History Shorts
Dive into the past with award-winning historian Peter Zablocki in this captivating daily podcast! Uncover hidden stories you never knew existed. And don't miss Friday Conversations where Peter teams up with top experts for riveting, in-depth discussions that bring history to life.
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The Failed Lincoln Assassinations
08/13/2025
The Failed Lincoln Assassinations
Apart from the bullet that claimed his life in April of 1865, at least two other times during his life, Lincoln found himself the target of gunfire. Though these earlier incidents did not result in death or even injury, they foreshadowed the dangers he would face as a president presiding over a divided and combustible nation. These lesser-known episodes of near assassination paint a fuller picture of a man who, long before martyrdom, walked with death on his heels. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Sex, STDs, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition
08/12/2025
Sex, STDs, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition
The epic journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the uncharted American West has long been celebrated as one of the most remarkable feats of exploration in U.S. history. But beneath the heroic narrative of adventure and scientific discovery lies a more uncomfortable, yet historically vital reality: venereal disease—particularly syphilis—was a constant and deeply disruptive problem for the men of the expedition. It was a hidden affliction that not only shaped individual fates but also reflected the broader medical, social, and sexual dynamics of early 19th-century America. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Circuit Judges of the American West
08/11/2025
Circuit Judges of the American West
The frontier was a land of promise and peril, wide, unsettled, and often lawless. In this space between civilization and wilderness, one figure became both symbol and servant of order: the circuit judge. Mounted on horseback and armed with little more than a Bible, a law book, and an unshakable belief in justice, these roving magistrates brought the authority of the courts to some of the most remote corners of early America. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Conversations: Was Charles Sumner the most important Civil Rights Leader of the 19th Century, w/ Zaakir Tameez
08/10/2025
Conversations: Was Charles Sumner the most important Civil Rights Leader of the 19th Century, w/ Zaakir Tameez
In this compelling episode of History Shorts, we’re joined by scholar and author Zaakir Tameez to discuss his new book, Charles Sumner: The Conscience of a Nation. Tameez sheds new light on the life and legacy of one of America’s most uncompromising abolitionists and moral voices during the 19th century, a man whose fierce opposition to slavery, eloquent speeches, and refusal to compromise would leave a permanent mark on American democracy. From the infamous caning on the Senate floor to his complex relationships with Lincoln and Reconstruction, Tameez repositions Sumner not just as a historical figure but as a moral force whose vision of equality still echoes today. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: BUY ZAAKIR'S BOOK: EPISODE SPONSOR: THIS WEEK'S THE COLLECTOR.COM'S ARTICLE SELECTION:
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Lincoln's Forgotten Vice President
08/09/2025
Lincoln's Forgotten Vice President
In 1860, as the nation teetered on the brink of civil war, the Republican Party crafted a ticket designed to bridge the divides of a fractured Union. Abraham Lincoln, a self‑taught prairie lawyer from Illinois, needed balance, someone seasoned, staunchly anti‑slavery, and from the East. The choice was not the man that you likely remember that became the president after Lincoln’s assassination, that was the second term vice president. I am talking about Hannibal Hamlin, a former Jacksonian Democrat turned radical abolitionist from Maine. Though relatively unknown to the public, Hamlin brought moral clarity and political weight to the ticket. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Conversations: The American women who flew in World War II, w/ Becky Aikman
08/08/2025
Conversations: The American women who flew in World War II, w/ Becky Aikman
Before America officially entered World War II, a group of daring young American women made history, only to be forgotten by it. In this episode, author Becky Aikman joins History Shorts to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Spitfires: The American Women Pilots Who Flew for Britain in World War II. Aikman takes us behind the scenes of her five-year journey uncovering the thrilling, heartbreaking, and near-unbelievable stories of the 25 American women who joined Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary, flying combat aircraft across war zones—before they were even allowed to do so in their own country. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: BUY BECKY'S BOOK: EPISODE SPONSOR: THIS WEEK'S THE COLLECTOR.COM'S ARTICLE SELECTION:
