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The Salem Witch Trials Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

The Malleus Maleficarum, or the 'Hammer of Witches', was a 15th-century book that sparked mass hysteria about the existence of witches in Europe - and it wasn't long before North America had fallen for the same obsession.

In a special Halloween episode, Dan is joined by the co-host of the Gone Medieval podcast, Eleanor Janega, to take us through the most famous example of a witch-hunt in action. Eleanor explains how old grudges and grievances boiled up as the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts turned on one another. Hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft and just shy of two dozen were executed for it. So what happened in Salem? Why were almost all of the accused women? And what was a witch anyway? Tune in to find out.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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James Beckwourth, Conquering the American Frontier Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

James Beckwourth was a pioneering frontiersman and fur-trapper who conquered the American West by embedding himself in the Native American tribes who called it home. Although Beckwourth wasn’t a runaway slave, he'd been born into slavery in the Deep South at the turn of the 19th century. As a young man, he was enticed by the freedom of the wilderness, after being emancipated by his owner and own father- a white Virginian planter. Beckwourth made his way west to the gold-dappled state of California and in doing so traversed the formidable Sierra Nevada mountains, carving a route for future gold-rush prospectors, thanks to the knowledge and understanding of the landscape he learnt from running with a band of Crow Nation American Indians. He hunted wild animals, searched for gold, got embroiled in inter-tribe warfare and travelled through many of America's states looking for adventure, telling great tales about the things he experienced.

Dan is joined by historian Ann Manheimer who, like Beckwourth himself, weaves a gripping yarn about the life of this frontiersman. She is the author of 'James Beckwourth: Legendary Mountain Man'.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, sound design and editing by Dougal Patmore.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tutankhamun: The Valley of the Kings - Signal Award Gold! Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

In celebration of recently winning a gold Signal Award, we are revisiting our series from last year on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

1. On the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor lie the burial chambers of some of Ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs - Ramses II, Seti I and Tutankhamun. From Luxor, Dan delves into the history of the Valley of the Kings with Alia Ismail whose current project is 3D mapping the tombs. He ventures deep into the earth inside the most magnificent of all the valley tombs- Seti I - as he and celebrated Egyptologist Salima Ikram tell the story of Giovanni Belzoni and the many explorers and archaeologists who set the stage for Howard Carter's discovery of the century.

Listen to the rest of the series via the link below.

2. Tutankhamun: The Discovery of a Lifetime - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/2-tutankhamun-the-discovery-of-a-lifetime

3. Tutankhamun: The Life of a Boy Pharaoh - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/3-tutankhamun-the-life-of-a-boy-pharaoh

4. Tutankhamun: Inside the Tomb - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/4-tutankhamun-inside-the-tomb

This podcast was written and produced by Mariana Des Forges and mixed by Dougal Patmore

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reburying the Dead of America's Revolutionary War Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Dan attends the funeral of British and American soldiers, over 240 years after they died fighting one another at the Battle of Camden. He takes us through the battle step by step, walking the fields of South Carolina and speaking with archaeologists, locals and soldiers to bring this British victory back to life.

Dan ends at a funeral procession that commemorates the lives of the men who died, and reminds us that the cost of war transcends the centuries.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Murder of Christopher Marlowe Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

This month on Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb investigates four of history’s most notorious murders and brutal crimes.

In this first episode, she’s joined by Charles Nicholl to dig deeper into the mystery of the 1593 murder of the brilliant and controversial playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was stabbed to death in a house in Deptford. The official account stated it was a violent quarrel over the bill.

But as Charles Nicholl explains, critical evidence about that fatal day points to Marlowe's shadowy political and intelligence dealings.

This episode was edited and produced by Rob Weinberg.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Arab- Israeli War: Yom Kippur War 1973 Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Also known as the October War and the Ramadan War, this conflict was initiated by Egypt and Syria on October 6, 1973, as a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur and the Muslim month of Ramadan. It was motivated by a desire among Arab states to regain territory taken by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, particularly the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. The initial stages of the war caught Israel off guard, but they were able to regroup and mount a strong defence. The war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and the Soviet Union. Israel returned the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and in exchange Egypt recognised Israel as a legitimate state - the first Arab country to do so.

It had a profound impact on the region and the seismic waves were felt across the world. Against the backdrop of the Cold War, it's been described as a proxy war between the US and the Soviet Union with Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries imposing an embargo against the United States in retaliation for the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military. This became a key contributor to the energy crisis of 1973, felt particularly in Britain.

Commentators have made comparisons between the surprise attack by Hamas on the 7th of October 2023, with that first surprise attack made by the Arabic coalition in the Yom Kippur War. Today, Dan is joined by Dr Alexander Burns- Assistant Professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Historian of the eighteenth-century Atlantic World, American Continental Army, and Military Europe to look at those comparisons and run through a play-by-play of the 1973 conflict and its impact on the region and global order.

Produced by Dan Snow, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mary, Queen of Scots Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail.

Dan is joined by the great Kate Williams, a presenter, historian and professor at Reading University, to take us through the twists and turns of Mary's tumultuous life.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel, Gaza and the West Bank: A History Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

In light of the complex and tragic situation unfolding in Gaza and Israel, this episode looks at the past 100 years of the history of the region of Palestine. As well as explanation from Dan, we hear from experts who have been on the podcast before to explain the background to the conflict we're seeing today.

Historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore explores why Jerusalem is so important to both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Yara Hawari, a senior policy analyst for Al-Shabaka, describes the Palestinian perspective of the Mandate of Palestine after the First World War and Benny Morris, a former professor of History at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, provides insight into the Israeli mindset during the first crucial months of the State of Israel established in 1948.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WWII Britain's 'Missing' Sailors Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

During WWII, the sailors of the British merchant navy played a vital role in keeping the UK fed and armed. They carried essential supplies across the treacherous Atlantic - and many paid with their lives. What's less well known is that many of those sailors were Chinese - volunteers who came to Britain to help the war effort and settled predominantly in the port city of Liverpool. But after the war, many of those Chinese sailors who returned home suddenly disappeared without a trace. For years families believed they'd decided to abandon them, but the reality was far worse.

Dr Lucienne Loh, from the University of Liverpool, has been uncovering what happened to those sailors who endured war for Britain and how Britain turned its back on them. In previously secret Government documents, she discovered a shocking truth...

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HMS Terror: Cursed Arctic Expedition Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Was ever a ship more aptly named? In 1845, HMS Terror (and its forgettably named sister ship HMS Erebus) set off from Victorian Britain. Their quest was to discover the fabled Northwest passage through the Arctic ice. The crew were heroes in waiting. Yet by the end, the rules that govern life on board Royal Navy vessels collapsed into chaos and cannibalism.

Maddy tells Anthony this story about life in the Royal Navy, Arctic winters, badly written poetry, and the thin line that separates us from horror.

Written by Maddy Pelling. Mixed by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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