The Affair of the Poisons

(Host: Kristin) In 1676, the Marquise de Brinvilliers stood trial in Paris for poisoning. It was a shocking revelation – and result – and, as it turned out, only the beginning of a much larger scandal known as the Affair of the Poisons. Learn about the scandal that rocked Paris on this episode of Footnoting History!        For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Christine)  In 1901, a man named Leon Czolgosz decided to attend the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. While there, he attacked United States President William McKinley. This episode of Footnoting History looks at the lives of Czolgosz and McKinley, their fatal encounter, the aftermath of the assassination, and how it came to be depicted in a Stephen Sondheim musical.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Samantha) Taverns are frequently imagined as bleak, rowdy places occupied exclusively by men but for the occasional buxom serving wench. The popular image, however, does not match the depiction of drinking establishments in medieval sources. Learn more about how medieval drinking establishments should be envisioned in this special revisiting episode of Footnoting History.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Ted) Before becoming King, the future Edward I of England fulfilled his vow of going on crusade to the Holy Land. Sometimes called the 9th Crusade, this would also be the last crusade to reach the Holy Land before the fall of Acre and the end of the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. Join me on Footnoting History to learn more about Lord Edward's crusade.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Christine) In the mid-18th century, the illegitimate son of a British noble was born in France. In the mid-19th century, the Smithsonian Institution was founded in the United States. What do these two seemingly unrelated things have to do with each other? Find out in this week’s episode of Footnoting History, as we look at the history of James Smithson–the man behind the creation of the Smithsonian Institution.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Jessica)  On the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis, sugar, slavery, and empire shaped the childhood of future Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and the early married life of naval hero Horatio Nelson. From bustling Charlestown streets to windswept plantation estates, this episode of Footnoting History uncovers how a so‑called “forgotten spot in the Caribbean” became the backdrop for global stories of revolution and war.    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Lucy) The life of Tsianina Redfeather Blackstone was a remarkable one. It was also a life surrounded by myths, many of which she created herself. This episode explores the career of a Cherokee-Creek woman who lived through the violence of US expansion, forged a musical career that took her to the Metropolitan Opera and the Hollywood Bowl, and helped to create an enduring center for the study of Native American cultures and history.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Ben)  One of the most famous members of the Corps of Discovery Expedition (aka, the Lewis and Clark Expedition) was a four legged 150-pound Newfoundland named Seaman. Join us on this episode of Footnoting History as we take a look at one dog’s remarkable journey, and learn about the lives of working dogs in the early years of the Republic.    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Ted) On April 19th, 1775, colonial militia battled the British regulars at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts in what would become the first conflict of the American Revolution. But what if I were to tell you that the first shots were actually fired months before, in December 1774? And not in Massachusetts at all, but in New Hampshire. Join me in this episode of Footnoting History, as we dive into the capture of Fort William and Mary, and the first shots of the American Revolution not heard round the world.

(Host: Kristin) A hidden storeroom in the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo was the repository for old, worn out manuscripts.  For centuries, a wide variety of writings were deposited and then lay untouched. Explore a medieval time capsule and learn why historians are so excited about a trash heap this week on Footnoting History!     For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com