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Tsar Nicholas' Forbidden Love for a Ballerina
08/07/2025
Tsar Nicholas' Forbidden Love for a Ballerina
In the glittering court of imperial St. Petersburg, amid opulent balls and the orchestral sweep of Wagner and Tchaikovsky, a forbidden romance once stirred hearts and defied decorum. The man destined to become Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas Alexandrovich, found himself irresistibly drawn to a ballerina who moved like a goddess on stage and held his fate in her poised grasp. Mathilde Kschessinska, the enchanting Prima Ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre, captivated more than audiences; she captured a Tsarevich - or did she? DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Great Train Robbery of 1963
08/06/2025
The Great Train Robbery of 1963
On August 8, 1963, just after 3 a.m., the quiet Buckinghamshire countryside was electrified by one of the most daring heists in British history. A Royal Mail train hurtling down the West Coast Main Line was stopped at a signal deliberately manipulated by a meticulously planned gang drifting in blue boiler suits. In under twenty minutes, they had ripped open sacks of cash, bundles worth £2.6 million, ransacked the train, and vanished into the night. This was not a robbery; it was a feat of criminal spectacle that gripped the nation, inspired lasting legends, and fundamentally changed both policing and crime in post-war Britain. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Search for Cleopatra's Tomb
08/05/2025
The Search for Cleopatra's Tomb
Few names from antiquity evoke the same mystique, glamour, and controversy as Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. A queen both revered and reviled across centuries of historical retellings, she has been cast variously as a seductive manipulator, a brilliant political strategist, a tragic lover, and an ambitious ruler who dared to challenge Rome’s expanding grip. Yet for all the drama and detail surrounding her life, Cleopatra’s final resting place remains one of the great archaeological mysteries of the ancient world. Despite centuries of speculation and modern expeditions, her tomb has never been found. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Vatican's WWII Spy Network
08/04/2025
The Vatican's WWII Spy Network
When it comes to the shadowy world of World War II espionage, the Vatican might seem an unlikely player. After all, enclosed behind the ancient walls of the Holy See, the spiritual heart of Roman Catholicism maintained an image of neutrality and detachment. Yet beneath the marble floors and hushed halls of the Vatican, a hidden war raged; a covert struggle fought not with weapons, but with whispers, parchment, and secret meetings. Behind the public façade of impartiality, Pope Pius XII and a tight network of clergy, diplomats, and lay operatives orchestrated one of the most elusive and complex intelligence webs in wartime Europe: the Vatican’s secret spy network. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Conversations: How Habsburgs Transformed Europe, w/ Martyn Rady
08/03/2025
Conversations: How Habsburgs Transformed Europe, w/ Martyn Rady
In this captivating episode, we sit down with Dr. Martyn Rady, a renowned British historian and preeminent expert on Central Europe, to unravel the layered legacies of the Habsburg Empire. From his early love of history (sparked by history-teacher parents) to the surprising global reach of Habsburg rule, Rady brings both wit and wisdom to the mic. We explore how the Habsburgs’ dynastic empire spanned continents, managed competing national identities, and enacted tens of thousands of edicts, some so obscure they were never published. Dr. Rady challenges common perceptions of empire and unpacks the misunderstood resilience of Central Europe, shaped by Roman law, warfare, and religious authority. He also previews his next project on the empires and borderlands of Eastern Europe, including insights into the volatile histories of Ukraine and the Balkans. Whether you're fascinated by the mechanics of imperial power or the bureaucratic absurdities of fish-measuring decrees, this is a must-listen. Highlights: Why the Habsburgs were more than just a European dynasty What makes 1526 a turning point in Central European identity How Roman law reshaped monarchy, morality, and governance How World War I obliterated centuries of imperial stability The bureaucratic excesses of the 18th century and their bizarre legal decrees The legacy of Charlemagne and the ideological roots of "empire" Why Dr. Rady regrets not becoming a historian of the Canary Islands! Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. It helps other history lovers find the show! SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: BUY EPISODE SPONSOR: Peter's This Week's Top Picks from The Collector:
