Hi everyone. I'm John Haggardorne, and welcome to Found in the Footnotes.

Amazing history in 5 to 10 minute sound bites. Now ready to be discovered every Wednesday at 4 p.m. Easter time, right here at 1001 Heroes.

Another gem rises to the surface, and our story begins.

History is full of powerful people with strange habits. Some collected art. Some wrote obsessively in journals.

Some surrounded themselves with animals. But there was one high-level American politician, one of the most influential figures in U.S. history,

who owned something that would one day cause absolute chaos at his own funeral.

Not a rival, not a scandal, not a speech gone wrong, but a parrot.

And not just any parrot, a parrot that knew how to curse.

This man rose from nothing to the highest office in the land.

He was feared by enemies, adored by supporters, and known for a

temper that could clear a room. He'd fought duels, challenged Congress, reshaped the presidency,

and left a legacy that still sparks debate today. And sitting quietly in his home,

listening to everything, was a bird named Paul. The parrot belonged to a man who

lived loudly. He argued loudly. He fought loudly. He governed loudly. He believed in strength,

loyalty, and never backing down.

He rewarded friends and crushed enemies.

He swore often, swore bluntly, and rarely softened his language for anyone,

which brings us back to the parrot.

Parrot Paul lived in close quarters with this man and his household for years,

and parrots, as it turns out,

are excellent students of human behavior. They don't just mimic words. They absorb tone,

emotion, intent, and Paul learned very well. By the time this politician's health began to fail, Paul had developed a vocabulary that would make even hard and men uncomfortable.

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