The History Things Podcast

09/06/2025

307 YEARS AGO THIS AFTERNOON

Imagine the scene.

Three hundred and seven years ago on this date, Monday, June 9, four sailing vessels—three sloops and one large, three masted ship—appear over the southwest horizon and slowly sail toward what is today known as Beaufort Inlet.

Near the entrance of the channel leading from the ocean to the placid waters of the sound, the vessels converge and round up into the wind.

Orders were shouted from the quarterdeck of the large ship. Then, the three sloops fill their sails and creep slowly northward through the channel, guided by a small tender ahead taking soundings, searching for deepest water.

The large ship remains outside of the inlet, waiting until the next morning to enter on the rising tide. Sometime after the sun rises the next day, the ship hoists anchor and begins to sail in to join its consorts.

Suddenly, the ship hits an immovable object with a crash. The ship lurches forward. The bow dips down, the stern rises abruptly, and the hull rolls over on the ship’s beam, throwing the hundred men standing on deck to their knees.

Below deck there is a loud, sickening crack as the keel is shattered. Topmasts snap and tumble to the deck.

The QUEEN ANNE’S REVENGE, given her Jacobite name by her captain as a salute to the Stuart dynasty of Scottish kings and queens, has run hard aground, never to sail again. The date is June 10, 1718, the birthday of Queen Anne’s younger half-brother James III, the hapless pretender to the British throne.

The scuttling of the pirate ship was no accident. It had been cleverly planned months earlier by the captain and his closest and most-trusted officers and friends. The cunning gambit was executed brilliantly. Hundreds of pirates were fooled, marooned, and abandoned.

Within a few days, the notorious pirate Black Beard was on his way to the tiny North Carolina village of Bath with all of the pirate company’s treasure.

03/06/2025

🚨NEW EPISODE OUT🚨
:
Jim Hessler, Gettysburg LBG & host of the The Battle of Gettysburg Podcastand Matt Callery, host of Addressing Gettysburg - Podcast join us to talk about one of the most popular and often misinterpreted battles in American history, the Battle of Little Bighorn/Battle of the Greasy Grass!
:
In this episode we discuss the campaign and combatants, as well as the effects that popular culture have had on the memory of what became known as “Custer’s Last Stand!”
:
Download this episode and all episodes of the podcast for on and , or watch it on our channel (link in our bio)!
:
Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoy the show!
:

05/05/2025

12/04/2025

12/04/2025

07/04/2025

🚨NEW EPISODE OUT NOW 🚨: “Surrender At Appomattox,” with Patrick Schroeder is out now!
:
On this day, the first of a series of communications between Generals Ulysses S Grant and Robert E Lee will pass through the lines that were being held precariously by the Army of Northern Virginia around Farmville as the Army of the Potomac began to completely overwhelm what was left of the retreating rebel force.
:
“General R.E. Lee:
:
The result of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the C.S. Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.
:
U.S. Grant
Lieutenant-General”
:

06/04/2025

26/03/2025

We just recently concluded an absolute recording blitz! In a little more than a week, we conducted more than 5 podcasts, and filmed from 9 separate locations!
:
With so many great conversations lined up, as well as our “From The Field,” series, this Spring is locked and fully loaded!
:
Download all episodes of the podcast on your favorite podcast app, or watch it on our channel!
:

17/03/2025

Maidin mhaith! Lá Fhéile Pádraig Shona Dhuit!
:
We hope everyone out there both at home and abroad, celebrates safely and happily today!
:
Part II of our look into the Irish War of Independence is out now! Download for on your favorite podcast app!
:
Anseo le sláinte
:

06/03/2025

The Battle of the Alamo was the galvanizing moment in the Texas Revolution. Set against the background of several successful campaign’s over the previous months where the Texian Army drove the Mexican Army entirely out of Mexican Texas. President General Antonio López de Santa Anna and more than 1,500 Mexican troops marched into San Antonio as the first part of their plan to retake Texas. Small skirmishes would ensue over the course of 10 days with little damage being done to either force.
:
The Alamo Misson garrison was defended by 100 men led by James Bowie initially and slightly reinforced with the arrival of William Travis’s men. The defensive situation at the garrison was untenable against a force the size of Santa Anna’s and Bowie and Travis knew it. Travis would request reinforcements and supplies from both the Independent Texas Government as well as from the United States Government in the form of several urgent letters. Texas would supply roughly an additional 100 troops while the United States was unable to provide aide due to a treaty with Mexico where the supplying of men, weapons, or other military resources would be considered an overt act of war.
:
Beginning in the early hours of March 6, 1836, Mexican forces under the command of President General Antonio López de Santa Anna committed to 3 assaults against the garrison at the Alamo Mission. Texian forces were able to drive back the first 2 attacks while sustaining minimal casualties, but as the 3rd attack led to the breaching of the walls by Mexican troops, Bowie and Travis’s men began to fallback to the interior structures of the fort.
:
As the flood of Mexican soldiers poured into the Alamo, chaos reigned. The overwhelming numbers swallowed the small Texian resistance with almost complete casualty totals. Men were gunned down in the fort in the fierce battle, those who surrendered to Mexican forces were quickly executed. Of the approximately 260 men that attempted to defend the Alamo, all but 3 were killed... Santa Anna charging the survivors with spreading news of the Texian defeat.
:
With news of the defeat at the Alamo spreading through the Republic of Texas, the effect of demoralizing the population wasn’t achieved as desired by Santa Anna... instead the news served to boost enlistments and volunteers for the Texian Army from those who were seeking revenge for the Alamo.
:
Their revenge would come just weeks later on April 21, 1836 at the Battle of San Jacinto where General Sam Houston in command of all Texian forces would route Santa Anna’s Mexican Army in a battle that lasted less than 20 minutes. Many vengeful Texian troops executed surrendering Mexican soldiers in retaliation for the brutality shown at the Alamo just the month prior. Among the many Mexican soldiers taken prisoner during the battle was Santa Anna himself. With his vanguard taking the brunt of the surprise assault, he was captured quickly and in exchange for not being executed, he was to order the Mexican Army to March south of the Rio Grande.
:
Mexico though they had retreated, never officially recognized the Republic of Texas and would continue to have small conflicts with Texas into the 1840s until the 1845 annexation of Texas as the 28th State by the United States of America. With the annexation of Texas, Mexico viewed the action as violation of their treaty and directly led to the beginnings of the Mexican American War.

24/02/2025

Knocked out a fun one for later this summer! Thanks to Jim Hessler from the “The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast,” & Matt Callery from Addressing Gettysburg - Podcast for taking us through the story and mythology of “Custer’s Last Stand!”
:
Download this episode and all episodes of The History Things Podcast for on all major podcast apps!
:

18/02/2025

“Dead Ball,” is out now!
:
We started our baseball journey with a conversation with the Kurkjian’s about why the game of baseball is great and how it is filled with generational magic and this week we get into the era that created that magic that became the National Past-time!
:
Our friend Andrew Miller , and diehard fan, takes us through a pivotal 20 year period where the game transformed from an era of club teams and novelty into the professional juggernaut that we know today!
:
Download this episode and all episodes of for or watch them on YouTube with limited video features!
: