Calling History: Listen In on Conversations with History’s Most Influential People.

On July 4, 1858, Henry David Thoreau was at his family home in Concord, when he received a call from the future …
Exactly thirteen years prior to this conversation, Henry David Thoreau began his journey of living 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days at Waldon Pond. Thoreau craved simplicity and attempted unsuccessfully to live in peace at the home he had built with his own hands. In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why he believes that unjust laws should be broken. And which laws meet those criteria.
Why he would go for long stretches without a bath.
And the amazing story of how he built his home for less than $29.00.
Henry David Thoreau was a complex man that demanded a life of simplicity. Although he seems to find himself often in the company of brilliant men and women, he drew as much inspiration from listening to a bird sing in the woods. His way of experiencing the world is magical.
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What do you really know about George Washington? We all know that he was the first president of the United States and the General of the Continental Army that defeated the strongest military on earth. But in this podcast, you’re going to hear about the extraordinary obstacles he overcame to become that leader.
How did young Washington escape an assassin’s bullet at near point-blank range?
As a boy, what event thrust his family into poverty, removing the advantages his older brothers had?
And finally, you’ll hear George tell three stories where fate again intervened preventing George from rising as a British officer.
Washington was a great man, but if any of these experiences had gone the other way, he either would have been dead, or fighting against the Americans in the Revolution, instead of leading them. 

What do you really know about George Washington? We all know that he was the first president of the United States and the General of the Continental Army that defeated the strongest military on earth. But in this podcast, you’re going to hear about the extraordinary obstacles he overcame to become that leader.
How did young Washington escape an assassin’s bullet at near point-blank range?
As a boy, what event thrust his family into poverty, removing the advantages his older brothers had?
And finally, you’ll hear George tell three stories where fate again intervened preventing George from rising as a British officer.
Washington was a great man, but if any of these experiences had gone the other way, he either would have been dead, or fighting against the Americans in the Revolution, instead of leading them. 

In Part 2 of the 1800 phone conversation with Benedict Arnold he will share with us:
What he told General Washington after the attack that destroyed his hometown.
After the British left, what happened when Benedict Arnold offered to raise a huge loyalist army to take the colonies back.
And finally, which founding Father Arnold was ordered to capture and murder. 
Benedict Arnold was born to be a military commander. He was fierce and brilliant in battle, but for some reason, he didn’t get what he was due and was not able to shake off the unfair treatment. Had he made one or two better decisions, he’d be a founding father instead of the most notorious traitor in United States History.
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On August 12, 1800, Benedict Arnold was reflecting on a very complicated life when he received a call from the future …
Benedict Arnold sold information to the British that could have harmed the American Revolution and possibly led to the capture of George Washington. Yet, when I asked if he was a traitor, he said, “No”.   In this episode, you’ll learn:
His justification for not being a traitor. It’s compelling.
Why he asked for a court marshal.  
And finally, how so many unfair events made him feel his only option was to switch sides.
In these episodes, you’re going to hear the story of a courageous man who made a few gigantic mistakes that cost him everything. But mark my words, by the end, you’ll have some compassion for him and maybe even understand why he did it.
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In Part 2 of the 1910 conversation with Mark Twain he will clear up some details for us.
After going bankrupt as an old man, why he went on a world tour and paid off his creditors anyhow.
Why he was hesitant to talk about the Angel Fish club he formed.
And finally, what happened after the people that kept him grounded had died. 
Mark Twain’s light shined brighter than most. He was an adventurer, a trend setter, and a man willing to do what others wouldn’t. Although the end of his life was tragic, he left behind a legacy that lives to this day.
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In 1910, seven days before the end of his extraordinary life, Mark Twain received a call from the future …
Mark Twain did it all. He wrote bestselling novels that changed the world, he was a failed gold miner, a world traveller, and quite possibly the first stand-up comedian.  In these episodes, you’ll learn:
What made his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so different from anything else that was being written at that time.
What happened when he fought for the confederacy in the civil war.
And how he truly feels about the ‘human race’.
These episodes are funny, and tragic, and profound, just like his life was. Start the episode now and join the conversation.

In Part 2 of the 1787 phone conversation with Benjamin Franklin we talk about so many things. He will share with us:
Why does he ‘air bathe’ in the nude?
His position on Native Americans.
And finally, Why he had to leave England even though he enjoyed everything about it. 
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In 1787, Benjamin Franklin was looking out the window at his garden, when he received a call from the future …
The American Revolution ended four years ago. After a lifetime of service to his nation Franklin is now 81 years old.  In these episodes, you’ll hear about:
Why Franklin wrote letters to his brother’s newspaper posing as an older woman.
Why his brother treated him so poorly and was jailed.
And finally, later in these episodes you’ll hear about the exact moment that Franklin became a patriot! It’s a fantastic moment.
Franklin is so much fun to listen to because he’s like no one else in history. Sometimes he is brilliant and other times he is quirky, but he’s always interesting. Start the episode now and join the conversation.

In Part 2 of the 1801 phone conversation with John Adams he will share with us:
The details of his complicated relationship with Benjamin Franklin.
How he felt about his equally intellectual wife Abigail.
And finally, his reaction to the death of his good friend, Dr. Joseph Warren. 
John Adams was exactly what the country needed once Washington was ready to step down. These were difficult times when the country was united and divided at the same time. But Adams held the United States together and the rest was history.
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