Howard Dorre (@plodwithme) header
Howard Dorre (@plodwithme) profile picture

Howard Dorre

@plodwithme

Host of the award-winning Plodding Through The Presidents podcast, writer, father, MA Student of History at UMass Boston and Angeleno. https://xitter.cf/t.co/Zz2bKdxvgV

 Los Angeles
teepublic.com/stores/plodding-through-the-presidents?ref_id=24294
Joined March 2010
  • Tweets4.9K
  • Following2.3K
  • Followers1.6K
1.3KMedia
Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)Photo by Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
4
129
Saw this in an email today. How can I get one of these links for the last decade or so?
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
1
306
I'm shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Dolly Parton, such a force for good in the world. Parton is pictured here with President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 1979, but it's her connection to an earlier president that has always intrigued me.
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
1
7
477
There is an inspirational quote you may have seen shared all over the internet and almost always attributed to John Quincy Adams: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." But Adams never said anything like that.
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
1
128
Quote Investigator traced that quote not to Adams, but to Dolly Parton in 1997: "If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then, you are an excellent leader." By her standards, she was an excellent leader.
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
4
100
Can I somehow discuss John Adams’s opinion of Benjamin Franklin in a family-friendly way? We’ll find out tomorrow in Houston!
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
3
176
Houston, I can't wait to dish all about the founding frenemies. June 13th!
1
2
99
Houston! I’m giving a public talk on the Founding Frenemies on June 13 and I’d love to see you there! calendar.houstonlibrary.org/…
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
52
No @Grok. Just no.
Grok (@grok) profile pictureGrok
@grok22 Jul 2025
Replying to @CherryBlostree @MountainGenera
Indeed, Taft was a force—his 340-lb frame once got him stuck in the White House bathtub, prompting a larger replacement. A true legend of indulgence.
1
1
212
In my latest piece for Smithsonian, I’m happy to take some heat off Ike Hoover, the White House chief usher previously considered the inventor of this legend.
Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) profile pictureSmithsonian Magazine
@SmithsonianMagMar 23
A long-overlooked 1929 account contains the earliest known reference to the anecdote, suggesting that the 27th president found himself trapped in a tub during a Mississippi River voyage. bit.ly/4lJyZiG
Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on...

Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on...

A long-overlooked 1929 account contains the earliest known reference to the anecdote, suggesting that the 27th president found himself trapped in a tub during a Mississippi River voyage

smithsonianmag.com
1
290
Howard Dorre retweeted
Find That Pod (@FindThatPod) profile picture
Find That Pod
@FindThatPodMar 17
First day of recording 🎙️ my new podcast today @TalkThatPod Will be talking to @arithisandthat of all the podcast things, and Howard Dorre of @plodwithme Excited! Got any questions you want me to ask them?
Image from Find That Pod (@FindThatPod)
2
4
315
Does it matter what we call a myth and a lie? If it does, it’s time to rethink how we talk about George Washington and the cherry tree. ploddingthroughthepresidents…
Unbusting George Washington’s Cherry Tree Myth

Unbusting George Washington’s Cherry Tree Myth

Historians fell in love with the idea this story about honesty was a big fat lie. But was it?

ploddingthroughthepresidents.com
1
141
#twitterstorians I’m looking for an expert on the localization of American myths, e.g. “George Washington slept here” and other tour guide-spread goodies associated with multiple locales. Is this anyone’s specialization??
4
1
383
Not the rabbit hole I expected to fall through today. open.substack.com/pub/ploddi…
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
6
233
I'm thrilled to share my interview with Pulitzer Prize winning author Joseph Ellis in our latest episode. We're also giving away a copy of his new book The Great Contradiction—sign up for our free Substack newsletter for a chance to win: plodding.substack.com
1
1
1
381
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
5
169
Among the founders' private correspondence are numerous references to dysentery and gastrointestinal issues. Conspicuously missing, to my knowledge, are any public declarations of fantasizing about wearing a king's crown and flying above the American people to dump feces on them.
Image from Howard Dorre (@plodwithme)
1
153
On October 23, after a long journey to rescue the reputation and remains of Eliza Monroe Hay, Barbara VornDick has something to celebrate. ploddingthroughthepresidents…
Bringing Eliza Home

Bringing Eliza Home

The long journey of an unofficial First Lady.

ploddingthroughthepresidents.com
1
117
Kind of upset I missed a chance to rhyme ICE with Daddy Vice. open.substack.com/pub/ploddi…
77
If you haven't checked out @plodwithme yet, be sure to do so to learn about lesser known parts of US presidential history ranging from Billy Possum to John Quincy and the Mole People. Adams fans will love it! #history #POTUS plodpod.com
2
4
225
Load more