America's Monuments | The Mansion of the King | 5

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2021

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Few historic residences are more synonymous with their owners than Graceland. Purchased by Elvis Presley in 1957, the stately Memphis mansion was the heart of his private world and his most prized possession. He always swore he’d never sell it.

But after Elvis’s sudden and tragic death, Graceland faced an uncertain future. It would take a risky move by his ex-wife Priscilla to save the mansion and secure its place as a lasting monument to one of America’s greatest musical icons.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music,
0:05.6	download the app today.
0:09.4	Imagine its March 1957, a chilly morning in Memphis, Tennessee.
0:22.9	You and your husband Vernon are examining the empty living room of a grand but dilapidated
0:27.4	mansion in the city's White Haven district.
0:30.1	The place has seen better days, but underneath the dust and cobwebs it's beautiful, or
0:34.8	eight crown moldings, a massive white marble hearth.
0:38.7	But Vernon looks unimpressed.
0:40.5	No, I can't believe he's even considering the place.
0:43.6	He asked us to find a big colonial on some acreage and this fits the bill.
0:48.0	There's a nice little bar now back.
0:49.8	I could have my goats and chickens again.
0:52.0	Don't need a whole bar for that.
0:53.4	You could have your animals on a decent spread any place.
0:56.6	Your son is with the realtor, looking the place over.
1:00.8	He said for years that he would buy you and Vernon the finest home.
1:04.8	And maybe this place isn't the finest, but you can see its potential.
1:08.6	Oh, come on Vernon, it's got lots of room for kin to come and stay.
1:12.7	He could raise a family here, entertain his friends in a proper fashion.
1:16.7	Entertaining people is all he thinks about.
1:18.5	I don't know how many times I've got to say it.
1:20.5	It's just not sensible to buy a house that's going to cost as much to fix up as it costs
	...

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