The birth of America. Palaeontology. Oversized dairy products. Believe it or not, there's a connection. Even more bizarre, it shines a new light on the American mindset.

Join me as I delve into Thomas Jefferson's mammoth obsession and a whole load of related topics. Too many related topics, probably. This video started with one fact but I kept digging my own rabbit hole of historical weirdness. Hopefully the end result is fun enough to justify its lack of direction.

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SOURCES

This video began with the story of Jefferson's mammoth obsession described in The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Steve Brusatte. It's an excellent book and has my strongest recommendation. Other sources are given below.

The Louisiana Purchase:
https://www.history.com/topics/westwa...
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...

More on Jefferson, Buffon, American Degeneracy and mammoths:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/5...
https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich...
https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...
https://evolution-outreach.biomedcent...

The mammoth cheese:
https://www.monticello.org/research-e...
https://wiltonhistorical.org/2017/09/...

Stono slaves and the first American mammoth fossils:
https://weeklyhubris.com/slaves-first...

The Haitian Revolution and further context:
http://www.ncsociology.org/torchmagaz...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/wo...

More on Buffon and Lewis and Clark:
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

More on mammoths:
Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures - Dougal Dixon

Fourier and his heat addiction:
The Music of the Primes - Marcus du Sautoy

Kant and American Degeneracy:
https://philarchive.org/archive/LUAKAS

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FOOTAGE

American Flag Blowing in the Wind
JohnSalvatore
https://pixabay.com/videos/american-f...

British Flag waving animated using MIR plug in after effects - free motion graphics
Free Stuff - Motion Graphics // VFX Footage
   • British Flag waving animated using MI...  

explosion with debris - green screen effects - free use
BestGreenScreen
   • explosion with debris - green screen ...  

Flames
Pixabay
https://www.pexels.com/video/flames-8...

Free Green Screen Explosion Effect + Sound Effect (Short Version)
Animated Xtream
   • Free Green Screen Explosion Effect + ...  

Green Screen Fire
iEditHelp
   • Green Screen Fire  

Headbanging in Hurricanes and Getting Arrested on the 4th of July | WTFLORIDA
VICE
   • The Hurricane Slayer | WTFLORIDA  

Ice Age
20th Century Fox
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268380/

Lion Free Stock Video in 4K - Lion Free Stock Footage - Lion no Copyright Videos
PexBell - Free Stock Video Footage
   • Lion Free Stock Video in 4K - Lion Fr...  

Magical poof green screen with sound
Ted That’s me
   • Magical poof green screen with sound  

REALISTIC!!! TOP 9 Water Splash Green Screen - Sound Effect Included || By Green Pedia
GreenPedia
   • REALISTIC!!! TOP 9 Water Splash Green...  

USA Flag Waving American Flag
Jamick
https://pixabay.com/videos/usa-flag-w...

VHS Pause Effect – FREE
MrTEAP’s Gaming
   • VHS Pause Effect - FREE  

Walking With Beasts
BBC Worldwide
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286285/

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MUSIC

A House of Glass
pār (Epidemic Sound)

America F**k Yeah (Team America: World Police Soundtrack)
Trey Parker

Behind the Pyramids
Sight of Wonders (Epidemic Sound)

Cocktail Hour
The Fly Guy Five (Epidemic Sound)

God Save the King
Traditional

Lindy Hop
Vendla (Epidemic Sound)

Penumbra
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech)

Short Stories
Vendla (Epidemic Sound)

The Postman
Kikoru (Epidemic Sound)

The Star-Spangled Banner
Traditional

The Travelling Man
Rich in Rags (Epidemic Sound)

Trans Siberian Express
Luella Green (Epidemic Sound)

Wallace and Gromit Theme
Julian Nott