Yeah, That Poinsett (re-release)

12/22/21 • 14 min

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In this bonus holiday episode, a re-release from 2020, we explore the consular life of Joel Roberts Poinsett, everyone’s favorite holiday historical figure. Before he went to Mexico, where he “discovered” the flower that now bears his name, Poinsett went all over the world, including to South American as a consul. While he was there, he got involved in quite a lot of activities that didn’t really fit the consular program.

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Hawaii 4-3

Consolation Prize is going true crime! In today's episode, we're going to hear about a murder case that a consul had to do some investigation of. William Hooper had to piece together what happened in the death of Jephtha Jenney, on board the whaleship Nassau in the Pacific Ocean. In his role as consul in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hooper was charged with dealing with crime committed by Americans--and this was a particularly gruesome one. Listen to the story as told through the materials he collected. Find show notes, including full transcripts, at consolationprize.rrchnm.org. Consolation Prize is a podcast of R2 Studios at George Mason University. Support our work at r2studios.org.

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What Is a Consul, Anyway? (re-release)

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In this special bonus episode, we talk with a scholar who studies the history of the US consular service. We answer your questions like, What is a consul? What do they do? What makes them so interesting? Why should we care about consuls?