It’s October 19th. This day in 1974, Kanawha County, West Virginia is embroiled in an increasingly violent battle over a slate of new textbooks being added to the local school curriculum. Over the course of a few weeks, there would be shootings, bombings, conspiracies to attack school buses full of children, and more. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the textbook battle got so out of control, what it says about the rise of backlash politics, and echoes to today’s violent political discourse. T...
Oct 19, 2021•23 min
It’s October 17th. This day in 1860, in the run-up to the next month’s presidential election, Abraham Lincoln received a letter from an 11-year-old girl urging him to grow a beard and improve his prospects. Jody, NIki, and Kellie read from the incredibly charming exchange between Lincoln and Grace Bedell of Westfield, NY. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you ...
Oct 17, 2021•18 min
It’s October 14th. This day in 1976, President Ford invited cameras into the White House as he got his vaccination for the influenza strain that was commonly referred to as “swine flu.” It was part of a big effort from the White House to avoid a health disaster — a pandemic that never actually came to pass. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Dr. James Hamblin to talk about the swine flu response, whether political factors played into the administration’s response, and the parallels to the curr...
Oct 14, 2021•27 min
It’s October 12th. This day in 1992, Ross Perot joined Bill Clinton and incumbent George HW Bush on stage for the first three-person debate in modern presidential election history. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Perot’s candidacy, how he was able to destabilize both Clinton and Bush on stage — and whether he was actually a “spoiler” in that election. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and a...
Oct 12, 2021•16 min
It’s October 10th. This day in 1957, Ghanaian finance minister Komla Gbedemah was refused service at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Delaware. The incident led to an apology from president Eisenhower and a meeting at the White House, which paved the way for American investment in a major infrastructure project in Ghana. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the incident, how American racism effected the U.S. standing on the global stage, and the rise of economic colonialism. This Day In Esoteric Polit...
Oct 10, 2021•14 min
It’s October 7th. This day in 2016, the Washington Post published excerpts of a tape of Donald Trump talking to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about how he commits sexual assault. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. to talk about the impact of that tape, the way the Trump campaign quickly reacted by arranging for the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails, and other memories of that moment. Check out Roy on tour this fall, and listen to “The Run,” the p...
Oct 07, 2021•27 min
It’s October 5th. This day in 1987, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork to a full senate vote — with the recommendation that he be struck down. Later that month, after an incredibly contentious hearing, Bork would be denied a seat on the court. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes to talk about what is misremembered regarding the Bork fight — and how “borking” lives on in conservative legal circles. This Day In Esote...
Oct 05, 2021•25 min
It’s October 3rd. This day in 1976, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz hands in his resignation after a media firestorm over racist comments he made on an airplane in front of Pat Boone, Sonny Bono, and former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Butz’s very baroque form of racism, and what to make of the argument that there’s no connection between what someone says in private and who they really are. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radi...
Oct 03, 2021•14 min
It’s September 30th. This day in 2006, Florida Congressman Mark Foley resigned after inappropriate messages he’d sent to underage congressional pages were made public. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how rumors about Foley’s behavior persisted for years before the scandal broke, and how this story has so many of the hallmarks of future scandals. Plus, why Foley has still been able to maintain his standing within the Florida GOP. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotop...
Sep 30, 2021•17 min
It’s September 28th. This day in 1864, in the midst of the civil war and the run-up to the election of 1864, the notable spiritualist Emma Hardinge Britten gave a series of lectures in support of Lincoln's reelection. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Britten transitioned into politics and the rise of spiritualism in the midst of national tragedy. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and awa...
Sep 28, 2021•16 min
It’s September 26th. This day in 1977, a Chicago alderman offered a $1 bounty to every one of his constituents who presented him with a severed rat tail. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how bad the rat problem got in Chicago in other cities throughout the 1970s, and how rodent infestations reflect larger questions of local government and services. Plus: everyone shares their most traumatizing rat stories. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your suppor...
Sep 26, 2021•20 min
It’s September 23rd. This day in 1906, racialized mob violence broke out in Atlanta, GA, as part of a growing post-Reconstruction wave of violence and rioting around the country. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the familiar mix of factors that led to the rioting — but also how these events are uniquely Atlanta. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to supp...
Sep 23, 2021•19 min
It’s September 21st. This day in 2011, President Obama repealed the Clinton-era policy of “don’t ask don’t tell,” regarding openly gay military service members. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the repeal took almost twenty years, and the push and pull between cultural shifts and policy change. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show d...
Sep 21, 2021•16 min
It’s September 19th. This day in 1952, during a trip abroad, the U.S. attorney general announced an inquiry into whether Chaplin would be allowed to return to the country. He would stay in Europe for the next 20 years. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how Chaplin’s political views evolved, and how he was caught up in red scare fears during the 1940s and 50s. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts...
Sep 19, 2021•19 min
It’s September 16th. Or is it? We recently got an email from a listener asking us which calendar we are using when we discuss episodes prior to 1752. Jody, Niki, and Kellie look at the switchover from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar that took place in the mid-1700s, how it got politicized, and how it continues to lead to mass confusion. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winn...
Sep 16, 2021•13 min
It’s September 14th. This day in 1971, the Attica Prison uprising was coming to a close. Over the prior four days, a massive riot had rocked the facility, killing dozens of prisoners and guards. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Heather Thompson to discuss how the story of Attica has been manipulated through the years — from the very first moments — and what lessons there are for prison reform today. Heather Thompson’s book is called Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and ...
