As a child, Susie King Taylor forged passes so her grandmother could go places in Savanna she otherwise couldn’t. As an adult, she penned the only Civil War memoir known to have been written by a Black woman who was actively involved in the military. Research: Hancock, Kelly. “Lunch & Learn Talk by Kelly Hancock: Susie King Taylor’s Civil War.” The American Civil War Museum. 11/15/2016. Via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=613s3tg_Zlk "Susie King Taylor." Contemporary Black Biography...
Feb 20, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hey, Stuff You Missed In History Class listeners! The newest hit docuseries of another star-studded podcast, The Last Soviet is live. Go check out the beginning of this thrilling journey with Lance Bass, NSync Superstar, and Russian-trained astronaut!” About The Last Soviet: Lance Bass, NSync Superstar, and Russian-trained astronaut takes you on a wild ride into space. He tells the story of the last Soviet cosmonaut who is trapped on the world’s only space station, as the country he knows and lo...
Feb 19, 2023•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2016 episode covers when three escapees from enslavement showed up at a Union position during the U.S. Civil War. The decision of how to handle the situation fell to Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, and his actions led to a situation for which the government was simply not prepared. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 18, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2016 episode covers the aftermath of after a series of earthquakes on the eastern side of the Icelandic island of Heimaey in 1973. As the eruption developed over time, it became more dangerous, and a variety of measures were undertaken to stop the flow of lava. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 11, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly and Tracy talk about Tootsie Rolls used in the military, and Holly's German chocolate cake obsession. They also discuss their relationships with the book "The Velveteen Rabbit" and their childhood fears. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics, but in the middle of the 19th century, it was the leading cause of death in children in some parts of the world. Today, there are several ongoing mysteries about the disease. Research: Branswell, Helen. “Scarlet fever, a disease of yore, is making a comeback in parts of the world.” 11/27/2017. https://www.statnews.com/2017/11/27/scarlet-fever-cases/ Lamagni, Theresa et al. “Resurgence of scarlet fever in England, 2014–16: a population-based surveillan...
Feb 08, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Both of these eponymous foods feature chocolate, but they also both feature some issues with timelines and attribution that need to be unraveled. Research: Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell. “The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History.” History Press. Charleston, S.C. 2009. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/bakerchocolateco00samm/page/80/mode/2up “Celebrating Not-So-German Chocolate Cake.” NPR. All Things Considered. June 23, 2007. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1133...
Feb 06, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2018 episode covers Constance Markievicz, who came from a wealthy Protestant family before making a somewhat surprising transition to become a leader in the Irish Nationalist movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 04, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy tells Holly about Henry de Jouvenel's dislike of Colette's book "Chéri." They also discuss the question marks regarding Maurice and how he felt about various things in the life he and Colette shared. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 03, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part two of Colette's story picks up during her marriage to Henri de Jouvenel through the end of her life. Despite her life's many scandals, by the time she died Colette was regarded as a national icon in France. Research: Roberts, Michele. "Chic lit: The enduring fascination of Colette." TLS. Times Literary Supplement, no. 6220, 17 June 2022, p. 5. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A707876520/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=41de6a9f. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022. Hoeness-Kr...
Feb 01, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Love, passion, desire and pleasure are running themes in Colette's writing and her life. And that life was seen as really scandalous and even notorious, especially in her younger years. Research: Roberts, Michele. "Chic lit: The enduring fascination of Colette." TLS. Times Literary Supplement, no. 6220, 17 June 2022, p. 5. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A707876520/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=41de6a9f. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022. Hoeness-Krupsaw, Susanna. "Colette: O...
Jan 30, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2016 episode covers two inventive brothers who came up with an idea to set humans aloft. The Montgolfiers were among many inventors working toward flight in the 18th century, but they often get all the attention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 28, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly and Tracy talk about Thomas Hancock, and their own experiences with raincoats. Then they discuss the food fad of Fletcherism, and the personality of Fletcher himself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 27, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Horace Fletcher is best known for starting a food fad in that came to be known as Fletcherism. This early 20th century fad involved, in part, chewing your food A LOT. Research: Bauerlein, Mark. "The Correspondence of William James. Vol. 3: William and Henry. 1897-1910." The Henry James Review, vol. 16 no. 1, 1995, p. 115-117. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/hjr.1995.0002. Crowninshield, Francis W. “Manners for the Metropolis: An Entrance Key to the Fantastic Life of the 400.” New York. D. Appleton and...
Jan 25, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Humans have worked on ways to make garments water resistant almost since they started to wear them. But figuring out how to manufacture a raincoat using rubber was a big breakthrough that took centuries. Research: Lennox, Henry G., et al. “Journal of the Society for Arts, Vol. 18, No. 891.” The Journal of the Society of Arts, vol. 18, no. 891, 1869, pp. 79–100. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41334811 Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Charles Macintosh". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 J...
