History Fix

I've decided to release this mini fix episodes to the masses and I hope my Patreon subscribers won't mind sharing. This story has gone almost completely untold for far too long and the lessons it teaches are too important to ignore any longer. If you enjoy listening this week, I hope you'll consider subscribing to the Patreon where you'll find tons of other exclusive mini fix episodes plus other bonus content and regular episodes 2 days early and ad free. Now, let's dive into the world of Edenton, North Carolina, 1774, a world that appears to be run by an elite group of wealthy white men. When we take a closer look though, they aren't as in charge as they think they are. So who really runs the show? In this story, they'll finally step out of the shadows in a big way and sign their names to prove it. 

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Sources:

• North Carolina History Project "Edenton Tea Party"
• National Women's History Museum "Penelope Barker"
• Wikipedia "Edenton Tea Party"

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Tea has a long and rich history dating back to ancient China. But, when you think about where in the world they drink the most tea now, one country in particular probably comes to mind. It does for me anyway: England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, whatever you want to call it. Those guys. They really do love a cuppa tea. Tea is notably absent, for the most part, however, in the United States where coffee reigns supreme. I mean, we have some ice tea drinkers here in the south and you may have a cup of hot tea every now and then, especially in the winter time. But there is no arguing that tea is anywhere near as popular as coffee in the United States. Why? Well, to answer that question we have to go back over 250 years to a time when revolution was brewing and tea was not. Let’s fix that. 

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• Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
• Buy some merch
• Buy Me a Coffee
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Sources: 

• UK Tea and Infusions Association "History of Tea"
• UK Tea and Infusions Association "The Boston Tea Party"
• BBC "Spilling the tea on Brits' love of tea"
• American Battlefield Trust "Tea: Brewing a Revolution"

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In this whirlwind mini we’re going to talk about 7 historical figures who were at least probably gay. A few of these were definitely gay or at least bisexual. For some we’ll never know for sure, we can only speculate. But, you know, why does it matter? Some might be wondering. Why does the sexual orientation of long dead people even matter? Because in many of these examples, these are highly respected and revered historical figures and to be represented in history as impressive, capable, accomplished movers and shakers like this, to be recognized throughout history where they’ve always been hidden, is a big deal for LGBTQ+ advocacy and awareness and the ongoing fight for equality. And that’s what Pride Month is all about.

Sources

• Wikipedia “Sappho”
• Wikipedia “Alexander the Great”
• Wikipedia “Leonardo da Vinci”
• Wikipedia “James VI and I”
• Wikipedia "Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben”
• Wikipedia “Oscar Wilde”
• Wikipedia “Alan Turing”

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Since 2021 Juneteenth National Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States. But what exactly is the significance of that date, June 19th? Is that when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, freeing enslaved people in Confederate States? Is it when the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in all of the states? Nope. Let's get to the bottom of what happened on June 19, 1865 and why it led to a new national holiday some 150 years later. 

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• Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
• Buy some merch
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine

Sources: 

• University of South Florida at Saint Petersburg "Juneteenth: the complicated history, significance and celebration around the struggle for freedom"
• National Museum of African American History and Culture "The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth"
• History.com "What is Juneteenth?"

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After researching the Galloway Hoard last week, which was discovered by a metal detectorist in 2014, I found myself wondering what other treasures have been found this way. So this week I present to you 6 priceless historical treasures that were unearthed by amateur metal detector enthusiasts almost exclusively in the UK. We'll also discuss why that is... the UK thing!