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The Black Hole of Calcutta
08/02/2025
The Black Hole of Calcutta
In this episode, we dive into one of the most infamous events in British colonial history, the Black Hole of Calcutta. On the night of June 20, 1756, a small, overcrowded prison cell became the site of a horrific tragedy. Join us as we explore the grim events leading to the Black Hole’s creation, the impact on British colonial rule in India, and its enduring legacy in the history of empire and imperialism. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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TODAY IN CONTEXT: A.I. - Mankind's Dream Dating Back Thousands of Years
08/01/2025
TODAY IN CONTEXT: A.I. - Mankind's Dream Dating Back Thousands of Years
In this episode of TODAY IN CONTEXT, we trace the remarkable history of artificial intelligence, from its roots in ancient myth to its rapid rise in the digital age. Long before the first line of code was written, humans imagined machines that could think, speak, and serve. Join us as we explore how legends like Hephaestus’ golden servants and the Golem of Prague evolved into mechanical calculators, logic engines, and the birth of the modern computer. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY PODCAST REPUBLIC:
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Conversations: Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, w/ Brittlestar
08/01/2025
Conversations: Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, w/ Brittlestar
In this episode, we’re joined by Stewart Reynolds, better known as Brittlestar, Canada’s beloved "Internet’s Favourite Dad" and a viral comedian who’s now turned author. His new book, Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism, is part satire, part self-help, and part political commentary, with an important underlying message: pay attention to how history repeats itself... but do so with claws out and humor intact. Blending the aloof wisdom of cats with the warning signs of creeping authoritarianism, Brittlestar delivers a funny yet sobering look at how ordinary people can resist control, misinformation, and the slow erosion of truth, all while refusing to give up their independence or nap time. We dive into how comedy can be a weapon of resistance, what we can learn from the behaviors of our feline friends, and why the threat of fascism isn’t just in the past, it’s at the door. This is an episode that will make you laugh, think, and maybe even reevaluate your cat’s suspicious behavior. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE COLLECTOR: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: THIS WEEK'S THE COLLECTOR ARTICLE SELECTION
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Dr. Crippen - The Second Jack the Ripper?
07/31/2025
Dr. Crippen - The Second Jack the Ripper?
In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most notorious criminal cases of the early 20th century, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, the American homeopath who was convicted and executed for the murder of his wife, Cora. With elements of an illicit affair, a dismembered body, and a high-stakes transatlantic chase, this case had it all. But over a century later, some still question the fairness of the investigation and trial. Could Dr. Crippen have been wrongfully convicted? Join us as we examine the sensational case that remains a subject of intense debate. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Solidarity Movement
07/30/2025
The Solidarity Movement
In this episode, we explore one of the most pivotal moments in the decline of communism in Eastern Europe: the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland. Born from the struggle of workers in Gdańsk, this labor union evolved into a political force that not only helped topple communism in Poland but also inspired movements across the globe. Join us as we take a deep dive into how Solidarity became a symbol of hope and defiance against the iron grip of Soviet-backed totalitarianism. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Could the SS Californian Have Saved the Titanic?
07/29/2025
Could the SS Californian Have Saved the Titanic?
