Why is it called “The Liberty Bell”?
It’s a dramatic and poignant story. July 4, 1776: the Second Continental Congress had been meeting in Philadelphia for over a year, trying to hammer out how to win the …
Myths
Was “Ring Around the Rosie” about the Bubonic Plague?
“Ring Around the Rosie” has been a popular nursery rhyme for a very long time. Many of us learned it when we were children. But we often hear people claim …
Was “Ring Around the Rosie” about the Bubonic Plague? Listen Now
Juneteenth and the “End of Slavery in the US”: What’s in a Date?
Juneteenth is nearly here. June 19th was made a national holiday in the United States on June 17th, 2021 when President Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act …
Juneteenth and the “End of Slavery in the US”: What’s in a Date? Listen Now
Life Expectancy Myths
Don’t drop dead, Buzzkillers. At least not yet. It’s not your time. You live in the modern world with all the advantages of modern medicine and modern life-prolonging practices, right? …
Heather Cox Richardson: A Theory of Historical “Tornadoes”
Historical and economic forces can create “tornadoes” that spin-off in different directions, sometimes causing and re-inforcing oppressive conditions. Professor Heather Cox Richardson theorizes how this happened in American history, and …
Heather Cox Richardson: A Theory of Historical “Tornadoes” Listen Now
When Did the NRA Become Extremist?
Sadly, tragically, infuriatingly, it seems that every time there is a mass shooting in the United States, the same sorts of arguments come up from the same, opposing, sides. Gun …
General Hooker’s Hookers
Civil War Buzzkillers have been after me for months and months to put this commonly-heard legend to rest. To put it to bed, so to speak! So here goes. Union …
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is nearly here. The holiday has a fascinating history of its own, but the ways people have thought about the origins and history of Mother’s Day provide us …
Kathleen Stone: Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men
n mid-twentieth-century America, women faced a paradox. Thanks to their efforts, World War II production had been robust, and in the peace that followed, more women worked outside the home …
Kathleen Stone: Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men Listen Now
Thomas Edison Myths
Thomas Edison is celebrated as one of the greatest of modern inventors. For us Buzzkillers, Edison is interesting because the myths are more subtle than most other myths. He didn’t …