Jan 23, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2014 episode covers Reed’s truly groundbreaking work into the causes and prevention of yellow fever, building on a foundation of other doctors and researchers. His work impacted public health and the American military's ability to work in tropical locations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 21, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about the news that broke just after the start of 2023, and also how Tracy might consider eating roasted watermelon seeds. They also discuss collectors of old denim. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 20, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part two of our Unearthed! wrap up of 2022 covers a potpourri of stuff that didn’t go together, books and letters, edibles and potables, and apparel, including more than one pair of blue jeans. Research: “Chemical clues to the mystery of what’s coating Stradivari’s violins.” 10/25/2022. https://www.acs.org/pressroom/newsreleases/2022/october/chemical-clues-to-the-mystery-of-whats-coating-stradivaris-violins.html Alex, Bridget. “Why Prehistoric Herders Didn’t Spit Out Their Watermelon Seeds.” Smi...
Jan 18, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's time to cover things and stories that were unearthed in the last quarter of 2022. Part one covers a whole bunch of updates, a whole bunch of shipwrecks, and a whole bunch of repatriations. Research: “Chemical clues to the mystery of what’s coating Stradivari’s violins.” 10/25/2022. https://www.acs.org/pressroom/newsreleases/2022/october/chemical-clues-to-the-mystery-of-whats-coating-stradivaris-violins.html Alex, Bridget. “Why Prehistoric Herders Didn’t Spit Out Their Watermelon Seeds.” Smi...
Jan 16, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers an attempt to start a Scottish colony in Panama in the late 1600s. But the expedition faced disease, death and poor trade, taking down the settlers -- and, ultimately, Scotland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 14, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly discuss the difficulty of remembering what topics have and haven’t been covered on the show. They also talk about group dynamics during arduous travel, and the miracle of the Hume and Hovell team’s survival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 13, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Hume and Hovell Expedition of 1824 established some of the earliest knowledge that European colonists had about the interior of the Australian continent. It was also a journey filled with peril, frayed nerves, and bickering. Research: “Hume and Hovell.” State Library New South Wales. https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/hume-and-hovell “THE LATE CAPTAIN HOVELL.” Australian Town and Country Journal. Nov. 13, 1875. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70586936 Watson, Captain J.H. “William ...
Jan 11, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kittie Knox was a cyclist during the bicycle boom of the late 19th century. She was biracial and became known not just for participating in a predominantly white sport, but also for the clothes she wore to do it. Research: Adams, Dan. “Ceremony honors cyclist who broke barriers: Kittie Knox showed pluck on wheels.” Boston Globe. 9/30/2013. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/29/long-forgotten-bicycling-pioneer-who-broke-race-and-gender-barriers-honored/VAtfz0av4PqeHuHLiOw3sI/story.html Bas...
Jan 09, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2013 episode covers Mildred and Patty Hill's song "Good Morning to All," published in 1893. After the tune was paired with the birthday lyrics, its popularity soared and sparked a tremendous copyright battle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 07, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly and Tracy cover some of the details that were cut from the Pulitzer two-parter, including more information about his brother, artist George Luks, and a story of the Pulitzer family's home burning down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 06, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Pulitzer’s later years, he became embroiled in a heated legal battle with the U.S. government after his papers printed allegations that Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft were connected to shady dealings regarding the Panama Canal. Research: “SUPREME COURT ENDS PANAMA LIBEL SUIT.” New York Times. Jan. 3, 1911. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/01/04/104853177.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 Topping, Seymour. “Biography of Joseph Pulitzer.” The Pulitzer Prizes. https://...
Jan 04, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Joseph Pulitzer is one of those pivotal figures in history, and his influence continues right on through today. Part one of this two-parter covers his early life, right up through his rivalry with William Randolph Hearst. Research: “SUPREME COURT ENDS PANAMA LIBEL SUIT.” New York Times. Jan. 3, 1911. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/01/04/104853177.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 Topping, Seymour. “Biography of Joseph Pulitzer.” The Pulitzer Prizes. https://www.pulitzer.org/page...
Jan 02, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2019 episode covers the story of vodka, which is closely tied to cultural identity for several countries. Where did it originate, and how did it evolve over time? We'll talk a bit about how vodka is made, where it came from, and how it's expanded to a global market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 31, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about the movie "White Christmas" and how it has aged. They also discuss collectible sheet music and the idea of there being no definitive version of a song recording. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 30, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast This second part of the story of Irving Berlin’s life picks up after WWI, and covers his family life, his rise to fame, and the controversies that were part of his career. Research: Bergreen, Laurence. “Irving Berlin: This Is the Army.” Prologue. Summer 1996, Vol. 28, No. 2 https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1996/summer/irving-berlin-1 Carlson, Olivia. “What’s White Christmas without Minstrelsy?” Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music. Student Blogs and Libra...
Dec 28, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
