In this episode of the Bookworm, U-M Professor Gregory Dowd joined us to discuss his book "Groundless: Rumors, Legends, and Hoaxes on the Early American Frontier" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016). Rumor—spread by colonists and Native Americans alike—ran rampant in early America. In "Groundless," Dowd explores why half-truths, deliberate lies, and outrageous legends emerged in the first place, how they grew, and why they were given such credence throughout the New World. Arguing that rumors are part of the objective reality left to us by the past—a kind of fragmentary archival record—he examines how uncertain news became powerful enough to cascade through the centuries. Books and resources discussed in the program are listed at https://conta.cc/3jOU0JL