People Will Watch Anything They Can Bet On

Gilded Age Americans were hungry for entertainment and because of this, somehow, the simple hobby of walking captivated the country. So much so that it briefly developed into our national sport and the most gambled-on athletic competition during the Victorian era. Pedestrianism was the name of the game and its athletes were looking to get any performance edge they could -- cocaine -- to cash in on a sweepstakes of insane cash prizes and international fame.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Head to FACTORMEALS.com/softcore50 and use code softcore50 to get 50% off.Add Fitbod to your workout essentials. Join Fitbod today to get your personalized workout plan. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCORE.Visit KalmWithKava.com/softcorehistory and discover a range of flavors designed to soothe your mind and body. Use code SOFTCORE10 at checkout for a special discount on your first order.FOLLOW SOFTCORE HISTORYYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@softcorehistoryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/softcorehistoryRob Foxhttps://www.instagram.com/robfoxthree/https://twitter.com/RobFoxThreehttps://www.tiktok.com/@robfoxthreeDan Regesterhttps://www.instagram.com/danregester/https://twitter.com/dan_regester Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices