Stuff You Missed in History Class

In 2017, the show covered the fears, prejudices and societal issues that drove the eugenics movement in the U.S., which focused on identifying, sequestering and even sterilizing people who were deemed to be "unfit." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about the way that the eugenics movement pops up almost any time there's research into late 19th and early 20th century figures. They also discuss the nature of chicken and dumplings in their experience. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eliza Fenning worked as a cook in a London household until she found herself in the middle of a poisoning accusation. Her controversial trial brought the bias of the 19th-century British criminal justice system into focus.  Research: “Circumstantial Evidence.” The Abilene Gazette. June 23, 1876. https://www.newspapers.com/image/367010505/?terms=eliza%20fenning&match=1 Hempel, Sarah. “The Inher...

Ellen Swallow Richards was a big part of the establishment of home economics as a field.  But well before that, she broke a lot of ground and was often way ahead of her time. Research: Bettex, Morgan. “A life filled with firsts.” MIT News. 1/26/2011. https://news.mit.edu/2011/timeline-richards-0126 Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ellen Swallow Richards". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Nov....

In 2016, Secretary of Education Dr. John B. King Jr. joined Tracy to discuss the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which gave rebelling states 100 days to return to the Union or have their enslaved population freed during the U.S. Civil War. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about the ways enslaved people found to push back against their enslavement. They then examine the animal welfare aspect of Old Rip’s story.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Old Rip was a reptile with quite a legend. Some people believed that he survived a 31-year entombment in a courthouse cornerstone, and he became celebrity, even gaining an audience with President Calvin Coolidge. But was it all a hoax? Research: “Toad Alive After 31 Years Sealed in Texas Cornerstone.” New York Times. Feb, 20, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/20/91477181....

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 Yo...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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/ Lam...

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.”...

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.

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.

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/A70...

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_melpu...

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.

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.

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. “Mann...

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/4...

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.

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.

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-stradivar...