For this week’s show, we’re revisiting three highlights from Bostonâs long and storied history of rioting. Weâll include stories from past episodes covering the 1919 Boston police strike, 1747 impressment riots, and the 1837 Broad Street riot.
Author: jake
The Occupation of Boston (episode 100)
250 years ago this week, British troops landed in Boston. Author J.L. Bell joins us to discuss the British government’s decision to send troops in an attempt to keep peace after Boston’s years of upheaval. Instead of bringing peace, the tense occupation would culminate in the Boston Massacre less than two years later.
Listen to the end to find out how you can get some free HUB History swag in celebration of our 100th episode!
Boston’s Wild West (episode 99)
Brighton is one of our westernmost neighborhoods, and it’s often associated with Bostonâs large and sometimes unruly student population, but in the mid 19th century, Brighton was home to all the elements of a western movie.  There were cattle drives, stockyards, saloons, and stampedes through the streets. Before it was tamed, unruly Brighton was our own wild west.
Margaret Sanger, Uncensored (episode 98)
This week, weâre discussing Margaret Sangerâs thwarted attempt to present a lecture on birth control to the good citizens of Boston in April of 1929. Â The 1920s were a fairly liberating time for women – women were voting, drinking alcohol socially, cutting their hair short, and dancing the Charleston in short dresses. However, Boston was slow to let its hair down under the stern gaze of the Watch and Ward Society, and birth control remained one of the ultimate taboos.
Morgue Blooper
Have you ever approached a deadly serious topic with a smile and laugh? In this excerpt from episode 95, cohost Nikki attempts to comment on the dead bodies of influenza victims stacked around a hospital like cordwood without laughing.
Hunting the King Killers (episode 97)
This week, we tell a story from very early in Bostonâs history, a story partly shrouded in legend. Â The cast of characters includes everyone from Increase Mather to Nathaniel Hawthorne, encompassing two kings, two continents, two colonies, and Royal governors Endecott, Andros, and Hutchinson. Â It is the story of two judges who signed the death warrant for a king, famously known as the regicides, or king killers. Edward Whalley and William Goffe became celebrities in Boston, before being forced to flee in the face of what one historian called “the greatest manhunt in British history.”
September 1918, with Skip Desjardin (episode 96)
This week, author Skip Desjardin tells us about his new book September 1918: War, Plague, and the World Series.  He introduces us to a pivotal month, when world history was being made in Boston and Bostonians were making history around the world.  The cast of characters ranges from Babe Ruth to Blackjack Pershing to EE Cummings. During our discussion, youâll learn about the Massachusetts National Guardsmen who fought the first American-led battle in World War I, youâll hear about the uncertainty surrounding the 1918 World Series, and youâll encounter more details about the deadly 1918 influenza outbreak.
Continue reading September 1918, with Skip Desjardin (episode 96)
Pandemic 1918! (episode 95)
On August 27, 1918 Boston became acquainted with the epidemic that has gone down in history as the âSpanish flu.â  A more accurate name for this disease outbreak might be the âBoston flu,â because our city is where this influenza variant mutated and first turned truly deadly.  The first cases of this new and deadly disease were reported in South Boston 100 years ago this week. Soon, Boston would suffer nearly a thousand deaths per week as the disease peaked. Before it was over, up to 20% of the worldâs population would be infected.  With up to 100 million people killed, the 1918 flu was the most deadly disease in human history.
Amelia Earhart in Boston (episode 94)
You probably know about Amelia Earhart’s famous career as a groundbreaking aviator, and you almost certainly know about her famous disappearance over the Pacific. But you may not know about Amelia Earhartâs first career as a social worker in one of Bostonâs many settlement houses. This week, we discuss her early exposure to aviation, the famed Friendship crossing, and also her reflections on her career of service to newly immigrated Americans.
Folk Magic and Mysteries at the Fairbanks House (episode 93)
In this episode, we’re joined by the curator of one of the oldest houses in North America. He’ll tell us about evidence that’s been uncovered that generations of residents may have believed in an ancient form of countermagic. The inhabitants of Dedhamâs Fairbanks House used charms and hex marks deriving from Puritan, Catholic, and pagan religious traditions in an attempt to ward off evil forces that might have included witches, demons, and even disease.  Fairbanks House Museum curator Daniel Neff will join us to explain the evidence heâs found and what it can tell us about the Fairbanks family and the world they lived in.
Continue reading Folk Magic and Mysteries at the Fairbanks House (episode 93)