In this episode, we explore one of the most haunting "what if" scenarios in maritime history: Could the SS Californian have saved the Titanic on that fateful night in April 1912? We dive into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and the role of the Californian, a ship that was close to the Titanic but failed to respond in time. Join us as we investigate the chilling possibilities of what might have happened if the two ships had communicated or acted differently. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Trojan War
07/28/2025
Trojan War
Join us as we delve into one of history's most enduring legends, the Trojan War. From the mythical beauty of Helen of Troy to the cunning strategy of Odysseus, this episode explores the intersection of myth and reality in the ancient conflict that shaped the Greek world. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Beast of New Orleans
07/27/2025
The Beast of New Orleans
In 1862, as Union troops occupied the Confederate stronghold of New Orleans, a new kind of warfare began, not one of bullets and bayonets, but of politics, psychology, and raw power. At the center stood Major General Benjamin Butler, a man whose mere name inspired terror and loathing across the South and even drew embarrassment among Northern allies. Branded the “Beast,” the “Butcher of New Orleans,” and “Spoons Butler,” his brief but incendiary tenure in New Orleans became one of the most controversial chapters of the Civil War. From his infamous General Order No. 28, which enraged women and diplomats alike, to his military trials, press censorship, executions, and alleged looting of the city’s wealth, Butler ruled with a combination of iron-fisted control and political theater. But was he a tyrant or a tactician? Did he save New Orleans from chaos, or humiliate it into submission? In this episode, we unpack the many faces of Benjamin Butler: reformer and opportunist, conqueror and governor, villain and visionary. His story is a study in how war is fought not just with weapons, but with symbols, policies, and power plays. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Debs Runs for President... from Jail
07/26/2025
Debs Runs for President... from Jail
In one of the most astonishing chapters in American political history, Eugene V. Debs, a fiery labor leader, devout democratic socialist, and perennial presidential candidate, ran for President of the United States from a federal prison cell in 1920. And nearly a million Americans voted for him. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Conversations: Lessons from the Renaissance, w/ Ross King
07/25/2025
Conversations: Lessons from the Renaissance, w/ Ross King
In this illuminating episode of History Shorts, Peter welcomes acclaimed historian and author Ross King, the bestselling writer behind Brunelleschi's Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, Leonardo and the Last Supper, and most recently, The Shortest History of Italy. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ross shares what drew him to Renaissance Florence and 19th-century France, and why these moments of artistic revolution continue to resonate centuries later. Ross reveals how the Renaissance wasn’t about rejecting the past, but rather reimagining it. We explore how timeless works of art, from Michelangelo's David to Leonardo's Last Supper, emerged from painstaking craftsmanship, cultural rebirth, and sometimes, even personal failure. He also discusses the loss and preservation of art through time, including how Michelangelo’s work narrowly escaped destruction during WWII. And we look ahead at his next book: The Shortest History of Ancient Rome. Highlights: What it takes to create something truly timeless How the Renaissance redefined beauty, proportion, and harmony The legacy and downfall of illuminated manuscripts in the wake of the printing press How Vespasiano da Bisticci, the "bookseller of Florence," helped fuel the Renaissance The dangers of misinformation, from Gutenberg to Google Behind the scenes of writing a 3,000-year history in under 250 pages SUBSCRIBE, LEAVE A REVIEW, OR A RATING! SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: BUY EPISODE SPONSOR: Peter's This Week's Top Picks from The Collector:
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Kent State
07/24/2025
Kent State
May 4, 1970, an ordinary spring day turned tragic at Kent State University. What began as a student protest against the Vietnam War ended in horror, as the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed students, killing four and wounding nine. The Kent State shooting became a national flashpoint, forever altering the conversation about civil liberties, state power, and the cost of dissent. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Secret Plot to Kill Jefferson Davis
07/23/2025
Secret Plot to Kill Jefferson Davis
In the final throes of the Civil War, a chilling discovery near Richmond sent shockwaves through both Union and Confederate camps. On the body of a slain young Union officer—Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, Confederate soldiers found secret papers allegedly ordering the assassination of Jefferson Davis and the burning of Richmond. If authentic, these “Dahlgren Papers” represented one of the most explosive assassination plots in U.S. military history. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Legend of Jesse James
07/22/2025
The Legend of Jesse James
