Varina Howell Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis and First Lady of the Confederacy played the part well. She was educated, graceful, the picture of antebellum perfection. She hosted elegant soirees at the Confederate white house in Richmond, Virginia and managed a household of around 20 workers, black and white, enslaved and free. But Varina, when examined closely, was not what she seemed. In writing, she referred to herself as a “half-breed” born of the North and of the South. Her political loyalties were suspect as she found herself torn between both causes. And her dark skin and hair. What was that about? People whispered behind closed doors. Was the First Lady of the Confederacy… could she possibly be… Black? Let’s fix that.Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: Encyclopedia Virginia "Varina Davis"Washington Post "Jim Limber: the myth of Jefferson Davis' adopted Black son"Clark University "The Forefathers of the English People"Shoot me a message!
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Ep. 121 Thomas Jefferson: How America's Golden Boy Refused to Practice What He Preached
Thomas Jefferson was America's golden boy. Author of the Declaration of Independence, secretary of state under George Washington, vice president to John Adams, and 3rd president of the United States, he penned famous words like "all men are created equal," and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." For this, he's often remembered as a moral champion who fought for equality and liberty for all. But there was another side to Thomas Jefferson, a darker side, one he kept well hidden. Despite his passionate prose, Jefferson enslaved some 600 people in his lifetime. Despite calling slavery "moral depravity" and a "hideous blot," he himself knowingly traded in human lives, authorized the beatings of children, intentionally sold them away from their families, all while benefiting immensely financially. So who was Thomas Jefferson really? America's golden boy or... something else? Tune in to find out! Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: The White House Historical Association "Thomas Jefferson"The White House Historical Association "The Enslaved Household of President Thomas Jefferson"Smithsonian Magazine "The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson"Encyclopedia Britannica "Thomas Jefferson"Monticello.org "Monticello Affirms Thomas Jefferson Fathered Children with Sally Hemings"Slate Magazine "Thomas Jefferson Was Not a Monster"Shoot me a message! FAMILY HISTORY DRAMA : Unbelievable True StoriesWhether it’s great lives or great tragedies, or just showing up for the adventure,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Ep. 120 Great Flood: What the Story of Noah's Great Flood Says About Our Collective Human Experience
Back this week with one final, somewhat nautical episode to round out the month of June. This week we're talking about the Great Flood of Noah's Ark fame. It's one of the best known bible stories. But did you know, it doesn't end there? Almost every other major culture or religion that we know of has almost the same flood myth. The ancient Babylonians, the Greeks, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Chinese, Norse, Aboriginal Australian, various Native Americans groups, and the list goes on and on. This story is everywhere. But is it just a freakishly common legend, a recurring myth meant to teach a lesson, or did it actually happen? Let’s fix that. Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: National Center for Science Education "Yes, Noah's Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth"ABC News "Evidence Noah's Biblical Flood Happened, Says Robert Ballard"How Stuff Works "The Great Flood: More Than a Myth?" The Jerusalem Post "Durupinar Formation radar scans reveal hidden structures associated with Noah's Ark"PBS Independent Lens "A Flood of Myths and Stories"Wikipedia "Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis"Columbia University Record "Noah's Flood: Evidence of Ancient Disaster is Linked to Biblical Legend"Mini Museum "Revisiting the Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis"World History Encyclopedia "First Wave/Earliest Civilizations"Shoot me a message! FAMILY HISTORY DRAMA : Unbelievable True StoriesWhether it’s great lives or great tragedies, or just showing up for the adventure,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Ep. 119 Magellan: How Ferdinand Magellan Claimed the Credit Without Actually Circumnavigating the Earth
In keeping with the nautical theme I accidentally adopted this month, I'll be exploring the rather misleading story of sixteen century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan this week. Magellan's claim to fame is being the first person to circumnavigate the globe, to sail all the way around the Earth, a full circle. That really is Magellan’s only claim to fame. Except for one thing. He never even did that. Did you know that, despite claiming all the credit posthumously, Magellan only made it about three quarters of the way around the world? One of his five ships did return to Spain after a mostly disastrous voyage but Magellan was no longer on board. So who should really claim the credit? Who was the first person to circumnavigate the Earth? Let’s fix that. Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: History.com "Why the Magellan Expedition Was So Treacherous"Encyclopedia Britannica "Ferdinand Magellan"BBC "Ferdinand Magellan"History Skills "Magellan was NOT the First Person to Sail Around the World..."History.com "Was Magellan the First Person to Circumnavigate the Globe?"Shoot me a message! FAMILY HISTORY DRAMA : Unbelievable True StoriesWhether it’s great lives or great tragedies, or just showing up for the adventure,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Ep. 118 Shipwrecks Part 2: How Time Capsules of the Sea Have Provided Important Discoveries and Posed Difficult Questions
I'm back this week with four more shipwreck stories. We'll start with the horrific explosion of the Mississippi river steamboat, the Sultana in 1865. Next, we'll tackle the Titanic which famously sank in 1912, killing around 1,500 passengers. On to another famous ship, the Endeavor. The Endeavor was the British naval ship used by explorer Captain James Cook during his first voyage of discovery which landed him in Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti in the mid 1700s. Later the ship changed hands and was eventually used and intentionally sunk during the American Revolutionary War. Finally, I'll end with what is, quite possibly, one of the most controversial shipwrecks ever found, the San Jose. This Spanish galleon has been called the "holy grail" of shipwrecks because it was supposedly carrying treasure worth up to 17 billion dollars today when it went down in 1708. As five plus countries argue over the San Jose's treasure, the ethical question remains - what should be done with these shipwrecks?Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: American Battlefield Trust "The Sultana Disaster"Wikipedia "Sultana"New York Times "Civil War Hull Is Reported Found"Live Science "Digital "resurrection" of the Titanic sheds light on fateful night the ship tore apart"National Geographic Press Release "National Geographic reveals groundbreaking underwater scan..."The Times "At last, the Titanic wreck is left to rust in peace"Wikipedia "James Cook"Australian National Maritime Museum "Evidence Identifying Endeavor"The Guardian "Discovery provides further evidence shipwreck is Captain Cook's Endeavor, maritime scientists say"Shoot me a message! FAMILY HISTORY DRAMA : Unbelievable True StoriesWhether it’s great lives or great tragedies, or just showing up for the adventure,...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
In each episode of History Fix, I discuss lesser known stories from history that you won't be able to stop thinking about. Need your history fix? You've come to the right place.Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/historyfix or Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine. Your donations make it possible for me to continue creating great episodes. Plus, I'll love you forever! Find more at historyfixpodcast.com
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