Sep 14, 2021•29 min
It’s September 12th. This day in 1857, the SS Central America, a ship loaded with 30,000 pounds of gold, sank to the bottom of the ocean in a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina. Jody, Niki and Kellie discuss the ship’s sinking and how the loss of the gold destabilized the world economy and may have even had implications for the civil war. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-...
Sep 12, 2021•16 min
It’s September 9th. This day in 1987, former Colorado Senator Gary Hart gave an interview on Nightline where he, finally, admitted that he’d been unfaithful to his wife. But it was too little, too late. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Matt Bai, author of “The Frontrunner,” to discuss the infidelity scandal that brought down Hart’s campaign, and changed political journalism forever. Matt’s book was also turned into the movie “The Frontrunner” starring Hugh Jackman. This Day In Esoteric Polit...
Sep 09, 2021•28 min
It’s September 7th. This day in 1901, President William McKinley is in Buffalo, NY when he is shot twice in the chest. He would succumb to the injury a few weeks later. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss McKinley’s assassination and how it came at a moment when the nature of the presidency and American politics were shifting radically. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning storie...
Sep 07, 2021•16 min
It’s September 5th. This day in 1991, members of the group ACT UP erected a giant yellow condom over the home of North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms to protest his stance on AIDS research and awareness. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the stunt, why Helms was a target, and just how you go about removing a two-story condom. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you w...
Sep 05, 2021•18 min
It’s September 2nd. This day in 2005, Cindy Sheehan embarks on a tour around the country to protest the Iraq War, where her son Casey had died the prior year. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Sheehan’s protests, the “Camp Casey” encampment she established outside of George W. Bush’s Texas ranch, and how public opinion around a number of issues was starting to shift in late 2005. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, ...
Sep 02, 2021•19 min
It’s August 31st. This day in 1942, a judge upholds the arrest of a Japanese-American man named Fred Korematsu. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Korematsu tried to resist the detention of Japanese-Americans in the wake of Pearl Harbor, and the legal battles that broke out after the Roosevelt administration moved hundreds of thousands of people to concentration camps along the west coast. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster ...
Aug 31, 2021•17 min
It’s August 29th. This day in 1984, NASA and the Reagan administration announced a “Teacher in Space” program intended to find one American teacher who would join a shuttle mission. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the program to reinvigorate interest in space travel, some of the criticism it received — and the tragic conclusion two years later with the Challenger explosion. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, arti...
Aug 29, 2021•17 min
It’s August 26th. This day in 1814, the small town of Brookeville, MD becomes the Capitol of the United States — for one night. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Brookeville became the seat of government amidst the chaos of the War of 1812. Plus, a bonus conversation about another story on this day, from 1970 — the bombing of a research facility at the University of Wisconsin. Thanks to Ana and Chris, the listeners who wrote in to suggest these two stories! This Day In Esoteric Political Histor...
Aug 26, 2021•17 min
It’s August 24th. This day in 1921, tensions are mounting in southwestern West Virginia, where some 10-15,000 miners are going on strike to protest working and economic conditions. Eventually, this would lead to a violent showdown with the mining companies, local police, and federal forces — including bombs dropped from airplanes on the protesters. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Anna Sale, West Virginia native and host of the podcast “Death, Sex & Money” to discuss the Battle of Blair ...
Aug 24, 2021•17 min
It’s August 22nd. This day in 1831, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner is leading a rebellion in Southampton, Virginia — what would become perhaps the most famous slave revolt in the Antebellum South. But there’s a hidden story. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky to discuss how it was the larger community in Southampton, particularly women, who made the rebellion possible. Vanessa is the author of Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in ...
Aug 22, 2021•19 min
It’s August 19th. This day in 1791, Benjamin Banneker sent an advance copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson. Along with the almanac, he included a letter pleading with Jefferson to recognize slavery as a moral wrong. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Banneker’s enlightenment-era appeal, Jefferson’s reaction, and how the correspondence between the two helped galvanize the abolitionist movement. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps fost...
Aug 19, 2021•19 min
It’s August 17th. This day in 1915, a Jewish man by the name of Leo Frank was kidnapped from jail and hanged by a mob in Marietta, Georgia. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the incident helped galvanize a resurgent Ku Klux Klan, and how much anti-Semitism should be part of the story of lynchings and mob violence in the early part of the 20th century. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and...
Aug 17, 2021•19 min
It’s August 15th. This episode, we discuss three notable events from this day in 1977: a young woman’s protest over the pledge of allegiance; a scramble for photos of Elvis’s dead body; and possible alien contact. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin, host of the new series “One Year.” He has an episode devoted to these three events, and the series as a whole takes a look at why 1977 was such a consequential and interesting year. You can listen to “One Year” from Slate right n...
Aug 15, 2021•28 min
It’s August 12th. This day in 1892, Lizzie Borden is arrested for the murder of her father and step-mother, accused of hacking them to death with an axe in a gruesome murder that caused a media sensation. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the story of Lizzie Borden has continued to fascinate Americans, from articles to movies and podcasts, right up through the present — and what that says about our obsession with true crime. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichist...
Aug 12, 2021•13 min
