Footnoting History

(Host: Lucy)  The second through fourth centuries C.E. saw a profound transformation, and profound upheavals, in the Roman world as a result of the rise of Christianity as a universal religion. Religion, flexible and syncretic, was a powerful source of identity for the Romans, from the temples of misty Britain to the mystery cults of the Middle East. The growing numbers of Christians, as a minority incapable of assimilation, were a disturbing anomaly… and a useful scapegoat. For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Josh)  In the 14th century, Pope Clement V sent several missionary friars to Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing) to consecrate fellow missionary Franciscan John of Montecorvino the new archbishop of a new archdiocese that included most of China and India. Who was John of Montecorvino and why did the Latin Church feel an archdiocese was necessary in a place so far from Europe? Find out on this episode of Footnoting History. For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Kristin)  Both feared and respected, the executioner was indispensable to the premodern system of justice in the West.  The skill and the service he provided were essential to keeping order but: who were they, how did one become an executioner, and did he wear a mask? Find out this week on Footnoting History!  For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Christine) Cassandra Austen is certainly not as famous as her author sister, Jane, but one thing is for certain: she was a massively significant presence in Jane’s world. In this episode of Footnoting History, Christine takes a look at Cassandra’s life and her close, protective, bond with the author of Pride and Prejudice. For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Hosts: Kristin, Christine)  In this episode, Kristin and Christine bring back a fan-favorite topic, the Tower of London! First, Kristin talks about Jewish connections to the Tower in the Middle Ages. Then, Christine takes you to the Stuart era to talk about the death of Tower prisoner Sir Thomas Overbury.    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Lucy) The Iliad and The Odyssey dramatize not only war, but how challenging it can be to return from war, and how war separates those who fight from their families and communities — even when there aren’t angry gods involved. Figuring out the history behind these beloved poems has a long and complicated history of its own. Scholars have used archaeology to find cities and palaces made famous by Homer. And historians debate the cultural meanings of war and trauma in cultures far removed from our own. The Return (2024) engages with many of these debates as it portrays Odysseus and Penelope’s familiar human story.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Josh)  At the height of America’s Gilded Age, two men William F Howe and Abraham Hummel practiced criminal law in New York City. These unscrupulous lawyers represented some of the most notorious of NYC criminals of the era using theatrics and loopholes to find “justice” for their clients. On this episode of Footnoting History, come learn all about their misdeeds and misadventures as we explore the underbelly of American history.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Hosts: Christine, Josh, Kristin)  As the year comes to a close, holidays abound! Join us for our newest episode in our series about history that ties to these festive times. For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Christine) When England's King Henry I died in 1135, his nephew Stephen usurped the throne. Had Stephen's reign been an accepted success, his son Eustace would have been recognized as the next in line to become king, but that did not come to pass. Here, Christine recounts Eustace's story, from growing up during a period called 'The Anarchy' to the aftermath of learning he would never wear the crown.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Kristin) Hundreds of years before Dante took us on a tour through the afterlife, there was Thurkill, an English peasant from the 13th century, who described his journey into hell and the edge of paradise. What was it like and what can we learn from his story? Come on a vision quest with Kristin, in this episode of Footnoting History!    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Hosts: Christine, Lucy, Kristin)  Spooky season is here again! To celebrate we have another selection of historical frights just for you.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Host: Samantha) Not everyone who received the death penalty in medieval England was actually killed. Picking up where she left off in our last episode, Samantha explores two more methods of avoiding execution: gaining sanctuary and buying pardons.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com/

(Host: Samantha) In medieval England, just because you received the death penalty for your crimes doesn't mean you necessarily had to actually die. Here, Samantha looks at two methods of avoiding having your sentence carried out: benefit of clergy and turning to outlawry.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com/

(Host: Kristin) Oh no, you’ve been shot by an invisible arrow and now you’re sick. What’s a person to do? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered this week with cures for those times when you’ve been elfshot, this week on Footnoting History.    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

(Christine) In 1812, while France’s Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was on a military campaign in Russia, he learned of trouble back home: General Claude-François de Malet and several co-conspirators had tried to take control of the French government. Part of their plan centered around telling people that Napoleon had died - except, of course, he hadn’t. Learn all about the attempted coup from Christine in this episode.   For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com/

(Josh) In 1527, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca set off as a part of the Narvàez Expedition to conquer Florida. The expedition ended in disaster for the Spanish after several encounters with Native Americans defending their lands. Using makeshift boats, Cabeza de Vaca and a handful of other survivors drifted across the Gulf of Mexico before landing near modern day Galveston, TX. Cabeza de Vaca and three other men would spend the next 8 years wandering what is now the Southwestern United States. Come learn about their voyages on this episode of Footnoting History.    Visit FootnotingHistory.com for further reading suggestions and additional information.

(Host: Lucy)  Who were medieval midwives and what did they do? As imagined in novels and films, the medical expertise of such women might be secret, mystical, persecuted, or some combination of all three. In the archives, traces of their activities can be tantalizingly hard to find. This podcast looks not only at the history of midwives in medieval Europe, but at the history of how scholars have tried to recover and reconstruct that history.

(Hosts: Christine and Kristin)  Since the Middle Ages, the Tower of London has fulfilled many roles including hosting the Crown Jewels. It has, more infamously, also been a prison for many who were viewed as threats or criminals–leading to no shortage of fascinating stories tied to this property. In this episode, Christine and Kristin each share one of their favorite stories about riveting historical figures who found themselves captive in the Tower: Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (son of a Welsh prince) and Ranulf Flambard (the Bishop of Durham).

(Host: Kristin) Historians rely a lot on primary source evidence to interpret the past. But what do you do when multiple sources tell a different story of what happened? Learn about the many accounts of the execution of Anne Boleyn and consider what they tell us about a major moment in English history with Kristin in this week’s episode of Footnoting History! 

(Host: Josh)  Alfred, or sometimes Alferd Packer, is one of the most infamous villains in Colorado history. As the story goes, Packer, a trail guide, led his party into disaster and then killed them one by one before consuming their bodies in order to survive. He was arrested, tried, convicted, and then escaped. Once reprehended Packer changed his story once again. And now more recent evidence has emerged that seems to have exonerated him. We’ll try to sort of this out on this week’s episode of Footnoting History.