Episodes

Hello!In this weeks episode, I am joined by Andrew Rowen to discuss his most recent release, the Historical Novel Isabel, Anacaona & Columbus's Demise: 1498-1502 Retold. This week marked our annual recognition of what is now indigenous peoples day on October 12 but had been Columbus day for almost 90 years. This day and what it means has evolved over time, and in speaking with andrew about his research into this time period, we can gain just a bit more knowledge on how these three individuals, ...

Hello! In this week's episode we are taking a look at the history of Ice Cream. Ice Cream is a dessert that has many different origins, as multiple cultures from around the world have enjoyed eating some version of an ice cream style dessert for centuries. There have been multiple inventions that have helped Ice Cream become the everyman dessert we know it as today, including the Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker. There is also a bit of myth with this history as we look at just how waffle cones becam...

Hello! In this week's episode I am joined by Author Rebecca Chamian Ribaudo to discuss her recent release Crossing Division Street. Rebecca is a Chicago based author, nonprofit leader, and advocate for free expression and civil discourse. Crossing Division Street Traces four generations living through a century of defining events in Chicago and American History Drawing from research spanning 1891 to 2001. The book begins at the intersection of Division and Larrabee Streets, a crossroads at the c...

Hello! In this Week's final episode of the Formal Food safety series we wrap up with Harvey and continued development of the Food and Drug Law. We dive into multiple trials regarding various food additives such as nitrates in bleached flour and bones in boneless cod. We also discuss the conspiracy in the Department of Agriculture to try to remove Harvey from his position. Sources include: Coppin, Clayton A., and Jack High. “Umpires at Bat: Setting Food Standards by Government Regulation.” Busin...

Hello! In This weeks Episode we are going to be continuing our look at the history of food safety. This week we are looking at the Poison Squad experiments themselves, Harvey's continued work in making the Public Aware of the state of food, and a trail on canned beef. In the two previous parts of this series we discussed the state of food safety when it came to milk and dairy products. We also took a look at the changing landscape of commercially processed foods and their increasing use of unte...

Hello! In This Weeks continuation of the History of Food Safety, we lay the ground work for the work of one man, Harvey Washington Wiley, and his work to introduce a food safety bill and educate the American People on what exactly they were eating. Harvey was a chemist with a special interest in food Safety and through his work, we were able to discover just how adultered the food being produced and sold in the US actually was. Make sure to check out Part One where we go into further detail on...

Hello! In this week's episode we are starting a multi part series on the history of food safety in the US. Looking at the recent food recalls we have had in the US, I got to thinking about how we got to where we are today. In today’s episode we look at some historic methods of food safety including cooking, drying, and pickling. We take a brief look at the history of germ theory, and then spend the rest of the episode looking at the history of milk safety after the rapid industrialization and u...

Hello! In this episode I am Joined by Professor and Author Felicia Salber to discuss her Up coming novel "Kinightly Whispers". This novel is rooted in Arthurian times, and Felicia pulls from historical sources to keep her story based acuartley in this Medieval Era. There is discussion of sex and sexuality in this episode. Find Felicia Here: Substack (“The Carriage”): http://feliciasalber.substack.com Webpage: http://feliciasalber.wordpress.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/felicia.salber.au...

Hello! This week we are taking a look at the Hindenburg Disaster. In episode 100, we took a look at the history of Zeppelins themselves which was made up of many different periods of trial and error to create an airship that was suitable for both passengers and war. This week we take a look at the Hindenberg Itself, What went wrong, and the Hindenbergs Nazi Connections. We also look at the live recording from Herbert Morrison of a minute by minute live audio description of the Hindenberg Landing...

Hello! In this weeks episode I am joined by William W. Campbell, a neurologist, writer, artist, philanthropist, and retired US Army colonel whose creative writing career began with short stories about memorable patients encountered over nearly fifty years of medical practice. Today we are going to discuss his most recent release A historical fiction titled Soldier For the Union that explores the secret heroism of women who fought in disguise on the front lines of the Civil War. Links to find W...

Hello! In this week's episode (The 100th episode!) we are taking a look at the History of Zeppelins. Over the course of today's episode we will take a look as one man's fantastical design managed to persevere following disaster after disaster. The story of the Zeppelin is one that is full of many ups and downs, mostly down’s, and in this episode we will look at how the design, though minimally changed, came to be the one that we all know and love. In this episode I mention Epsiode 96, which is...

Hello! In this week's episode I am joined by Paige Towers to discuss her recent release What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption. In this episode we discuss the Holt family and their adoption agency as well as the Familicide of the Suepple family. You can find Paige’s book here: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=what+they+stole If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com....

