Charles Ponzi's remarkable rise and fall played out over the course of a wild eight month period. He went from being a failed importer-exporter mired in debt to Boston's most talked about self-made millionaire in a matter of weeks. After rebranding his company as the Securities Exchange Company, Ponzi started offering remarkable 50% returns to investors after only 90 days. But almost immediately Ponzi's plan to use postal coupons to game international exchange rates became impractical. But, instead of grabbing as much cash as he could and making a dash, Ponzi believed he could transform his scam into a legitimate business. Was Ponzi ever really serious about going straight? Tune-in and find out how the America's nation menace, Babe Ruth, and guy named Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford all play a role in the story.

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The name Charles Ponzi has become synonymous with financial frauds. In 1920 the formerly obscure Italian immigrant suddenly became one of the most famous men in Boston when his Securities Exchange Company started offering investors remarkable returns. Ponzi claimed that he had discovered an ingenious method of using postal coupons to profit off international exchange rates. However, before the year was out his scheme had totally unraveled. What many Bostonians did not know was that Ponzi was a two-time ex-convict with a history as fraudster. Still, there may have been more to Ponzi than his dishonest reputation would lead you to believe. Ponzi claimed that he was a misunderstood genius. Should we believe him? Tune-in and find out how wasted undergrads, Canadian scammers, and the Hawk Tuah Girl all play a role in the story.

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In this Bonus Episode Sebastian takes questions about the recent series on Buffalo Bill and the Wild West Show. He unpacks Bill's influence on the cowboy hero archetype, dives into the contentious history of scalping, and learns some fun facts about Bill's legacy in Belgium. Tune-in and find out how historical reenactors, P.T Barnum, and questionable mascots all play a role in the story!

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Buffalo Bill's Wild West first started touring outdoor arenas in 1883. What started as a western themed circus soon grew in ambition. In the quest to appeal to respectable middle-class family audiences Buffalo Bill was soon promoting his show as an educational experience. The Wild West was supposedly an authentic exhibition of Western American history and culture. Elaborate historical reenactments became key parts of the program. However, these reenactments were rarely accurate and were often totally fictional. What kind of a story was Buffalo Bill trying to tell about America? Tune-in and find out how tiny sharp-shooters, signed pictures of Sitting Bull, and a bow from Queen Victoria all play a role in the story.

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Buffalo Bill Cody was one of America's great mythmakers. The man born William Cody reinvented himself as the west's greatest rider, scout, and buffalo hunter before taking his schtick to the American stage in the early 1870's. Buffalo Bill would eventually develop his frontiersman act into the Wild West Show, an outdoor exposition that was part circus, part rodeo, and part historical reenactment. Between 1883 and 1913 the show was seen by millions. "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" helped reinforce popular legends about the American West and essentially invented the "western" entertainment genre. The man behind the show was a liar and hum-bug artist in the vein of P.T Barnum. How did Bill's mythical version of the west affect popular understandings of history? Tune-in and find out how 19th century social media influencers, fake duels, and Buffalo Bill's Buffalo Blob all play a roll in story.  

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In this bonus episode Sebastian takes questions about the recent episodes on Thailand's legendary elephant duels and the seafaring Welsh Prince Madoc. The host does his best to pinpoint the "real" last elephant duel and takes questions from a practicing druid. We also hear from a Welsh listener with some fascinating thoughts about the Madoc episode.

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There's a story that in the year 1170 a Prince from Wales, named Madoc, led a group of Welsh colonists over the Atlantic to North America. This group allegedly mingled with the local indigenous people and eventually assimilated into their culture. However, they left behind their language. For centuries it was believed that a lost tribe of welsh-speaking indigenous people lived somewhere in America. Is there anything to the legend of Prince Madoc or is this just a strange case of fake history? Tune-in and find out how penguins, elephants in Virginia, and Welsh utopians all play a role in the story. 

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One of the most pivotal moments in the history of Thailand was the Battle of Nong Sarai in 1593. This confrontation between the Burmese Tuangoo Dynasty and the proto-Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya is remembered as the setting for an epic elephant duel. King Naresuan of Ayutthaya was said to have challenged the Burmese crown prince to single combat on elephant back. His victory that day become symbolic of Thailand's independent spirit. However, there are at least ten different accounts of what actually went down at Nong Sarai in 1593. Each of those sources paint a very different picture of how this confrontation played out. Which sources should we trust? Was this duel actually an elephant sized historical myth? Tune-in and find out how horny elephants, dishonorable gunplay, and damaged hats all play a role in the story. 

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In this Bonus Episode Sebastian takes questions from listeners about the recent episodes on Werewolves and Witches. Sebastian explores the connection between rabies outbreaks and vampire/werewolf mythology. Listeners weigh in on the psychological meaning of the Egyptian god Anubis. We break down some witchy myths associated with English alewives and explore the inspiration for Shakespeare's witches. Tune-in and find out how vampire panics, furry psychopomps, and pointy hats all play a role in the story.

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In 1487 a scandal prone Dominican inquisitor published one of the most notorious witch-hunting manuals in history. The Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of the Witches, argued that Europe was under siege by witches and that these witches were almost exclusively female. The book was one of the first widely available texts that presented witchcraft as a uniquely female evil. By the end of 1500's women had become the main victims of the most outrageous witch-hunts, accounting for 85% of all people who executed as witches. Should the Malleus Maleficarum be blamed for this? Tune-in and find out how alewives, hot demons, and a "witch bull" all play a role in the story.

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