What impact did the philosophical writings of Thomas Jefferson have on Vietnamese independence leader Hồ Chí Minh? How would Jefferson, a slave-owner and Francophile, have counseled Hồ in dealing with French colonizers? And would they have bonded over a love of pastries?

After this episode, History Improv’ed will be taking a hiatus but we’ll be back with more great topics and improvised anachronisms. So stay subscribed and stay tuned!

Links To Further Yer Book-Learnin’

Hồ Chí Minh, born Nguyễn Sinh Cung (1890–1969), was a Vietnamese communist revolutionary, nationalist, and politician. His leadership was challenged at times, but all his rivals eventually cried Uncle.

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, Founding Father, and a wee bit of a hypocrite. You know, that whole all men are created equal but having over 600 slaves himself thing. Even expert podcast guests aren't quite sure how to handle those teaching moments.

Sarah "Sally" Hemings (1773–1835) was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson, whom she met in France at 14 as the servant of his daughter. Sally only agreed to return to Virginia and resume her life in slavery if she would get special privileges and all their children would be freed when they came of age. In that society, Hemings actually would've been seen as a sly negotiator.

Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911-2013) served as Hồ’s military counterpart during Vietnam’s struggles and continued to be active in its policies and politics well into the 21st century. He literally wrote the book on guerilla warfare in his country. Enduring a long life full of personal loss, he had an axe to grind with the French.

The Vietnam conflict can be traced directly back to the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. Hồ’s letter to the powers that be at the Paris Peace Conference was ignored. Even Jefferson’s words probably couldn’t have reached those tone-deaf ears.

Not to be deterred, Hồ typed another letter some 27 years later to US President Harry Truman arguing for independence. Once again he was ignored. Keeping the caps lock on apparently didn’t make a difference.

Bánh mì started as the baguette introduced to the region by France during their colonization, and was then modified slightly to accommodate fixings that would transform it into the bánh mì sandwich that we know and love today. Adding jalapeños was definitely not a French idea.

Trent reports on Western North Carolina from the HIMU (History Improv'ed Mobile Unit). In a land brimming with U.S. Civil War history, will he share some interesting local trivia? Will it be history-focused? Is this because Episode 8 of History Improv'ed isn't ready? Spoiler alert: Ummm, yes, no, and yes.

What role did US President Richard Nixon play in the Watergate burglary and illegal wiretaps? What were the burglars hoping to find? And were the people who labeled this stuff ‘Dirty Tricks’ and ‘Deep Throat’ moonlighting as pimps?

Links To Further Yer Book-Learnin’

Despite saying he was “not a crook”, President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) was the only president to ever resign the presidency. His party had stopped supporting him after his criminal acts were revealed. Huh. Imagine that.

G. Gordon Liddy (1930–2021) was a lawyer, FBI agent, and criminal convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping for his role in the Watergate scandal. But the man did know how to rock a mustache. He could have hidden the microfilm in there.

Everette Howard Hunt Jr. (1918– 2007) was a CIA man and author who became one of the “White House plumbers” who identified government leaks to outsiders. But these plumbers got Nixon in deep, um, sewage.

John Newton Mitchell (1913–1988) was the 67th Attorney General of the United States under Nixon. A convicted felon and a terrible husband, he was perhaps most memorably portrayed on stage by frequent History Improv’ed guest Matt Roberto.

Robert “Bob” Upshur Woodward (1943-) is an American journalist who teamed up with Carl Milton Bernstein (1944-) to expose the Watergate burglary and its cover-up by all the president’s men. They really should write a book about that.

William Mark Felt Sr. (1913–2008) was an FBI officer and the most famous anonymous source for Watergate investigative reporters. Washington Post editor Howard Simons gave Felt the pseudonym Deep Throat in 1974, after a 1972 porn movie. No word on whether Simons hoped to parlay his Washington Post gig into a career at MAD Magazine.