A Tale of Two Stepsons

George Washington and James Madison never had any biological children, but they each had a problem child stepson. We explore the lives of the "voluptuous" Jacky Custis and the debauchery enthusiast John Payne Todd and how they affected their famous stepfathers and mothers. Sources: My original (and unfairly harsh) article about Jacky Custis: George Washington's Disappointing Stepson (https://www.ploddingthroughthepresidents.com/2014/01/george-washingtons-stepson-was.html) Letters between Jonathan Boucher and George Washington (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-08-02-0095) - Founders OnlineLetter from James Madison to John Payne Todd (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/04-03-02-0660) - Founders OnlineThe Bad Boy: Payne Todd (https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-bad-boy) by William SealePayne Todd: Prodigal Son (https://web.archive.org/web/20100531093925/http://www.jmu.edu/madison/center/Payne.pdf)You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington (https://amzn.to/2TcW6FF) by Alexis CoeDolley Madison's Son Payne Todd: The Final Blow (https://featherfoster.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/dolley-madisons-son-payne-todd-the-final-blow/) by Feather SchwartzMrs. James Madison: The Incomparable Dolley (https://amzn.to/3a3YvcE) by Ethel Stephens Arnett Show notes and sources at plodpod.com Join our Patreon family at https://www.patreon.com/ploddingthroughthepresidents for exclusive bonus content!

Plodding Through The Presidents