Harriet Tubman, righteous heroine Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in the eastern shore region of Maryland in 1822.  Her exact date of birth remains unknown.  Both of her parents were slaves, Harriet (Rit) Green and Ben Ross. The summer of 1859 also brought a resumption of John Brown’s plan for rebellion.  He was already gathering assets in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in anticipation of his planned attack on the Federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.  His … Continue reading Harriet Tubman (Volume 2, Number 2) →

Alexander Hamilton, the Zelig of American military and political history. The circumstances surrounding the birth of Alexander Hamilton are complicated and even when he was born is a matter of dispute.  His mother, Rachel Faucette, was of British and French descent.  His father, James Hamilton was a Scot.  They met on the island of St. Kitts in the British West Indies where James Hamilton was unsuccessfully attempting to build a career trading sugar and other … Continue reading Alexander Hamilton, (Volume 2, Episode 1) →

Francis Scott Key and the National Anthem Key was a prominent lawyer from Frederick, Maryland who, through a sequence of incidents that occurred during the War of 1812, observed one of the most critical episodes in American history. In fact, Ross and Cockburn had decided on a coordinated air and sea attack.  Ross would land his troops at North Point, Maryland at the tip of the Patapsco Neck and make the short fifteen-mile march to … Continue reading Francis Scott Key and The Star Spangled Banner (Volume 1, Podcast 12) →

Amelia Earhart, Lost Heroine Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas.  Although her mother came from a wealthy family, her father was an attorney but also an alcoholic with an erratic work history that lead to an unstable childhood for both Amelia and her sister, Muriel.  Amelia would attend six high schools before graduating from Hyde Park High School in Chicago. Although Amelia dismissed speculation about a global flight, George Putnam … Continue reading Amelia Earhart (Volume 1, podcast 11) →

Paul Gauguin, the Bitterness and the Beauty From his very first days, Gauguin’s life was filled with a volatile instability that must have affected his development.  He was born in Paris on June 7, 1848.  His father, Clovis, was a journalist, his mother, Aline, the daughter of Flora Tristan, a seminal feminist writer of the early nineteenth century.  Aline’s father had been imprisoned for the attempted murder of Flora, an indication of the chaos surrounding … Continue reading Paul Gauguin (Volume 1, Podcast 10) →

Jack Johnson, the Real Deal Jack Johnson was born on March 31, 1878 in Galveston.  Very little can be verified about his early life.  Most historical information about him comes from autobiographies that he published himself.  Had he not gone on to achieve boxing notoriety, both he and his family would have been completely forgotten. By the end of the fourteenth round Jeffries could barely see, his nose was broken and face and upper body … Continue reading Jack Johnson, Heavyweight Champion of the World, (Volume 1, Podcast 9) →

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a Beautiful Madness Wonderful Atlantic Monthly Photo Essay on Ludwig II Ludwig II was born on August 25, 1845.  His father, Maximillian, was then the Crown Prince of Bavaria.  His grandfather, Ludwig I, was the King of Bavaria and a member of the House of Wittlesbach, the ruling dynasty that had governed the Kingdom of Bavaria, for over six hundred years. Upon Maximilian’s death, Ludwig became Ludwig II at the … Continue reading King Ludwig II of Bavaria, (Volume 1, Podcast 8) →

Billie Holiday, Lady Day Sometimes the most remarkable artistic genius can emerge from the humblest of beginnings.  Sarah Julia Harris was born on August 16, 1895 in Baltimore, MD.  Disowned by her father, she was raised by her mother, who ultimately married another man and had two more children.  Like her siblings, Sarah, nicknamed “Sadie”, began working at cleaning jobs at an early age, a lack of education rendered her virtually illiterate.  She was employed … Continue reading Billie Holiday (Volume 1, Podcast 7) →

Edgar Allan Poe: Life Sucks and Then You Die Poe was born Edgar Poe on January 19, 1809, in the city of Boston.  His parents, David and Eliza were actors that travelled a circuit along the Eastern seaboard.  His mother performed a week before his birth and would return again to the Boston stage a month later, which is indicative of the economic stability of Poe’s family.  David Poe had abandoned a career in law … Continue reading Edgar Allan Poe (Volume 1, Podcast 6) →

Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Revolutionary Poster Boy Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina on May 14, 1928.   His upper class parents forged his birth certificate to read June 14 to conceal the fact that Ernesto was conceived out of wedlock.  Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna y Llosa both came from socially well-connected families.  Despite Ernesto Sr.’s attempts at several money-making ventures, the family lived on Celia’s inheritance. On March … Continue reading Ernesto “Che” Guevara (Volume 1, Podcast 5) →