How Harlots Saved America (Rebroadcast)

**Andrew Heaton** (0:03)
Happy 250th Birthday, America! This week, to celebrate Independence Day and America's quarter of a millennium milestone, I will be rebroadcasting some of my favorite history episodes about the United States on this program. Then on Thursday, we will have a new bonus monologue episode available for patrons. And on Friday, get psyched for a historical deep dive on America's anti-founding father and why we never descended into a military dictatorship. That will be on Friday. Until then, enjoy this rebroadcast of a fun American history episode.
Hello, and welcome to Something's Off with Andrew Heaton. I'm your host, Andrew Heaton. I love Broadway musicals. And in particular, I love 1776 It's a fun, jaunty show that's approximately like if Gilbert and Sullivan were trying to explain the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Although there's a few things the musical leaves out. Here's one. In Philadelphia, in 1776, between licensed and unlicensed taverns, there were 10 times as many places to drink per citizen as there are now. Meanwhile, up in New York, back then there were enough bars that every denizen of the city could drink simultaneously. Perhaps because during the Revolutionary War, the average American drank an estimated 6.6 gallons of absolute alcohol every year. That's 5.8 shots of 80 proof liquor per day for every adult, which in that era is 15 years old. Let me repeat that. Everyone in the country was drinking upwards of 6 shots of Southern comfort or the equivalent when we kicked out the stuffy old Brits in 1776 In that great play, 1776, starring Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World or in the newer version, Brent Spiner who played Data on Star Trek, there's a brief reference to prostitutes. Benjamin Franklin, clearly excited, but it doesn't quite convey the sexual libertine environment you would have stepped into if you'd visited one of those taverns. The grandson of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, married a prostitute and seemed to get along just fine in high society. Guess how many women were prosecuted in Philadelphia in the 1760s and 1770s for prostitution? Guess, you got that number in your head? How many women were prosecuted for prostitution, Philadelphia, 60s and 70s of the 18th century? It was three, just three.
So basically, at the time of our founding, America was Las Vegas with powdered wigs. I learned all of that from Thaddeus Russell's book, A Renegade History of the United States, which we will talk about momentarily. I enjoyed the work, and at the same time, I have never felt so uncomfortable about my own bougie sensibilities and Norman Rockwell upbringing. Fifty years ago, American history was mostly taught as a series of great men doing great things. History consisted of a chain of biopics. A lot of modern-day historians see American history as more or less a clutch of aristocratic white males presiding over a nation of bigoted religious zealots, and history is the gradual climbing out of that pit towards something better. Conversely, a number of conservatives see the founding era as one of morally upright Christian patriots and a subsequent apostasy from the holy republic they established.
Thaddeus Russell has a very different way of looking at history. From what I can tell, he sees American history as a battle between disciplinarians and libertines, between school marms and drunks, puritans and whores, and I'm excited to have him on.
But before we jump feet first into America's delightful history of drunks and street walkers, we do need to pay those bills. And that means a word from our sponsor. Something's Off with Andrew Heaton is brought to you by Beef Smoothies from Liquid Meats, Inc.
Beef Smoothies from Liquid Meats Incorporated. It's raining meat.
My guest today is Thaddeus Russell. He is the author of A Renegade History of the United States and a number of interesting projects that we'll probably get into here in a moment. Thad, thank you for being on the show.

**Thaddeus Russell** (5:39)
My great pleasure, Andrew. Thank you so much for having me.

**Andrew Heaton** (5:41)
Yeah, so I have never read a book which is more pro miscreant and pro prostitute than A Renegade History of the United States. For people listening to the show, and I'm probably a little bit in this category because they're a little bit inhibited and repressed, what is the benefit to us of history's down and outs, renegades and derelicts?

**Thaddeus Russell** (6:07)
Nothing at all.

**Andrew Heaton** (6:09)
Oh, okay.

**Thaddeus Russell** (6:11)
That is if you want to remain as you are.

**Andrew Heaton** (6:14)
Oh, no.

**Thaddeus Russell** (6:17)
So if you want to remain repressed, if you want to remain a good American upstanding citizen, then no, it does nothing for you. It's useless. In fact, I suggest that you burn it.