Stuff You Missed In History Class

Elizabeth Fry is lauded as an early 19th century prison reformer. But she had no formal background or training in prison or social work. Research: BREED, ANNA. “ELIZABETH FRY.” Advocate of Peace (1847-1884), vol. 13, no. 3, 1882, pp. 21–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27906270  Britannica Editors. "Elizabeth Fry". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Fry Britannica Editors. "Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sir-Thomas-Fowell-Buxton-1st-Baronet Buxton, Thomas Fowell. “An inquiry, whether crime and misery are produced or prevented, by our present system of prison discipline.” London. J. and A. Arch. 1818. https://archive.org/details/b33283333/page/14/mode/2up Cooper, Robert Alan. “THE ENGLISH QUAKERS AND PRISON REFORM 1809-23.” Quaker History, vol. 68, no. 1, 1979, pp. 3–19. JSTOR, http://www.jsto

The Munich Beer Riot of 1844 was a reaction to the price of beer set by the Bavarian government. The Lager Beer Riot took place in Chicago in 1855, and was a response to municipal policies put in place by mayor Levi Boone that targeted the city’s Catholic and immigrant populations. Research: Alberts, Brian. “‘Streets as Stages’ — The Munich Beer Riots of 1844.” Good Beer Hunting. https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2020/7/13/streets-as-stages-the-munich-beer-riots-of-1844 "Bavaria." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Mar. 2026. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBavaria%2F13830&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026. Britannica Editors. "Oktoberfest". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Apr. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oktoberfest. Accessed 2 September 2026. Carpenter, Kim Newak. “‘Sechs Kreuzer sind genug fuer ein Bier!’: The Munich beer riot of 18

This episode from 2017 covers several moments in history when the world came perilously close to a full-scale nuclear war, due to false alarms or miscommunication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy unpack the accusation that Robert Moses purposely built overpass bridges too low for busses to drive under them as a way to keep Black New Yorkers away from Jones Beach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second part of our two-parter on Robert Moses looks at the vast amount of power he amassed in New York’s government, and the many controversies that surrounded the second half of his career. Research: “15% OF THE FAIR STILL UNFINISHED; 15 Pavilions and 3 Shows in Amusement Area Delayed.” New York Times. April 22, 1964. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/22/archives/15-of-the-fair-still-unfinished-15-pavilions-and-3-shows-in.html Ballon, Hilary, Phd. and Kenneth T. Jackson, eds. “Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York.” W.W. Norton & Co. 2008. Balme, Bob. “His Pen Blisters, His Voice Stings – Robert Moses, at 71, Churns Ahead.” Buffalo News. December 5, 1959. https://www.newspapers.com/image/868298578/?match=4&terms=Robert%20Moses&search-id=e5e8b520-6c56-44d0-96ef-7303b5705343&search-rank=6 Brewer, Sam Pope. “MOSES SLUM ROLE STIRRED DISPUTE; His 'Dead Duck' Remark on Title I Projects Aroused Urban Renewal Backers.

Robert Moses is responsible for so much of the infrastructure of New York, including parks, bridges, highways and more. And he remains a divisive figure. The first part of this two-parter covers his rise in New York government. Research: “15% OF THE FAIR STILL UNFINISHED; 15 Pavilions and 3 Shows in Amusement Area Delayed.” New York Times. April 22, 1964. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/22/archives/15-of-the-fair-still-unfinished-15-pavilions-and-3-shows-in.html Ballon, Hilary, Phd. and Kenneth T. Jackson, eds. “Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York.” W.W. Norton & Co. 2008. Balme, Bob. “His Pen Blisters, His Voice Stings – Robert Moses, at 71, Churns Ahead.” Buffalo News. December 5, 1959. https://www.newspapers.com/image/868298578/?match=4&terms=Robert%20Moses&search-id=e5e8b520-6c56-44d0-96ef-7303b5705343&search-rank=6 Brewer, Sam Pope. “MOSES SLUM ROLE STIRRED DISPUTE; His 'Dead Duck' Remark on Title I Projects Aro

This 2021 episode covers smallpox, a viral disease that has existed for millennia. But it’s now one of only two diseases that’s been eradicated through human activity, and a global plan was enacted to do it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly talks about the lack information about Pinel’s family, and how much she’d like to see Oscar Wilde use social media. Tracy discusses the way the Cooley episode narrowed down the scope of her originally planned topic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William B. Coley started using a bacterial infection to treat cancers in the late 19th century, one of the earliest uses of immunotherapy. Research: Ahuja, Sana and Sufian Zaheer. “The evolution of cancer immunotherapy: a comprehensive review of its history and current perspectives.” Korean Journal of Clinical Oncology 2024; 20(2): 51-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14216/kjco.24009 Atkins, Douglas. “Helen Coley Nauts: Advocate for Immunotherapy.” National Library of Medicine. 4/19/2016. https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2016/04/19/helen-coley-nauts-advocate-for-immunotherapy/ Cancer Research Institute. “The History of Cancer Immunotherapy.” Coley, William B. “Therapeutic Value of the Mixed Toxins of the Streptococcus of Erysipelas and Bacillus Prodigiosus in the Treatment of Inoperable Malignant Tumors. With a Report of 160 Cases.” American Journal of the Medical Sciences. September 1896. College of Physicians of Philadelphia. “Cancer Vaccines and Immunothe

