Hot Mess History Podcast

Margaret Plantagenet was born into a world of royal rivalries, family betrayal, and a throne that was never quite as secure as it seemed. From a father whose ambition ended in a truly bizarre execution, to the mysterious disappearance of two young princes…Maggie’s childhood was anything but ordinary. And just when you think things could not get any messier, her brother Teddy, the only direct famil...

In Part 2 of the Credit Mobilier Scandal, we are tying up the loose ends and looking at the bigger mess that this scandal left behind. The corruption didn’t just disappear when the details came out, and the fallout had a much bigger impact on the nation than you might expect. We’re getting into political corruption, questionable decisions, and just how much damage this scandal did to the American...

Spooky season is here, and we are bringing back one of our most haunting episodes yet! Join us as we revisit the chilling tale of Peter Stumpp, and how he became the man remembered as the "Werewolf of Bedburg". If you’re in the mood for a little history with your Halloween horrors, this one is sure to deliver. --------- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hotmesshistorypod RedBubble: https://www...

In Part 1 of the Credit Mobilier Scandal, we’re heading back to the 1870s to look at how the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad led to one of the biggest political scandals of the Gilded Age. As Sarah and Alora dig into how Credit Mobilier operated and how politicians became involved, they also uncover a surprising local connection to the scandal that makes this story hit a little closer t...

In Part 3 of Helen of [insert city name here], Helen is officially in Troy, and the situation is about to get a whole lot messier. We get into Helen’s arrival in Troy, her reactions to her new life, and how her story has been remembered and retold for the past few thousand years. From the woman behind the myth to the countless versions of her story, we are taking one last look at Helen; a woman wh...

The Black Friday Scandal isn't over yet! In Part 2, we’re picking up where we left off as the scheme to corner the gold market begins to unravel and fall apart. The plan sends Wall Street into a tailspin, putting Ulysses S. Grant’s administration under intense scrutiny. As the fallout spreads, the question becomes just how much the people at the top knew and what would happen once the dust finally...

September 11, 2001 was a day that changed America forever. In this episode, Sarah takes you through the events of that day, from the first moments of the attacks and the chaos that unfolded across the country, to the devastation at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93. Along the way, we’ll talk about some of the notable people whose stories became forever connected to 9...

Ulysses S. Grant had already survived the Civil War and made it all the way to the White House. Surely things couldn’t get much messier…right? In Part 1 of our Black Friday Scandal story, we’re getting into the people closest to Grant and the wild scheme that sent Wall Street into a frenzy. What starts as an attempt to corner the gold market quickly spirals into financial chaos, political connecti...

In Part 2 of Helen of [insert city name here], Helen and Menelaus are married, welcome a child, and settle into life in Sparta…until Paris enters the chat and sends everything spectacularly off the rails. We get into the Judgment of Paris, the goddess drama that set the whole mess in motion, and how a seemingly routine diplomatic visit from Paris quickly turns into the beginning of one of the bigg...

In this episode, Sarah spills the tea on some behind the scenes action, shares the latest podcast updates, and somehow manages to yap about absolutely everything and nothing all at once...including the weather? While there’s no history this week, we’ve made sure to bring the hot mess in abundance. Expect chaos, updates, and plenty of Sarah being....well.....Sarah! Y'all Squad-Weather Disaster Reli...

Helen’s story has been retold for thousands of years, and somehow, she keeps getting reduced to one thing: the beautiful woman who caused the Trojan War. But Helen’s story is far messier than that. In Part 1 of " Helen of [insert city name here]" , we are going all the way back to the beginning...from her unusual birth and tumultuous childhood, to the endless line of suitors vying for her hand in...

The 1920s gave us flappers, jazz, prohibition, and one spectacularly messy political scandal. In this episode, we’re diving into the Teapot Dome Scandal, where secret oil leases, bribery, backroom deals, and government corruption collided at the highest levels of the U.S. government. So how did a little-known oil reserve in Wyoming become the center of one of the biggest political scandals in Amer...

