History is often found in letters, diaries, government records and dusty old documents.

And sometimes, apparently, it’s found in pants.

While listening to Nathan Philbrick’s Travels with George, I learned a wonderfully unnecessary bit of American history: George Washington had very large thighs. According to Philbrick, Washington spent so much of his life on horseback that he developed the powerful legs necessary to keep himself firmly in the saddle. His surviving clothing reflects it.

Then there’s James Madison.

Madison’s trousers reportedly suggest that, while Washington was built through years in the saddle, Madison had a rather large backside. Plagued by health problems throughout his life, Madison spent considerably more time sitting at his desk.

So there you have it: two Founding Fathers, two very different physiques, and historical evidence preserved in their pants.

I think we should sit with that a minute.