Historically High

If you had to compare the ancient Silk Road to something we're all familiar with today, it would be the internet. The Silk Road was a network of travel routes that spanned across Asia through India, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean and all the way to Europe. This route was the main mode of transportation not just for the all the goods (silk being just one of many) being traded 4,000 miles away, but for technology being sourced from different countries, not to mention the ideas and intellectual advancement that spread from those traveling the road. Kings, Khans, and Emperors came and went, countries fell and rose, but the road remained. It's not an exaggeration when we say the world would look much different if not for the Silk Road. 

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We finish off the Big 3 of Ancient Meso/South American civilizations with The Aztecs. Originally hailing from what is now the southern United States, the Mexica would enter the Valley the Mexico to find the place pretty crowded already. The only real spot left was a swampy marshy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Through innovation and engineering they created floating gardens to grow crops and sustain their growing population. 
The island that was once their disadvantage had now help them to grow and become valley's dominant peoples, ruling from their city of Tenochtitlan . Grand palaces, magnificent temples of sacrifice and enormous outdoor markets had the newly arrived Spanish Conquistadors in shock and awe. Well it wasn't long before Hernan Cortez and his Spanish troops started trying to take over the place. Find out what happened to the civilization that Mexico was literally built on. 

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The Berlin Wall is, for most, one of those historical topics you're aware of, but probably don't know a ton about. Well don't freak out because that's what we're here for. Post WW2 Germany was divided into zones with the U.S., U.K. and "France" taking stewardship of West Germany and the Soviet Union taking East Germany. Now this was right at the start of the Cold War,  East Berlin and West Berlin, which were also divided basically become a 24/7, 365 side by side comparison of Western Capitalism vs. Soviet Communism. Things got pretty bad in East Germany and East Berlin as their neighbors to the West thrived with the influx of western culture and that sweet sweet money. Well eventually J. Stalin got fed up with the embarrassment suffered due to the mass exodus of young talented people from East to West and decided to put a stop to that. How did he do it you ask, well he started building a wall. But it was what was happening on the East side of the wall that's really the story. 

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Jim Jones....Jim Jones....what can we say about Jim Jones? Early on young James found he had two things going for him, his newfound love of religion and his ability to memorize sermons and scripture. What started out as lil Jimmy preaching to the other kids in town, took a slight detour in dealing monkeys (not a euphemism) before he finally performed enough bullshit faith healing to start a church of his own. It didn't take long for Jim to find his own brand of religion which if we're being honest here, sounded pretty damn good in the beginning. But then the doomsday dreams started happening, combined with the power that came with being worshipped, and add in some drugs cause why not. Jim did what any sane person would do, he made himself the Messiah, kidnapped a kid, and took a bunch of his followers to the jungles of Guyana, normal shit. Well I wish I could say that was the end of it, but it gets tragic when Jones' god complex results in the death of over 900 people in a mass cult suicide. 

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Everyone take your seats because it is time for the sweet story of Milton Hershey and Hershey Chocolate. Milton grew up needing direction in life which he found in candy making. He started with caramel and failed more than once before eventually becoming the Caramel King of Pennsylvania. That wasn't enough for Milt because he had bigger dreams. From building a town to creating his own sugar distribution in Cuba, Milton Hershey was a fascinating man. Was he kind of a dick? Oh yeah. Did he change the world for quite a few people? You better listen to find out!

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April 19th 1995 was a pretty dark day for the United States and to the people of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in particular. Here in The States if you mention terrorism most people tend to think of the International variety, but domestic terrorism seems to be just as prevalent albeit with usually less of a bang, but not in this instance. Timothy McVeigh was a Gulf War Veteran who became disillusioned with the U.S. Government and decided he needed to send a message. Now he didn't just wake up one morning and decided to blow up a building, this was a slow burn that started in adolescence, slowly becoming radicalized over time. He didn't commit this heinous act on his own either, he had a few friends he would bounce ideas off of and also assist in building his bomb. What transpired left the country shocked and saddened. We've got you covered on the whole story. 

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In 1492 this freakin guy Christopher Columbus took his ass across the ocean blue looking for a western sea route to the lands of Asia and India (which he actually thought were the same place and same people). What transpired saw the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria (Boats and Hoes) sail across the Atlantic, which granted hadn't really been attempted too often, and hit landfall in the Caribbean. Now this clown never set foot on the land that would become the United States, yet we have a city in Ohio, and had a recently renamed National Holiday in his honor. The guy had no idea he wasn't in India which is why Indigenous Peoples got saddled with the Indian moniker for so damn long. So he basically stumbles onto landfall and like a good colonizer it didn't take him long to make the locals life hell... Welcome to the Columbus episode.
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We left off with the shot heard round the world and we ate coming back into Lexington and Concord. While it is sorta known as the opening salvo of the Revolutionary War, it really wasn't. We had to have 2 continental congresses before we decides to declare independence. That is what started the Revolutionary War. A strongly worded letter to a pre-crazy King George III known as the Declaration of Independence. From then on the revolution was on. It didn't start out so hot, but eventually the Continental Army would find their footing under Washington&Co. Along with an assist by the French and Spanish the Colonies won their independence. Join us for part 2 as we get Historically High on The American Revolution.
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By the mid 1700's the British in North America had established 13 colonies and a large population some of which were 2nd or 3rd generation British Americans, having never set foot on the home islands. Being separated from Great Britain by 3,000 miles, taking 6-8 weeks to cross the Atlantic, the colonies began to feel isolated or maybe a little independent (see what I did there) from the King and Parliament. What didn't help make the colonists feel seen was the total lack of any representation in Parliament, meaning the colonies had no say in how they were being governed and how they were being taxed. British appointed Governors oversaw each colony independently, and ensured the will of His Majesty was enforced. Well fast forward to another war with France, this one inadvertently started in North America by a very familiar future American Founding Father. The 7 years war left Britain victorious but financially devastated, Parliament's solution was to tax the colonist, figuring they should start paying their way for Britain's war expenses. Now as you can imagine the Colonists were pissed, understandably so being they didn't have any voice in the matter but at the same time, I mean come on, we kinda started this particular war with France. This Taxation without Representation was just one of many greivances brewing in the colonies, there were a couple situations in Boston, one involving some redcoats firing into a hostile crowd and another involving making a nice spot of tea using the harbor as the kettle. These events and many more culminated in a standoff between British soldiers and Colonial Militia at a little town called Lexington where a "shot heard round the world" changed the course of world history forever. Join us for Part 1 of the American Revolutionary War. 

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Surprise Surprise Prof Chris is taking us back to the Pacific Theater of World War 2. This week were discussing the IJN, the Imperial Japanese Navy from its formation to it's warm up wars against China, Russia, and then China yet again to it's role in pulling the United States into WW2 at Pearl Harbor. We cover how WW1 shaped what Naval Warfare would become in WW2 and why Japan was so dominant in the early years of the conflict. How they were able to construct the world's largest Battleships and Aircraft carriers in secret. How they revolutionized Naval Warfare and ushered in the era dominated by naval air power. And how their reach ended up exceeding their grasp as the war ground on leading to their defeat. Tune as we get High on the High Seas. 

Historically High is sponsored by Flintt's Mouth Watering Mints, purveyors of delicious, drymouth destroying little miracles. Get yours with 15% by using code HISTORICALLYHIGHER at www.Flintt's.com 

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