Cleveland: The Veto Pen & Two Nonconsecutive Turns
pplpod Episode 63 follows Grover Cleveland’s unusual arc—the only U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms (22nd and 24th)—from Buffalo reformer to a Gilded Age heavyweight who made “public office...
21 Sep 20251h 2min
Episode 62 — Chester A. Arthur: From Stalwart to Reformer
pplpod Episode 62 traces Chester A. Arthur’s surprising transformation—from New York Custom House power broker and Stalwart insider to the reform-minded 21st President after James A. Garfield’s assass...
21 Sep 202553min
Episode 61 — James A. Garfield: Dark Horse, Brief Tenure, Big Turning Point
pplpod Episode 61 follows James A. Garfield’s improbable climb—from canal boy and scholar-preacher to Civil War general, congressman, and the only sitting House member ever elected president. We trace...
21 Sep 202550min
Episode 60 — Rutherford B. Hayes: One Vote Short, One Era Closed
pplpod Episode 60 tracks Rutherford B. Hayes from Ohio reformer and Civil War brevet major general to the razor-thin 1876 election and a presidency that reset the postwar order. We unpack the Hayes–Ti...
21 Sep 202538min
Episode 59 — Ulysses S. Grant: Relentless Will, Hard Lessons, Lasting Union
pplpod Episode 59 charts Ulysses S. Grant’s unlikely arc—from quiet West Pointer and Mexican-War veteran to the Union’s indispensable closer and America’s 18th president. We track the wartime ascent: ...
21 Sep 20251h 14min
Episode 58 — Andrew Johnson: Unionist, Vetoes & an Unfinished Reconstruction
pplpod Episode 58 follows Andrew Johnson’s unlikely climb—from North Carolina–born tailor to Tennessee Unionist senator, wartime military governor, and Lincoln’s running mate—then the whiplash turn af...
21 Sep 202548min
Episode 57 — Abraham Lincoln: War, Words & the Work of Union
pplpod Episode 57 follows Abraham Lincoln’s improbable climb—from Kentucky log cabin to Illinois lawyer, the Lincoln–Douglas debates, and a four-way 1860 victory that dropped him into a nation breakin...
21 Sep 20251h 12min
