History Spelunkers

In the thrilling conclusion of our deep dive into the Lincoln Assassination, we focus on the Manhunt for John W. Booth and the other conspirators and their historic trial. Apologies on some of the audio quality for the first couple of minutes and at the very end of of the episode; there were technical difficulties in during editing. Also content warning for description of severe medical wounds. Sh...

Welcome back to another episode of History Spelunkers! In today's episode is part one of our in depth discussion about the Lincoln Assassination, and the surrounding conspiracy leading up to the moment John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger. Shownotes: Episode art: Benn Pitman's print of the assassination conspirators, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Episode music special: "The Ball...

In this episode we revisit the Mormons and discuss how their early history caused a series of schisms which led to the plethora of so-called "Mormon denominations". These include presidential debates, a King of Beaver Island, and massive governmental raids! Shownotes: https://northernmichiganhistory.com/james-strangs-assassination/ https://gtjournal.tadl.org/2015/the-murder-of-james-jesse-...

Happy Halloween! Do you believe in ghosts? Well you aren't alone a lot of people believe that those who have gone on before us occasionally come back to help us on our own journeys. The Victorians Era had a lot of people believing in it, probably because they had people who were able to directly communicate with them. So dive into today's episode to find out what the ghosts were saying. Sh...

Hello one and all! History Spelunkers is back with even more of the niche history content you love. In today's episode we look at a class of animals who have gone above and beyond in serving alongside their humans on the fields of war. While we thank all military animals for their service we wanted to highlight some who's tales were just too incredible to believe were true. Shownotes: Epis...

How many balls could a football foot, if a football could foot balls? In today's episode, (our 50th WOW!!) worlds collide as the jocks and the nerds meld minds and the History Spelunkers becomes a sports podcast. Some of the issues we tackle in our conversation are as follows: How old are different sports? Does it makes sense for the United States to have their own football? Is soccer the bett...

That is the question every man through time has faced. In today's episode we will delve into the social, political, and economic pressures that have influenced whether or not men as a class favor hair on their face throughout history. Shownotes Episode Photo is of President Rutherford Hayes, POTUS with the longest beard, public domain accessed via Wikimedia Commons Sound clip is from an interv...

Happy Holidays, History Spelunkers! What would you do to get your booze on? Well the cadets at the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point are apparently willing to do a lot... Shownotes: Episode art: The centennial of the United States Military academy at West Point, New York. 1802-1902, 1904, Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons https://www.smiths...

Everyone gets up to some crazy stuff in college. For many it is the first time they are experiencing their first bouts of freedom and responsibility. Obviously the first thing we plan on doing with these new powers is to do something .... bizarre, but hey it cant be too weird if we are all doing it .... Right? Content Warning: Animal Abuse Shownotes: https://www.stltoday.com/news/archives/1952-miz...

Content Warning: Racial and Sexual Violence Welcome back to another episode of History Spelunkers. In this episode we learn about the Ku Klux Klan and how they managed to become such a large and influential organization during the 1920s. It is important to know one's enemy in order to fight against them effectively. Shownotes: Episode Art is a photo of a KKK march in Washington D.C. in 1928, p...

Happy Halloween! Welcome back to another spooky episode of History Spelunkers in which we discuss the stories that led us to the modern perception of the most infamous of blood sucking beasties.... the vampire!!! Shownotes: Episode art is a scene from the 1922 film Nosferatu. The Vampyre: A Tale by John Polidori; accessible via Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/6087/6087-h/6087-h....

Hello all, and happy Election Season! 2024 is shapeing up to be one of the most dramatic and consequential year for national elections around the world. In the US many voters have expressed a desire for more options than the two main political parties, and they might be told that "this is how its always been". In this episode, we work to undo that myth and examine the long history of "...