Salvador Dalí is one of the most recognizable artists in history, but there was much more to him than melting clocks and an unforgettable mustache. This week, we dive into the surreal life of the man who blurred the line between genius and spectacle. From his rise in the Surrealist movement to his outrageous publicity stunts, complicated relationships, and lasting influence on art and pop culture,...

While we're taking a quick break to recharge, we wanted to bring back an episode that (we think) deserves another listen. This week, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes...Marguerite Porete: the medieval mystic, author, and free thinker whose unwavering beliefs ultimately led her to the stake. Her story is one of courage, conviction, and the dangers of challenging authority, making it jus...

With The Odyssey making its way back into the spotlight, we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes on one of Greek mythology's most misunderstood women: Clytemnestra. While Odysseus is celebrated as the hero of The Odyssey , Clytemnestra has spent thousands of years cast as a villain. But her story is far more complicated than the legends would have you believe. From unimaginable loss to im...

Florence Nightingale is remembered as the founder of modern nursing, but her story is so much more than a lamp and a battlefield. In this episode, we explore the woman who defied Victorian expectations, transformed healthcare through data and reform, and fought tirelessly to improve the lives of patients and soldiers. From the horrors of the Crimean War to the controversies surrounding her legacy,...

This week, we unravel the conspiracy that brought down Richard Nixon, from the bungled burglary at the Watergate complex to secret recordings, cover ups, investigative journalism, and the slow collapse of one of the most powerful administrations in American history. Along the way, we separate fact from myth, explain why Watergate changed American politics forever, and explore why its legacy still...

This week, Sarah and Alora explore three remarkable stories from antiquity that challenge the way we think about love, identity, and history. They uncover the legendary Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite military unit made up of 150 pairs of male lovers, examine the centuries long debate surrounding Alexander the Great and his closest companion Hephaestion, and tell the heartbreaking story of the Rom...

In honor of Pride Month, we are celebrating Sappho of Lesbos, known as the "gay poet of the ancient world". Sappho wrote with deep passion about her love for women, and her work was adored in her own time. They even put her face on coins while she was alive. Though most of her poetry is lost, the fragments we have still pulse with timeless desire and longing. Join Sarah and Alora as they explore t...

For Pride Month, we're doing something a little different. Instead of diving deep into a single historical figure or event, Sarah and Alora are shining a spotlight on several lesser-known people from history who were likely gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise part of what we'd now call the LGBTQ+ community. Spanning from the Stone Age to the 18th century, this episode explores the lives of poets,...

Step into one of history's most infamous true crime stories as we explore the dark and unsettling world of H. H. Holmes, the man often called America's first serial killer. At the center of the legend is the infamous Murder Castle, a strange building in Chicago that has inspired countless stories of hidden rooms, secret passages, and murder. But how much of the tale is fact, and how much is myth?...

What do you get when you combine a disputed border, a potato patch, and one extremely unfortunate pig? Apparently, an international crisis. In this episode of the Hot Mess History Podcast , Alora drags Sarah into the delightfully ridiculous story of the Pig War of 1859, when the United States and Great Britain came alarmingly close to armed conflict over a pig who was just trying to eat a snack. W...

In the final episode of our Katherine Parr saga, Sarah begins with Katherine’s death and the aftermath that followed. We discuss what happened to Thomas Seymour after Katherine’s passing, the scandal and downfall that consumed him, and how quickly power shifted around the young Edward VI of England. We also dive into the disturbing history of Katherine Parr’s body after her burial at Sudeley Castl...

490 years after her execution, we present an extra special episode spanning all five parts of our Anne Boleyn saga. From her early days at court to her tragic end at the Tower, this episode brings together every chapter of her life into one complete story. Discover how Anne defied a kingdom, gave birth to the future Elizabeth I, and left behind a legacy that continues to fascinate the world nearly...

In part four of our Katherine Parr episodes, we follow Katherine’s life after the death of Henry VIII as she finally reconnects with Thomas Seymour and steps into a new chapter of her life. But freedom from Henry does not mean freedom from chaos. We also discuss the growing tension surrounding the young Elizabeth I of England, the scandal brewing inside Katherine’s household, and the complicated f...