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 
May 29, 2014 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Empress Josephine, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Josephine’s life did not begin when she married the famous Corsican so this week, to honor her, we are looking at the time before she became a Bonaparte. Join Christine as she explores the years when Josephine answered to a different name, had a husband named Alexandre, and almost became a victim of the Reign of Terror.
Podcaster: Christine 
The love story of Bonnie and Clyde, one of the most infamous outlaw pairs of the American Depression era, has become cemented in modern pop culture- but they were not the only couple in the Barrow Gang. Clyde’s older brother, Buck, and his wife, Blanche often traveled with their relatives and had a dynamic (and tragic) love story of their own. Join us as we delve into the Barrow romance that is barely mentioned in the folk ballads and Hollywood films.
Podcaster: Christine 
On February 2, 2013 the first episode of Footnoting History went live. This weekend, to celebrate our first anniversary, Nathan conducted a series of brief interviews with many of our historians to help you get to know us a bit better. Listen in to learn what makes us tick and help us celebrate the anniversary we would never have reached without your support!
In Part II of our adventure with Edward Gibbon Wakefield we follow as he leaves prison, picks up his pen, and chases a new goal: Revolutionizing British systems of colonization. Did people listen to a convicted felon? Were his dreams of colonizing Australia and New Zealand successful? And which half of his life is better remembered today? Join us as we conclude his story.
Podcasters: Christine and Elizabeth 
The abduction of Ellen Turner was the talk of early 19th century England and at the center of it was Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a widower with dreams of a seat in Parliament. How did Wakefield lure the young heiress from her school and convince her to marry him? What happened when her family found out? And is there life after being British newspaper fodder? Join us for Part I of the life of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
Podcasters: Christine and Elizabeth 
How could a priest in medieval England, who was single at the time of his ordination, be guilty of bigamy? Can a person actually cheat on Jesus? Join us today as we discuss the ins and outs of this curious clause of canon law and how it brought the dreaded sentence of excommunication down on priests like William Gybbvuns.
Podcaster: Christine 
What on earth is a city of smugglers? Why did Napoleon like to tease his Second Consul so much? And what would you have seen if you attended Napoleon’s coronation? This week we move beyond Napoleon the man to the experiences of his subjects answering these questions and more!
Podcasters: Christine and Nathan 
The Kingdom of Great Britain is celebrating today because the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed their first child, a son!
In this special edition of Footnoting History, we discuss the history of royal baby names in Great Britain from the most popular to those you are not likely to see on the throne again any time soon. What must a future king and queen consider when naming their child? If your child was going to rule a country, what would you name him or her? Podcasters: Christine and Elizabeth 
Whether they got a day off from working at their trade or had so much money they could pay people to entertain them, everyone within the town walls wanted to have a little fun. Listen today to find out what occupants of medieval European towns did to shake off their troubles and have a good time.
Podcaster: Christine 
His father was a major player in the Albigensian crusade but when was the last time you heard about the man who led a rebellion against King Henry III and became the father of the modern parliament? It's time to fix that.
Podcaster: Christine |
