EP 154: Mary Jane Richards, Union Spy

IT'S A LEAH TAKEOVER EPISODE!This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Woodstock ‘99. Everyone has heard of the Woodstock Music Festival that took place in 1969, on a farm in Bethel, New York. It was one of the largest music festivals in history and became synonymous with the counterculture of the 1960s. But fewer, I think, are aware that there were multiple attempts at emulating the original Woodstock Music Festival that took place at the tail end of the 20th century. Much like the original festival, Woodstock ‘99, which took place July 21 - 26, 1999, was plagued with unfortunate weather conditions, not-so-great logistical planning, and other negative impacts on the surrounding infrastructure and community, but unlike the OG festival, it was also plagued with overpriced food and water, disgustingly poor sanitation, a slew of reports of sexual assault, and the event culminated in rioting, looting, arson, and… death. Links to the videos mentioned:https://www.google.com/search?q=fred+durst+woodstock+99&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS968US968&oq=Fred+Durst+woodstock+99&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyCAgGEAAYFhgeMggIBxAAGBYYHjIICAgQABgWGB4yCAgJEAAYFhge0gEIMzgzMGowajmoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:1c5c0c05,vid:YPk7-fCvbao,st:0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKVfkZUPTdE&list=RDAKVfkZUPTdE&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzDFtqQh90M&list=RDTzDFtqQh90M&start_radio=1Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Mary Jane Richards, a Black, once-enslaved woman who served as a Union spy during the Civil War. We only know of Richards because, in 1911 (nearly fifty years after the end of the Civil War), a white woman named Annie Van Lew Hall was interviewed by Harper’s Magazine in which she told them a story about how her aunt, Elizabeth Van Lew, had operated an espionage ring within the Confederate White House and how she had enlisted a Black woman – in this story, named Mary Elizabeth Bowser – who worked directly in the Confederate White House and got secret information directly from the Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Now, as time has gone on, we have learned that much of this story was not real. But we do know for a fact that a woman named Mary Jane Richards was indeed a spy for the Union Army and did indeed change the course of history as a result of her brave, formidable acts.Because she is a woman – because she is a Black woman – because she was an enslaved Black woman – of course, there is not much information known about her. But I wanted to put together this episode regardless of how short or long it may be because knowing this woman’s name is more important now than ever. It’s imperative that we know about her, that we know her story, and that we tell her story.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the Stanford Prison Experiment. The Stanford Prison Experiment was a super controversial and somewhat shady psychological experiment that raised a lot of concern at the time and continues to invoke questions and worry to this day. Essentially, this was an experiment conducted in 1971 in which participants were placed in a prison-like environment for what was supposed to be two weeks in order to examine and evaluate their behaviors in this particular setting. The experiment was cut short, however (only 6 days into the planned 14 days), when the participants that had been assigned the roles of guards began physically, emotionally, and psychologically abusing the prisoner participants to extreme degrees. Some level of abuse had been assumed to occur–I mean, that was the point of the experiment. The Stanford Prison Experiment was meant to test human behaviors in a setting where one person has a clear, dominant role over the other. Much like the Milgram Experiment sought to understand how the Nazis could execute the sadistic orders demanded of them, the Stanford Prison Experiment likewise sought to understand to what degree humans will assume power over one another (or, the opposite, submit to one another) in a particular setting.Not only was the Stanford Prison Experiment controversial–it was also likely unethical and perhaps even fraudulent with the lead professor over the experiment possibly directing the guards as to how they were to behave.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Monica Lewinsky and the event that thrust her into the national spotlight in 1998 when it was revealed that she and the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, had engaged in a sexual affair while she was serving as a White House intern (and later, employee). This all came to light because Lewinsky had revealed this affair to a colleague of hers, Linda Tripp, who – depending on who you ask – either was a person with an extremely strong moral compass…or someone with a strong vendetta against Clinton and the Administration (or, maybe, a little bit of both). This case goes so much deeper than a sexual affair—this was the catalyst in a long string of investigations conducted against Bill Clinton, including an investigation into sexual harassment allegations brought forth by a woman named Paula Jones.Clinton denied the affair with Lewinksy, saying in a televised statement, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinksy.” Ever the attorney, he would later belabor the meaning of the word “is,” clarifying that his statement about whether or not he had had sexual relations with Lewinksy would largely depend on “what the meaning of the word is is.”Sure, Clinton would be impeached in part because of this affair. But by and large, Lewinsky was the one that experienced more public judgement and personal consequences in the aftermath of the scandal. Lewinsky was made the butt of jokes on late night television, tabloids, and media coverage. She struggled for years and years to find employment again and to regain any sense of privacy and normalcy. Clinton’s part of the affair was seen as a man fulfilling his needs; Lewinksy’s part in the affair was seen as calculated and nefarious. She has only been seen in a more favorable light in, arguably, the last decade following the #MeToo movement which led many to reevaluate the relationship and its nuances—the power imbalances, age differences, and the contrast in the public shaming that the two involved parties experienced.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

