George Washington - most of you know him as America’s first president, Revolutionary War hero, founding father, face of the one dollar bill, chopped down a cherry tree, wooden teeth, real man’s man if you know what I mean. I think that’s all most people know or think they know about him. But the cherry tree thing, that never happened. The wooden teeth? They weren’t made of wood. I don’t think many people actually know George Washington’s story - who he was, what he did, what his life was like, the good, the bad, the truth. Let’s fix that. 

Sources: 

• Encyclopedia Britannica "George Washington"
• Mount Vernon "George Washington"
• Encyclopedia Virginia "George Washington and Slavery"
• The Atlantic "George Washington Was a Master of Deception"
• Cracked "14 Highly Uncomfortable Facts About George Washington"
• JSTOR "Were George Washington's Teeth Taken From Enslaved People?"
• Mount Vernon "Cherry Tree Myth"
• Mount Vernon "George Washington, Spymaster"

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This episode is all about inventions, techniques, and resources that have been lost or forgotten throughout the ages. From ancient construction techniques to puzzling inventions like the Antikythera mechanism, Greek Fire, and the Archimedes Heat Ray, I'll try to unravel the mysteries of the past and get to the bottom of how advanced technology becomes lost to the ages.  

Sources: 

• Listverse "10 Ancient Technologies We Cannot Recreate Today"
• Smithsonian Magazine "Why the Pantheon Hasn't Crumbled"
• MIT "Archimedes Death Ray: Idea Feasibility Testing" 
• Scientific American "An Ancient Greek Astronomical Calculation Machine Reveals New Secrets"
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute "Antikythera Shipwreck"
• nachi.org "The History of Concrete"
• Encyclopedia Britannica "Greek Fire"
• Purdue University "Damascus Steel"
• Ancient Origins "Unravelling the mystery behind the megalithic stone walls of Saksaywaman"
• The Archaeologist "An Unbreakable Story: The Lost Roman Invention of Flexible Glass"
• BBC "The Mystery of the Lost Roman Herb" 
• University of Texas at San Antonio Press "Controlling Their Bodies: Ancient Roman Women and Contraceptives" 
• worldhistory.org "Silphium"

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Join the Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope were American paleontologists during the second half of the 19th century. Although they started as friends, they soon turned bitter enemies, competing against one another for 20 years to find and name the most fossils. This duel, often dubbed the “bone wars” led to espionage, sabotage, scandal, backstabbing, name calling, bribery, theft, and the throwing of literal rocks. It also led to a lot of mistakes made in haste. But, at the end of the day, it led to the discovery of 130 dinosaur species including Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Allosaurus, Apatosaurus (AKA Brontosaurus… I'll explain in the episode!), and more. Check out this week’s episode of History Fix to learn more, wherever you get your podcasts (or link in bio).

Sources: 

• PBS American Experience "O.C. Marsh and E.D. Cope: A Rivalry"
• Encyclopedia Britannica "George Peabody"
• BBC "The bitter dinosaur feud at the heart of paleontology"
• ThoughtCo "The 20-Year Bone Wars That Changed History"
• WTTW "The Two Paleontologists Who Had a Bone to Pick With Each Other"
• Berkeley University "Early Dinosaur Discoveries in North America"
• Mental Floss "Edward Drinker Cope and the Story of the Paleontologist's Wandering Skull"

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I recently stumbled across a photograph of Confederate president Jefferson Davis with his family. He is sitting on the porch of his Mississippi home bouncing his granddaughter on his knee while a Black woman stands behind him in a servants uniform. I was somewhat shocked to learn that this photo was taken in 1885... 20 years after the Civil War. Davis had been the president of the Confederacy. He had waged war on the United States, a war that cost the lives of 700,000 Americans. He had committed the highest form of  treason. And yet, here he was, relaxing on his porch as if nothing had changed. Join me this week to uncover what happened. Why weren't Confederate leaders punished for their crimes? What repercussions has that had? What precedent did it set? And how it's all affecting us now much more than you probably realize!

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Sources:

• https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/the-trial-of-jefferson-davis-cancelled-february-15-1869.htm
• https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/historian-explores-how-civil-war-northerners-reconciled-treason-leniency/ 
• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/post-war-lives 
• https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth 
• https://jeffersondavis.rice.edu/about-jefferson-davis 
• https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis 
• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/12/11/what-happened-when-the-us-failed-to-proseute-an-ex-president 

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This week, as promised, I welcomed special guest Lori Davis, host of Her Half of History podcast. Join Lori and me as we chat about the unknown history of laundry. Find out just what has made laundry a complete nightmare throughout pretty much all of history and why few people today are even aware of this millennia old struggle. 

For more, check out the Her Half of History podcast episode about laundry, "Wash on Monday" and connect with Lori on Instagram @herhalfofhistory  

Sources:

• Miss Beecher's Housekeeper and Healthkeeper

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Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar has a bad reputation, to say the least. Few biographical sources exist about her but they all make their opinions well known in the titles alone: "Ranavalona I: Reign of Terror,” “Female Caligula: Ranavalona the Mad Queen of Madagascar,” “The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar.” But, I see reason to question this reputation. Was Ranavalona really a bloodthirsty tyrant or was she simply a powerful woman determined to put a stop to European imperialism at a time when history was recorded almost exclusively by European imperialists. You be the judge! 

