But now, thanks to porn king Larry Flynt, we can read all the sordid details because according to him, the lives of the nation's past presidents were governed by sex.
In his new book One Nation under Sex, he takes an up-close-and-personal look at the sex lives of the Founding Fathers and beyond.
He told The Daily Beast: 'There’s been a lot left out of history books, and we wanted to be more inclusive. For 35 years I’ve been exposing corrupt politicians, and I wanted to know if our Founding Fathers had the same follies or not.'
Some of the things Flynt reveals in his book are how Ben Franklin helped save the American Revolution by seducing French women, that Dolley Madison slept around, and James Buchanan's gay love affair with a slave owner was a boon for secessionists.
He also claims that Abe Lincoln liked to share beds with men and Eleanor Roosevelt's lesbian affairs helped her become a crusader for equal rights. He also talks about the sexual prowess of Bill Clinton and JFK.
Speaking of his book, Flynt said: 'Don't get me wrong - I'm the first person to defend a philandering president if he can still balance the budget. But I think discretion should play a part in it.'
Flynt teamed up with Columbia University lecturer David Eisenbach to write his book, in order to give it some credibility.
He said: 'I knew no one would read a historical book by a pornographer so I brought him in for the credibility.'
Eisenbach said that many academics scorn books written for public consumption and certainly those dealing with sex lives, 'so I knew this wouldn't help my career,' he admits. 'But there's more to life than tenure.'
Some of the things Flynt reveals in his book are how Ben Franklin helped save the American Revolution by seducing French women, that Dolley Madison slept around, and James Buchanan's gay love affair with a slave owner was a boon for secessionists.
He also claims that Abe Lincoln liked to share beds with men and Eleanor Roosevelt's lesbian affairs helped her become a crusader for equal rights. He also talks about the sexual prowess of Bill Clinton and JFK.
Speaking of his book, Flynt said: 'Don't get me wrong - I'm the first person to defend a philandering president if he can still balance the budget. But I think discretion should play a part in it.'
Flynt teamed up with Columbia University lecturer David Eisenbach to write his book, in order to give it some credibility.
He said: 'I knew no one would read a historical book by a pornographer so I brought him in for the credibility.'
Eisenbach said that many academics scorn books written for public consumption and certainly those dealing with sex lives, 'so I knew this wouldn't help my career,' he admits. 'But there's more to life than tenure.'
Flynt, who survived an assassination attempt in 1978, is paralysed from the waist down and has spent the last 30 years in a wheelchair.
He has recently invested his time in gathering dirt on potential candidates for the 2012 presidency and is seen as a thorn in the side of hypocritical lawmakers and a supporter of sexual freedom for all.
Most see him as nothing but a pedlar of porn for his Hustler empire which is the leading producer of X-rated DVDS and magazines.
He also owns a chain of strip clubs throughout the country.
According to MSNBC, Flynt and Eisenbach say they were disappointed that historians have mostly whitewashed the Founding Fathers when it comes to spreading the word about their personal exploits.
They researched and sourced the material over several years from sources including the National Archives, the Woodrow Wilson papers at Princeton, and the Roosevelt and other presidential libraries.
Some of the things that Flynt unearthed particularly irritated him.
He has recently invested his time in gathering dirt on potential candidates for the 2012 presidency and is seen as a thorn in the side of hypocritical lawmakers and a supporter of sexual freedom for all.
Most see him as nothing but a pedlar of porn for his Hustler empire which is the leading producer of X-rated DVDS and magazines.
He also owns a chain of strip clubs throughout the country.
According to MSNBC, Flynt and Eisenbach say they were disappointed that historians have mostly whitewashed the Founding Fathers when it comes to spreading the word about their personal exploits.
They researched and sourced the material over several years from sources including the National Archives, the Woodrow Wilson papers at Princeton, and the Roosevelt and other presidential libraries.
Some of the things that Flynt unearthed particularly irritated him.
He said: 'I think Jefferson was like the Energizer Bunny with more than just Sally Hemmings if you know what I mean. Historians have stayed clear of anything that might be unsavoury about the guy who drafted the Constitution.'
According to the Daily Beast, Flynt was also surprised to discover that Buchanan had a gay lover yet supported slavery.
He said: 'You'd think he'd identify with oppressed people but he was a staunch segregationist.'
Eisenbach said that 2012 presidential candidates should not rest easy in the hope that the book has taken over all of Flynt's spare time.
He said: 'He has kind of held back a bit, but as we get closer to the election there will be more revelations forthcoming.
'Let's just say, for example, that if you are making a big stand against gays in the military or gays marrying, you'd better have a clean bill of health on your own marriage vows.'
Flynt will begin the book tour this month but said he has his eye very much on the next election cycle: 'For more than 30 years, we've established ourselves as people who pay for information, and we are constantly looking for and getting it.
'There's some people I've had my eye on for a long time in the Senate and Congress and eventually things will materialize.
'We focus on all of them, but the conservative Republicans make it so easy, they've got so much baggage.'
According to the Daily Beast, Flynt was also surprised to discover that Buchanan had a gay lover yet supported slavery.
He said: 'You'd think he'd identify with oppressed people but he was a staunch segregationist.'
Eisenbach said that 2012 presidential candidates should not rest easy in the hope that the book has taken over all of Flynt's spare time.
He said: 'He has kind of held back a bit, but as we get closer to the election there will be more revelations forthcoming.
'Let's just say, for example, that if you are making a big stand against gays in the military or gays marrying, you'd better have a clean bill of health on your own marriage vows.'
Flynt will begin the book tour this month but said he has his eye very much on the next election cycle: 'For more than 30 years, we've established ourselves as people who pay for information, and we are constantly looking for and getting it.
'There's some people I've had my eye on for a long time in the Senate and Congress and eventually things will materialize.
'We focus on all of them, but the conservative Republicans make it so easy, they've got so much baggage.'
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