Mastodons and 'Murica, with Lauren Vogelbaum, Part Two: A Grudge Match with the French
Summary
This episode continues the saga of Thomas Jefferson’s feud with Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, detailing Jefferson’s attempt to prove American wildlife’s grandeur by sending a decaying moose corpse to Paris. The discussion shifts to Charles Willson Peale’s mastodon excavation and Georges Cuvier’s groundbreaking work establishing the reality of extinction. Finally, the hosts explore Cotton Mather’s adoption of smallpox inoculation from an enslaved man named Onesimus, highlighting overlooked contributions to early American science.
Topics discussed
Intro and Ad Breaks
Jefferson's Moose Gift to Buffon
Ad Breaks and Transition
Early Fossil Assemblies and Mammoths
Cuvier, Mastodons, and Extinction
Ad Breaks
Lord Cornbury and Smallpox Inoculation
Jefferson's Fossil Obsession and Politics
Guest's Other Podcasts and Socials
Outro, Credits, and Final Ads
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