How Sex Changed the World

From Americas earliest days, sex has shaped and defined our country. From the Puritan "mandatory sex" rule for married couples to Ben Franklins racy newspapers and even car design, these are the stories behind Americas sex pioneers.

From Ancient Rome to Washington DC and everywhere in-between, discover how the world changes when powerful people shamelessly shatter boundaries and break rules. In this episode, a Roman empress turns to prostitution for fun, the Marquis de Sade gains a big reputation and President Lyndon Johnson flaunts his manhood.

These are the surprisingly true stories about how the sex lives of the powerful have shaken up history: from Warren G. Hardings days as a playboy, to one womens time in a princes modern day harem, to Rasputins legendary status as a ladies man and the potential trigger point for the Russian Revolution.

Nothing unleashes sex like war–after all, if you were going to die tomorrow, what would you want to do tonight? From Ancient Roman battalions to seductive spies to how soldiers spent their down time in the Civil War and even how porn was used as part of strategy for victory in WWII, discover how sex has decided wars and changed the world.

Sex is one of the most powerful human needs and many people have tried to harness its power for their own gain. But those attempts often backfire. From Jack Parsons, an American rocket scientist who thought he could harness the power of sex, to Thomas Jeffersons attempt to trap Alexander Hamilton in an affair, find out what happens when basic instincts back fire.