Sources: 

• Here Half of History podcast with Lori Davis
• Medium "The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar"
• Mada Magazine "Ranavalona's I Reign of Terror"
• teamqueens.org "Ranavalona I"
• US Department of State "Madagascar"
• Smithsonian Magazine "The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen"
• CNN "Famadihana, Madagascar, a sacred ritual unearths the dead"
• Carolina Plantation "Rice History"
• Harvard Library "Tropical Diseases and the Construction of the Panama Canal"
• womeninexploration.com "Ida Laura Pfeiffer"

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Join me as I explore the Nazca lines of Peru, one of the most enduring historical mysteries. We'll talk about the Nazca people including all of the juicy details... like pooping in people's mouths? Yeah. We'll also explore some of the prevailing theories as to why the Nazca put so much effort into etching these gigantic lines, shapes, and pictures into the desert floor, everything from solar calendars to ancient aliens. 

Sources: 

• worldhistory.org "Nazca Civilization"
• British Museum "Who Were the Nasca?"
• National Geographic "Why the Nazca lines are among Peru's greatest mysteries"
• Applied Sciences "Astronomical Investigation to Verify the Calendar Theory of the Nazca Lines"
• The Los Angeles Times "Remembering archaeologist Maria Reiche..."
• Discover Magazine "The Nasca Lines Solution"
• UMASS "The Nazca Lines Project"
• Johan Reinhard "The Nazca Lines"
• Nazca Lines Tour "Nazca Lines Theories"
• Wikipedia "Erich von Daniken"

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PLEASE SHARE! This is the tell all story of how fluoroquinolone antibiotics led to disabling and potentially permanent side effects for my previously healthy 32 year old husband. Since taking Cipro in March of 2021, Joey has suffered from non-stop chronic pain,  weakness, and joint and muscle injuries that do not heal. This particular class of antibiotics is dangerously overprescribed despite coming with an FDA black box warning that they should only be used as a last resort. Doctors do not take it seriously, but you should! This information might literally save your life.

If you listened to this week's episode on the history of antibiotics, than you've already heard this! I wanted to put this information in a shorter, more digestible chunk that's easy to share.

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This week, I'll delve into the surprising history of antibiotics. You'll learn how penicillin was discovered by accident and how its development was helped along by a moldy cantaloupe from a Peoria, Illinois farmers market. I'll also uncover how it went on to act as a secret weapon, helping the allied forces to victory during World War II. Plus I'm going to get real personal to share the tell all story of why my husband is physically disabled and suffering from chronic pain at the age of 35 from taking a particular type of antibiotic. This is not easy to share, but I need to warn you. It may very well save your life. 

Sources: 

• The Microbiology Society "The History of Antibiotics"
• National Library of Medicine "The Treasure Called Antibiotics"
• National Library of Medicine "Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek: Master of Fleas and Father of Microbiology"
• National Library of Medicine "A Brief History of the Antibiotics Era"
• PBS "The real story behind penicillin"
• Live Science "What is penicillin, and how was it discovered?"
• healthychildren.org "The History of Antibiotics"
• World Health Organization "Global child deaths reach historic low in 2022 - UN report"
• Harvard Library "Germ Theory"
• USDA "The Enduring Mystery of Moldy Mary"
• HistoryNet "Penicillin: Wonder Drug of WWII" 
• The Atlantic "What Americans Don't Know About Their Medications"
• FDA "FDA updates warnings for oral and injectable fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to disabling side affects"
• American Chemical Society "Discovery and Development of Penicillin"
• MN Department of Health "About MRSA"

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This week I tell the stories of 9 feral children found surviving alone in the wilderness. Some even appear to have been cared for by wild animals - wolves, bears, dogs, and monkeys. Most walked on all fours, ate raw meat, and could only communicate in grunts, growls, and "wild cries." Some would never gain the ability to speak, burying their backstories in mystery to this day. Feral children have always fascinated us. Legends and myths are full of them - Romulus and Remus, Valentine and Orson, Amphion and Zethos, Moses, Oedipus, Mowgli. In examining these stories, an overarching theme emerges, one that forces us to re-examine what it means to be "civilized."

Sources: 

• BBC History Magazine "Raised by wolves: the history of feral children"
• History.com "6 Famous Wild Children From History"
• "Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children" reprinted in The Guardian
• India Today "During the last century, nearly 50 cases of wolf children reported in India
• History Collection "10 Stories of Feral Children You Won't Find in Your History Books"
• University of Cambridge "The adventures of Sir Kinelm Digby: 17th century pirate, philosopher, and foodie"
• History Uncovered "Dina Sanichar"
• Daily Mail "Man raised by pack of stray dogs..."

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