When your grandfather was a leading crusader and your father was a famous rebel, what is left for you to do? For Guy de Montfort the answer was to earn a spot in one of the circles of hell imagined by Dante in his Inferno. Find out how this medieval man came to such a fate in this episode.
Podcaster: Christine  Jumbo, via Tufts Digital Library
In May of 2016 the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ elephants performed for their final time before entering retirement. Over 130 years earlier, in 1882, Jumbo the elephant left London for New York and joined P.T. Barnum’s traveling menagerie. In this episode, Christine explores Jumbo’s life as one of the Victorian era’s most famous animals.
Podcaster: Christine 
What is it like to be a king but still have to answer to your father? In the twelfth century, Henry the Young King lived in the shadow of one of Europe’s most powerful monarchs: Henry II of England. This episode delves into the life of a man who was crowned twice but never ruled the kingdom.
Podcaster: Christine 
In early 1900, actress Olga Nethersole and several of her colleagues were indicted for their roles in the production of a play. Find out what caused them to be called "of wicked and depraved mind and disposition" when Christine covers the scandal that made New York City headlines.
Podcaster: Christine 
Jane Austen’s novels contain many courtships and brides, but the author herself never married. In this episode Christine will delve into the time in Jane’s life when she could have become a wife and introduce you to Harris Bigg-Wither, the man who sought her hand.
Podcaster: Christine  Site of executions of Easter Rising leaders and participants at Kilmainham Gaol
In Part II of their examination of the Easter Rising, Christine and Elizabeth follow Patrick Pearse and his associates from the GPO to Kilmainham Gaol, take a look at how Britain handled the rebels, and assess whether or not it was all worth it.
Podcasters: Christine and Elizabeth 
What happens when one of the most powerful men in Europe ends your marriage? What do you do when you are replaced as Empress of France? In this episode Christine delves into Josephine Bonaparte’s life as the ex-wife of Emperor Napoleon.
Podcaster: Christine 
Last year we brought you History for Halloween, a trio of short true tales perfect for the spookiest of holidays. This year we're doing it again, so join us for a selection of stories spanning places from Oxford to Philadelphia that are sure to make you glad they didn't happen to you.
Podcasters: Christine, Elizabeth, Lesley, Lucy, and Nathan 
King Louis XIV of France may be known as the "Sun King" but not everything about his life was bright and splendid. In this episode we discuss the crippling dental difficulties that plagued Louis and possibly increase your appreciation of modern anesthesia.
Podcaster: Christine 
As his brother Napoleon rose to power in France, Jerome Bonaparte was in Baltimore, Maryland. While there the young Bonaparte did what many men do, he married a beautiful woman. Unfortunately his union with Miss Elizabeth Patterson was not welcomed by Napoleon, who had other plans for his little brother. In this episode we’ll examine what happened in Baltimore and how Emperor Napoleon’s disapproval dictated the future of the newlywed couple.
Podcaster: Christine 
As Britain celebrates the birth of Prince George's little sister, Footnoting History is pondering royal siblings who became influential figures in the country's history. Join us as we discuss how so-called "spares" ranging from Empress Matilda in the 12th century to King George VI in the 20th, found themselves in the spotlight.
Podcasters: Elizabeth and Christine 
The Second French Empire has fallen and Empress Eugénie fled to England, but what happened next? Today we conclude our look at her life in exile, including her reunions with Napoleon III and their son, as well as the lasting piece of French imperialism she established in the English countryside.
Podcaster: Christine 
When Napoleon III’s French Empire began to crumble in the late 19th century, his wife was trapped in Paris. Who could possibly help the Bonaparte Empress flee before the mobs got to her? An American dentist named Thomas Evans, of course. We’re kicking off the new year with a podcast about escapes and unlikely allies!
Podcaster: Christine 
Stories are spookier when they are rooted in reality. In celebration of Halloween, some of our podcasters have collected strange-but-true tales to get you through the night when the link between the living and the dead is believed to be the strongest. Join us for a selection of ghastly and ghostly factual anecdotes you can share at your Halloween party.
Podcasters: Christine, Elizabeth, Lucy 
By the dawn of the 17th century only one region of Ireland was largely out of English control. To change this, the Gaelic Irish heir to Ulster- Hugh O'Neill- was raised under close watch of the English crown. So what went wrong? Why did Hugh O'Neill end up in full rebellion against Tudor Queen Elizabeth I? And what exactly was the Flight of the Earls?
Podcaster: Christine 
Laura Bridgman made headlines in the 19th century when her parents enrolled her at the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Under the guidance of Samuel Gridley Howe she learned how to speak with her fingers and became the first formally educated deaf-blind person in the United States. Though we hear little about her today, she was regularly named as an inspiration by Helen Keller- so who was Laura Bridgman and what was she doing hanging out with Charles Dickens?
Podcaster: Christine |