Pinel’s work is considered the precursor to psychiatry. In the late 18th century, he overhauled the asylum system of Paris with his groundbreaking ideas about mental health. Research: Bicêtre Hospital. https://hopital-bicetre.aphp.fr/lhopital  Boullerne, A.I., et al. “The origins and early history of neurochemistry and its societies.” Journal of Neurochemistry. 152: 8-28. 2020.  https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14839   Chambers, William. “Chambers' Edinburgh journal.” Vol. 11-132. 1849. London. William Orr. https://archive.org/details/chambersedinburg1112cham/page/n179/mode/2up  Charland, Louis C. 2018. “Lost in Myth, Lost in Translation: Philippe Pinel’s 1809 Medico-Philosophical Treatise on Mental Alienation.” International Journal of Mental Health 47 (3): 245–49. doi:10.1080/00207411.2018.1483053.  Gallaher, John G. and Paul Stewart. “Fall of Robespierre.” EBSCO. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-start

This 2020 episode covers the Flexner Report, which is often credited with changing the medical field and shaping what medical education looks like today. But this document negatively impacted medicine in the Black community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about corporal punishment in schools and student loans. Tracy relays her experience at the British Museum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashurbanipal was the ruler of the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BCE. His 38-year reign was marked by both scholarship and a terrifying brutality. Research: "Babylon." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBabylon%2F11618&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026. Ashurbanipal Library Project. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/asbp/index.html " Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631000306/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f497ef8d. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026. Bonatz, Dominik. “Ashurbanipal's Headhunt: An Anthropological Perspective.” Iraq , 2004, Vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part One (2004). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4200564 “Ashurbanipal.” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/ashurbanipal F

This episode takes a quick look at six U.S. Supreme Court cases that all have to do with the rights of children in public primary and secondary schools. Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/374/203 Bowman, Kristine. “West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943).” Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/west-virginia-state-board-of-education-v-barnette/ Cornell Law School. “Engel v. Vitale (1962).) https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/engel_v._vitale_(1962) Dynia, Philip A. “Rights of Students.” Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. 8/11/2023, updated 5/27/2026.  https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/rights-of-students/ Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/370/421/ Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988). https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/484/260/ Ingra

This 2021 episode covers Olympe de Gouges, known primarily for her 1791 pamphlet “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Citizen.” But her writing and political activity went far beyond that one pamphlet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly shares additional details of Percy Fawcett's life, including theories about his interest in spiritualism leading him to some odd conclusions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second part of Percy Fawcett's story delves into his fascination with a document known as Manuscript 512 and how it impacted his life. His obsession led to his disappearance; there has been endless speculation about what exactly happened. Research: Biello, David. “Ancient Amazon Actually Highly Urbanized.” Scientific American. August 28, 2008. “The Brazilian Indigenous People.” Survival International. https://www.survivalinternational.org/peoples/brazilian Britannica Editors. "Mato Grosso". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mato-Grosso Canal-Soler, Jordi. “The man who died searching for the Lost City of Z.” National geographic. June 13, 2024. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/percy-fawcett-search-lost-city-of-z Fawcett, Lt-Col P.H. “Exploration Fawcett.” Hutchinson & Co. London. 1953. “Fawcett’s Bones Believed Found; Explorer Lost in Brazil Jungle in ’25.” New York Times

Fawcett’s life has invited controversy and speculation, because he was a man who did a mix of great and shady things. Part one covers his early life, marriage, military service, and early visits to South America. Research: Biello, David. “Ancient Amazon Actually Highly Urbanized.” Scientific American. August 28, 2008. “The Brazilian Indigenous People.” Survival International. https://www.survivalinternational.org/peoples/brazilian Britannica Editors. "Mato Grosso". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mato-Grosso Canal-Soler, Jordi. “The man who died searching for the Lost City of Z.” National geographic. June 13, 2024. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/percy-fawcett-search-lost-city-of-z Fawcett, Lt-Col P.H. “Exploration Fawcett.” Hutchinson & Co. London. 1953. “Fawcett’s Bones Believed Found; Explorer Lost in Brazil Jungle in ’25.” New York Times. April 4, 1951. https:/

This 2021 episode covers a period of time when the milk supply in New York was anything but appetizing and wholesome – it was often deadly. But efforts to address the problem were blocked by corrupt officials.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy shares a story of looking for an article in the wrong historical journal. Holly reads a section of the U.S. flag code, and waxes rhapsodic about toys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.