098: The Fourth of July and Fireworks

098: The Fourth of July and Fireworks

Hello! In this week's episode of It's a History Podcast, We will be taking a look at the history of Fourth of July celebrations in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, looking at why July 4th became the national holiday even though delegates like John Adams expected July 2nd, when Congress approved the Lee Resolution, to be the official anniversary. In this episode we take a look at what the Lee Resolution said and also look at how British anniversary traditions shaped American celebrations. We will also take a look at the first organized celebrations in Boston and Philadelphia in 1777. Sources for today's episode include: An article from the National Park Service titled History of Independence Day https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalmall4th/history-of-independence-day.htm?ref=journal.stephenoliveto.com [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalmall4th/history-of-independence-day.htm?ref=journal.stephenoliveto.com] An article from George Washington's Mount Vernon titled The Earliest July Fourth Celebration https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/the-earliest-july-4-celebrations [https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/the-earliest-july-4-celebrations] An article from History.com [http://history.com/] titled Why Do We Celebrate July Fourth With Fireworks? By Sarah Pruitt https://www.history.com/articles/july-4-fireworks-independence-day-john-adams [https://www.history.com/articles/july-4-fireworks-independence-day-john-adams] If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com [itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com]. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!

097: Pharma Monopoly: The Battle For The Future of Medicines: A Conversation With Tahir Amin

Hello! In this week's episode I am joined by Tahir Amin to discuss his most recent book Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines. This book is co-authored with Rohit Malpani. Tahir Amin is a founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK). He has spent over two decades working in the global access to medicines movement addressing the systemic inequities in how medicines are developed and distributed. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of intellectual property (IP), during which he practiced as an attorney with two of the leading law firms in the UK and for multinational corporations. You can find the book here: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=pharma+monopoly [https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=pharma+monopoly] If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com [itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com]. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!

096: Hot Air Balloons: Paper Balloons, Hot Air Vs. Gas, and Modern Ballooning

Hello! In Today's episode we are looking at the history of Hot Air Balloons and Ballooning. The first hot air balloons were designed by two french brothers in the 1780's, and after succesfull experiments, Man would take flight shortly after. With different iterations over the years, ballooning has transformed from the first form of flight to something that has become a hobby and past-time. Sources for today's episode include: An article titled A brief History of Hot Air Ballooning from the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation https://balloonmuseum.com/a-brief-history-of-hot-air-ballooning/ [https://balloonmuseum.com/a-brief-history-of-hot-air-ballooning/] And an article from the National Balloon Museum titled History of Ballooning https://www.nationalballoonmuseum.com/about/history-of-ballooning/ [https://www.nationalballoonmuseum.com/about/history-of-ballooning/] If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com [itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com]. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!

095: Summer Vacation: School Calendars, Union Wins, and Gilded Age Influence

Hello! In this weeks episode we are looking at the history of Summer Vacation. Often thought to be rooted in the agrarian calander, the history of summer vacation actually stems from multiple sources. From a School Calander Compromise to the vactation habbits of the Gilded age, the summer vacation we have today has evolved over time from each of these seperate spheres of influnce. Sources for today's episode include An article from PBS news titled "Agrarian Roots? Think Again. Debunking the Myth of Summer Vacations Origins by Sakia de Melker and Sam weber https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/debunking-myth-summer-vacation [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/debunking-myth-summer-vacation] An article from Time Magazine titled A Brief History of Summer Vacation by Jackson Murphy. This is the article with all the images from the 40s https://time.com/3993975/summer-history/ [https://time.com/3993975/summer-history/] And an article from History.com [http://history.com/] titled How Newport's Gold Coast Became a Hotspot for Gilded Age Elites by Dave Roos https://www.history.com/articles/newport-gold-coast-gilded-age-summer-hot-spot [https://www.history.com/articles/newport-gold-coast-gilded-age-summer-hot-spot] If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com [itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com]. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!

094: There Will Come Soft Rains: A Journey Along The Western Front: A Conversation With Briana Gervat

Hello! In this weeks episode I am joined by Briana Gervat and we discuss her recent memior on her travels through the Western Front and how she expereinced the remnants of WWI History. In this episode we look at her experineces on the front, how we interact with history in our daily lives, and how history leaves a mark on not just the people who expereice it, but for generations after. You can fnd the book here: https://a.co/d/037qse30 [https://a.co/d/037qse30] If you would like to send me any questions, comments, or ideas for future podcast episodes please email me at itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com [itsahistorypodcast@gmail.com]. You can also find me on Instagram and Threads @itsahistorypodcast Thank you for listening!