Hello! In this week's episode of It’s a History Podcast, We will be taking a look at the history of Fourth of July celebrations in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary, looking at why July 4th became the national holiday even though delegates like John Adams expected July 2nd, when Congress approved the Lee Resolution, to be the official anniversary. In this episode we take a look at what the Lee Resolution said and also look at how British anniversary traditions shaped American celebra...

Hello! In this week's episode I am joined by Tahir Amin to discuss his most recent book Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines. This book is co-authored with Rohit Malpani. Tahir Amin is a founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK). He has spent over two decades working in the global access to medicines movement addressing the systemic inequities in how medicines are developed and distributed. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of i...

Hello! In Today's episode we are looking at the history of Hot Air Balloons and Ballooning. The first hot air balloons were designed by two french brothers in the 1780's, and after succesfull experiments, Man would take flight shortly after. With different iterations over the years, ballooning has transformed from the first form of flight to something that has become a hobby and past-time. Sources for today's episode include: An article titled A brief History of Hot Air Ballooning from the And...

Hello! In this weeks episode we are looking at the history of Summer Vacation. Often thought to be rooted in the agrarian calander, the history of summer vacation actually stems from multiple sources. From a School Calander Compromise to the vactation habbits of the Gilded age, the summer vacation we have today has evolved over time from each of these seperate spheres of influnce. Sources for today's episode include An article from PBS news titled “Agrarian Roots? Think Again. Debunking the My...

Hello! In this weeks episode I am joined by Brianna Gervat and we discuss her recent memior on her travels through the Western Front and how she expereinced the remnants of WWI History. In this episode we look at her experineces on the front, how we interact with history in our daily lives, and how history leaves a mark on not just the people who expereice it, but for generations after. You can fnd the book here: https://a.co/d/037qse30 If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ...

Hello! In this week's episode we are wrapping up our look at the Boston Tea Party. This week's episode looks at the various ways the tea issue had tried to be resolved as tea ships started rolling in, ultimately ending in the Boston Tea Party. We go over the tea party itself and what happened in the aftermath of the tea party. Sources for today's episode include: An article from the Massachusetts Historical Society titled The Boston Tea Party https://www.masshist.org/revolution/teaparty.php De...

Hello! In this weeks Epsiode we start our look at the Boston Tea Party. Looking deeper at this act that is a quintisential aspect of American History, we will take a look at the East India Company and their role in the Boston Tea Party. We will also be looking at how the Tea Tax differed from the other taxes that were placed on colonosits. Today's epsiode will take us up to just before the Boston Tea Party Itself, which we will be exploring next week. Sources for today's episode include: Defia...

Hello! This week I am joined by Evelyn Grossman. Evelyn is the author of Hidden in Berlin: A Holocaust Memoir which details her parents' separate stories of survival during WWII. Over the course of today's episode Evelyn describes her parents' stories, and the unique ways that her parents survived Nazi Germany. We also take a look at their lives after WWII and Evelyn's work towards bringing this bringing their stories to light. You can find Evelyn's book here: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?ke...

Hello! This week we are taking a look at the history of quilting. Quilting has been around for quite some time, but the patchwork style quilt that we know today is something that is newer to our history. Over the course of today's episode, we will take a look at how quilting has evolved over time and some influential figures in the quilting space. Sources for this episode include a video essay by Mary Fons titled a Brief History of the American Quilt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VuqN1xEfeM...

Hello! In this week's episode, I am joined by Rich Napolitano from Shipwrecks and Seadogs Podcast and we discuss the USS Narcuccus. Over the course of today's episode we will look at the life the ship had before sinking, the sinking itself, and the shipwreck's legacy here in Florida. Make sure to check at ShipWrecks and SeaDogs here: https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com Sources for todays epsiode include: Sources Tumbleson Morris, Melissa Nicole. “USS Narcissus: The Role Of The Tugboat In Th...

Hello! This week I am joined by Dr. Maya Kornberg to discuss her most recent release Stuck: How money, media, and violence prevent change in Congress. STUCK reveals how money, media, and political violence have hollowed out Congress and how reform-minded lawmakers can still make it work. Drawing on interviews and history, Kornberg shows why Congress is paralyzed and what it would take to restore democratic power. Maya L. Kornberg, Ph.D is a senior research fellow and manager at NYU Law’s Brenn...

Hello! In this weeks episode we are taking a look at the 1980 collapse of teh Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Through bad luck and unfortunate circumstance, a freighter ship made impact with the bridge leading to the deaths of 35 individuals traveling over the bridge. Listen to today's epsiode to learn more about this disaster. Sources for today's episode include: An article from Fox 13 Tampa Bay titled Sunshine Skyway Bridge Disaster:45 years later by Ryan Burkett and Aaron Mesmer https://www.fox13n...