Are you a fan of a nice summer day? How about a cool fall wind? Do you like the look of a light snowfall in your yard? What if you could have whatever you wanted at a moments notice and all you had to do was call your local government? Well what if I told you that thanks to your tax dollars, you just might be able to get a permit for that..... Shownotes: https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-don...

In the Americas the United States is considered the first experiment at non-monarchical rule and democracy. But what if I told you that there might be a group that might've tested the sails of democracy on the high seas? Show Notes: Episode art is a photo of one of the few Jolly Roger flags that we know existed. The photo belongs to Karlsson, Anneli, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/l...

With there being so many states, it understandable that sometimes it would be confusing to know which one you are in. But it gets more confusing when people begin arguing over which state you should be in and are willing to stab you if you disagree with them. Shownotes: Episode art is a map of Ellis Island from the NPS that shows the approximate boundary of the original island https://www.michigan...

Hey yall! This is part two of the Texas Revolution deep dive and in this one we focus on the sister republic of Texas down in Yucatan. Texas might not be as unique in its independence than we like to think... Shownotes: https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2020/03/the-republic-of-yucatan/ https://militaryhistorynow.com/2022/04/28/the-yucatan-republic-how-a-mayan-independence-movement-became-a-sideshow-...

Howdy y'all and welcome back to History Spelunkers. In this episode we discuss the Texas Revolution and all of the convoluted history that led up to it. In this episode yes we do remember the Alamo, it just takes us about a while to get to that point. Shownotes: Episode art is The Fall of the Alamo  by Robert Onderdonk;Public Domain via Wiki Commons https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/...

Almost everyone loves animals. Join us as we go through the list of the famous pets of the POTUS. Now including a surprising number of alligators! Shownotes: Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds Episode Photo is of First Lady Grace Coolidge and her racoon Rebecca; in the public domain through the Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons http...

Aloha everyone! In this episode we travel to the beautiful paradise in the middle of the Pacific know as the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii is one of the few states in these United States that can have the privilege of being their own independent nation. So today's question: why are these islands no longer independent? Shownotes: Episode photo is of the US Sailors and Marines from the USS Boston dur...

Welcome back to the continuation of our tragic tale of one of the most infamous events to ever occur on the high seas: The wreck of the whaleship Essex. Once we finish learning about the fates of these poor souls we go on to examine a variety of related stories. CW: death, murder, and cannibalism... a lot of cannibalism Cover art is a sketch by Thomas Nickerson of the whaleship Essex compared to t...

There she blows! In this episode of the podcast we find ourselves out on the high seas learning about the origins of one of the world's most famous pieces of literature: Herman Melville's Moby Dick . Prepare for a truly wild voyage into the obscure... CW: violence towards animals Shownotes: Opening audio is from the 1956 film edition of Moby Dick staring Gregory Peck and Dir. by John Husto...

Hello History Spelunkers!! Welcome back to a new episode just in time for the most wonderful time of the year. The world can seem like a pretty dark place at times, but there is a magic to this season that brings a bit of joy back into the world. And on some occasions that magic is powerful enough that it truly can bring peace on earth…if only for awhile. Shownotes Donation Links : If you are able...

Saluton! Bonvenon al alia epizodo! No, this is not gibberish you are seeing, this is the wonderful language of Esperanto. This language was invented to change the world and solve world peace! It may not have succeeded yet, but Esperantists would argue it's only a matter of time. Join us as we explore the world's most successful constructed languages and the perils its speakers experienced...

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of History Spelunkers. In today's episode we are going to delve into the question of why time works the way it does and what is the whole deal about daylight savings time. The short answer is that it is all arbitrary and that the pillars of our society will crumble like sand if we think about them for too long. If you want the more detailed an...

Happy Halloween from History Spelunkers! In this year's holiday episode instead of focusing on a monster or two from folklore, we are going to talk about horror movies. And this year we are going to keep things close to home and discuss films set in Texas, starting with one of the most famous horror films of all time: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Content warning! for lots of murder, sexual ass...