To some, Jesse James was a gallant outlaw, a populist folk hero who struck back at greedy railroads and corrupt institutions, sharing his loot with poor farmers in a manner befitting a prairie Robin Hood. To others, he was a cold-blooded murderer, a Confederate guerrilla who never let go of the Civil War and who cloaked his crimes in politics and self-righteousness. The truth, as always, lies somewhere between legend and ledger. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Killing Sitting Bull
07/22/2025
Killing Sitting Bull
Before dawn on December 15, 1890, a gunshot rang out on the Standing Rock Reservation, and Sitting Bull, the legendary Lakota chief, was dead. His assassination, carried out by Native police under U.S. government orders, marked not just the end of a man but the symbolic death of Native resistance on the Northern Plains. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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The Shame of Benedict Arnold
07/21/2025
The Shame of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold: the name alone still echoes with betrayal. But behind the infamous label of “traitor” lies a story that’s far more complex, and far more human. Once hailed as a hero of the American Revolution, Arnold’s fall from grace was not a sudden plunge, but a slow unraveling of pride, frustration, ambition, and perceived injustice. In this episode of History Shorts, we explore the dramatic arc of Benedict Arnold’s life, from his fearless leadership at Quebec and Saratoga to his covert dealings with the British and ultimate defection. Was Arnold merely a villain, or was he a brilliant, wounded patriot who felt abandoned by the cause he once gave everything to defend? You’ve heard the name. Now hear the story. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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War Crimes Trial of Andersonville's H. Wirtz (Civil War True Crime)
07/20/2025
War Crimes Trial of Andersonville's H. Wirtz (Civil War True Crime)
On a cold November morning in 1865, just months after the Civil War’s end, a Confederate officer stood on the gallows in Washington, D.C. His name was Henry Wirz, the former commandant of the notorious Andersonville prison camp, a place of such suffering that it shocked even a war-weary nation. By the time the rope snapped his neck, over 13,000 Union prisoners had died under his watch, and the war’s first war crimes trial had delivered its judgment. But was Wirz a sadistic killer, or a scapegoat for a shattered Confederacy? This episode revisits one of the most chilling and consequential stories of the Civil War, tracing Wirz’s life from Swiss immigrant to Confederate warden, and exploring the horrific conditions at Andersonville: starvation, disease, torture, and death on an industrial scale. We explore the murky line between duty and cruelty, the drama of Wirz’s military tribunal, and the legal, moral, and political legacy of his controversial execution. It’s a story of justice, vengeance, and the high cost of moral reckoning after a war that tore a nation apart. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Barbed Wire Tames the West
07/19/2025
Barbed Wire Tames the West
Barbed wire began as a humble solution to a humble problem: fencing the vast, treeless expanses of the American West. But this simple invention—two twisted strands studded with sharp steel barbs - would soon change the course of history. From reshaping the American frontier to fueling violence, displacing Indigenous nations, and fencing the battlefields and concentration camps of the 20th century, barbed wire earned its ominous nickname: The Devil’s Rope. In this episode, we trace the dramatic journey of barbed wire, from patent wars and range wars to trench warfare and totalitarian terror. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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Conversations: Everything is Tuberculosis, w/ John Green
07/18/2025
Conversations: Everything is Tuberculosis, w/ John Green
In this thought-provoking episode of History Shorts, bestselling author John Green joins us, not to talk about fiction, but about the real-world epidemic that once shaped everything from art to architecture, medicine to morality. His new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, traces how tuberculosis (TB) didn’t just ravage lungs, it infected our language, our culture, and our sense of beauty and tragedy. Together, we dive into how TB shaped the Romantic era, influenced urban design, gave us the sanatorium and the selfie, and why it became a metaphor for everything from genius to grief. This is not just a conversation about a disease; it’s about how a centuries-long epidemic shaped who we are, how we think, and what we value. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE: THIS WEEK'S COLLECTOR.COM ARTICLE SELECTION:
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Irish Americans Attack Canada
07/17/2025
Irish Americans Attack Canada
Between 1866 and 1871, a secretive Irish-American paramilitary group known as the Fenians launched a series of bizarre and audacious cross-border attacks from the U.S. into Canada. Their mission? To strike at the British Empire by seizing Canadian territory and ransoming it for Irish independence. Though the Fenian Raids failed militarily, they left a surprising legacy—spurring Canadian nationalism, hastening Canadian confederation, and complicating U.S.-British diplomacy. In this episode, we unpack the motives, missteps, and aftermath of one of the strangest invasions in North American history. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: LEARN MORE AT: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: LEARN MORE:
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