WELCOME BACK FOR SEASON SIXTEEN OF THE HASHTAG HISTORY PODCAST!This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II until…1974.As I'm sure you are aware, World War II was not happening in 1974. In fact, the Second World War ended in, well, 1945. Onoda, along with a few other Japanese soldiers, continued to fight in the war for years after it ended, not believing that the war had indeed ended. He hid in the jungles of the Philippines for thirty years until, at the age of 52, his former commanding officer specifically flew from Japan to the Philippines to tell Onoda personally that he had been relieved of duty.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we are joined by our dear friend, Kelsie Brook Eckert! Kelsie is a professor, author, and the Executive Director of the Remedial Herstory Project (a non-profit organization working to get women's history in the classroom).We chat all things Remedial Herstory Project, education, funding, and politics in this week's episode!Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing a time in history where the United States, Great Britain, France, and the then-Soviet Union carried out together a series of trials against Nazis for the war crimes they committed over the course of the Second World War. This series of thirteen trials was held in Nuremberg, Germany between the years of 1945 and 1949, resulting in the convictions of 161 people. These trials created a precedent as this was the first time in history in which an international criminal trial was established to hold people who had committed war crimes accountable.War is war so we will talk later about what exactly constitutes as war crimes but, for the sake of keeping things brief in the introduction, just know that what Hitler – and, by extension – his Nazi regime in Germany did during World War II was some of the most disgusting and heinous war crimes the world had ever seen. In addition to invading multiple countries – such as Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium, the Soviet Union, and more – Nazi Germany also murdered more than six million European Jews in a systematic genocide.This was unacceptable and the officials in charge of such violence were held accountable during the lengthy Nuremberg Trials.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the deadliest shipwreck in American history. On April 27, 1865, a commercial steamboat called the Sultana, carrying over 2,000 passengers (though it was legally only allowed to carry 376) burst into flames due to unresolved issues with the boilers. Between the people that died immediately as a result of the explosion, those that died later of burn damage, and those that died in their attempts to swim to shore, the total number of casualties is estimated to be somewhere between about 1,200 and 1,800.This disaster occurred the same month that marked the end of the Civil War (the bloodiest war in American history), it was the month that marked the first presidential assassination in American history with Lincoln’s death, and it was the month that marked the start of the Reconstruction Era.So, like, there was a lot going on…Because of that, much of the disaster was largely overshadowed. Much of the research was extensively  neglected. But this is a really important story to tell. The Titanic (which we have talked about before) is so much more popular than the Sultana and yet the number of casualties is roughly the same. Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and Leah

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the Lindbergh Kidnapping. In March of 1932, the one-year-old son of Charles Lindbergh (the famous American aviator who is most known for being the first person to complete a solo, nonstop transatlantic flight) went missing. While other people were in the home – including the baby’s parents – Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was taken from his crib from the second-floor of the house…never to be seen again. The kidnapper would leave a ransom note which the desperate Lindberghs complied with, paying $50,000 for information related to their son. This note, however, turned out to be a hoax.The Lindberghs, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the country at large searched for the missing baby furiously, only to discover – ten weeks after the kidnapping – that the little boy had been killed and buried in the woods less than five miles from the Lindbergh home.A man would be arrested, convicted, and eventually sentenced to death for the crime but…to this day, there are still people that profess his innocence (just as he did for the remainder of his life).This case changed history. It is often referred to as one of the “crimes of the century." It was this case that led the US Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act, making it a federal crime to transport a kidnapped victim across state lines. It is this act that gave the FBI jurisdiction to investigate these types of kidnappings (something that they did not have prior to 1932).Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and Leah

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the Radium Girls. The Radium Girls refers to the female employees of a radium factory that contracted radiation poisoning from painting radium dials and hands on watches. The women were instructed to use their lips to make the bristles of the paintbrush form into a fine point that would then be used to paint radium onto the watch faces. Lip-dip-paint over and over again, each time, ingesting small amounts of radium.This sounds wild…because it is. But in late-1920s when all of this was happening, the common belief was that radium was not only harmless, but that it also had healing properties. Maybe even further than that, radium was also thought to be…fun. The women at this factory became known as “ghost girls” because the radium dust particles would fall off onto their clothing, making them glow in the dark. Some of these women wore their best dresses to work so they could purposefully make their dresses illuminate. Some women even painted their nails and their teeth with the radium, not knowing any better.Now, of course, these poor women would start to show signs of illness. Things like anemia, bone fractures, and something else that would eventually become known as “radium jaw”. Because of the amount of radium these women were ingesting directly into their mouths, their mouths began to decay at a rapid, rapid pace. Toothaches turned into tooth extractions. Tooth extractions turned into ulcers. Multiple ulcers all at once. In perhaps the worst story I read while doing my research, one woman in particular had to have multiple teeth removed but was still in severe pain. When she went to the dentist to have him check her out again, he gently placed his fingers in her mouth…and her jaw literally fell off. It just melted off. The dentist removed her jaw, “Not by an operation, but merely by putting his fingers in her mouth and lifting it out.”This would ultimately lead to a lengthy legal battle between the women and the U.S. Radium Corporation, who denied responsibility, and would – of course – ultimately lead to the untimely and painful deaths of many of the women involved.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and Leah