Sources:

• British Museum “Buried treasure: top 10 finds” 
• United States Gold Bureau “10 Most Valuable Treasures Ever Found”
• Wikipedia “Grouville Hoard”
• The Guardian “Mystery of Jersey’s huge iron age hoard may have been solved”

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Come explore the Galloway Hoard with me, a Viking era treasure hoard found buried beneath a field in Galloway, Scotland back in 2014. Silver Viking arm bands, a rock crystal jar dating back to ancient Rome, a silver vessel from 4,000 miles away in present day Iran - these treasures hidden around the year 900 are incredible. But, upon closer inspection, they raise more questions than answers. Is this actually Viking treasure? Arm bands are very Viking. But then why do they have inscriptions on them written in Anglo-Saxon runes, a form of Old English? Why is there a Christian cross? Reference to a Bishop? And what does the mysterious inscription "DIS IS IIGNA F" mean? We'll uncover all of this and more to reveal a tumultuous time in an ever changing world. 

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• Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
• Buy some merch
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine

Sources:

• National Museums Scotland "Discover the Galloway Hoard"
• Smithsonian Magazine "A Proposed Translation Hints at the Origins of the Mysterious Galloway Hoard"
• NorthLink Ferries "The Galloway Hoard - an interview with Martin Goldberg"
• Wikipedia "Galloway Hoard"

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In the early morning hours of January 30, 1889 Crown Prince Rudolf, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, murdered his 17 year old mistress and then took his own life at his hunting lodge in Mayerling, Austria. The details of this apparent murder suicide were pretty straightforward. But, in the confusion that followed, much was done to cover up the details of what actually happened. Evidence was covered up, misinformation was spread, and medical records were falsified. In the end, a seemingly cut and dry murder suicide was twisted into a complete mystery. That is, until 2015 when a hand written letter was discovered inside of a brown leather folder in a safety deposit box in Vienna. Let’s fix that. 

Sources: 

• The History Blog “Mary Vetsera’s Suicide Notes Found in Vienna Bank”
• Wikipedia “Mayerling Incident”
• Czech Center Houston Museum “The Mayerling Incident”
• Encyclopedia Britannica “Archduke Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria”
• Wikimedia Commons “Mayerling Final Letter”

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This week we're delving into the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, on June 28, 1914. This death was especially significant because it's often cited as the catalyst that started World War I. But that's never really made sense to me. Why would the death of this one man compel over 100 countries to involve themselves in the most horrific war the world had ever known, the Great War? Let's fix that. 

Support the show! 

• Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
• Buy some merch
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine

Sources: 

• History.com "The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand"
• Norwich University "Six Causes of World War I"
• The National WWI Museum and Memorial "June 28, 1914"

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I have to talk about sweating sickness. For some reason it has always completely fascinated me. What was this mysterious and highly deadly illness that plagued mostly just the upper class in England during the Tudor dynasty? Why such a specific and unlikely target victim? Why did it go away just as suddenly as it appeared? Join me to examine the evidence and the theories and let me know in the comments... what do you think sweating sickness was?

Sources:

• https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/opinion/just-what-was-english-sweating-sickness
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3917436/ 
• https://www.healthdisgroup.us/articles/GJIDCR-11-163.php 
• https://www.britannica.com/science/sweating-sickness

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Absinthe, a pale green drink consisting of mostly alcohol and small amounts of wormwood oil, has only recently been legalized in much of the western world after a nearly century long ban. Everyone knows the myths about absinthe - that it causes hallucinations, that it'll make you go crazy. They banned it for a reason after all right? It's powerful, dangerous stuff which, in many ways, makes it all the more alluring to the masses. But what if I told you that thujone, the psychoactive chemical found in wormwood, doesn't cause hallucinations at all? That the degeneration and "poisoning of the population" blamed entirely on absinthe at the turn of the 20th century was much likely to have been caused by the near 70% alcohol it contained? So why was absinthe really banned? Who turned the "green fairy" into the "green demon?" Let's fix that. 

Support the show! 

• Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
• Buy some merch
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine

Sources: 

• Distillations Magazine "The Devil in a Little Green Bottle: A History of Absinthe"
• Healthline "Does Absinthe Really Make You Hallucinate?"
• Alandia "Absinthe History: From invention to ban and re-legalization"
• Food52 "The Folklore-Filled History of Absinthe"

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