History Spelunkers

EP 55: The Lincoln Conspiracy Pt. 2

In the thrilling conclusion of our deep dive into the Lincoln Assassination, we focus on the Manhunt for John W. Booth and the other conspirators and their historic trial. Apologies on some of the audio quality for the first couple of minutes and at the very end of of the episode; there were technical difficulties in during editing. Also content warning for description of severe medical wounds. Shownotes: * Episode art: Lincoln Borne by Loving Hands, oil painting by Carl Berch depicting his eyewitness view of the transporting of President Lincoln's body away from Ford's * Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds * Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard * Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson * Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell * https://fs.blog/lincolns-last-public-address/ [https://fs.blog/lincolns-last-public-address/]  * http://livinghistoryofillinois.com/pdf_files/Trial-of-the-Assassins-and-Conspirators-for-the-Murder-of-President-Abraham-Lincoln.pdf [http://livinghistoryofillinois.com/pdf_files/Trial-of-the-Assassins-and-Conspirators-for-the-Murder-of-President-Abraham-Lincoln.pdf]  * https://lincolnconspirators.com/the-trial/may-15-1865 [https://lincolnconspirators.com/the-trial/may-15-1865/] * https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/the-trial-of-jefferson-davis-cancelled-february-15-1869.htm * https://www.fjc.gov/history/exhibits/circuit-court-opinions/Case-of-Davis * https://www.nps.gov/drto/learn/historyculture/fort-jefferson.htm * https://drmudd.org/about-dr-mudd/ * Presidents Reagan and Carter's letters on the Dr. Mudd situation, on pages 48-60 of https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/public/2023-05/40-744-5752507-019-012-2023.pdf

EP 54: The Lincoln Conspiracy Pt. 1

Welcome back to another episode of History Spelunkers! In today's episode is part one of our in depth discussion about the Lincoln Assassination, and the surrounding conspiracy leading up to the moment John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger. Shownotes: * Episode art: Benn Pitman's print of the assassination conspirators, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons * Episode music special: "The Ballad of Booth" by Stephen Sondheim from the musical Assassins * Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds * Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard * Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

EP 53: Mormon Sucession Crisis

In this episode we revisit the Mormons and discuss how their early history caused a series of schisms which led to the plethora of so-called "Mormon denominations". These include presidential debates, a King of Beaver Island, and massive governmental raids! Shownotes: * https://northernmichiganhistory.com/james-strangs-assassination/ [https://northernmichiganhistory.com/james-strangs-assassination/] * https://gtjournal.tadl.org/2015/the-murder-of-james-jesse-strang-ruler-of-the-mormon-colony-at-beaver-island-1856/ [https://gtjournal.tadl.org/2015/the-murder-of-james-jesse-strang-ruler-of-the-mormon-colony-at-beaver-island-1856/] * Special Thanks to American Zion: A New History of Mormonism; Book by Benjamin Park * Music is an excerpt from "All-American Prophet" from The Book Of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2011) written by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone. * Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds * LDS Resource on Polygamy: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/polygamy-latter-day-saints-and-the-practice-of-plural-marriage * https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-polygamy/ * https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/06/02/church-that-traces-back-joseph/ * https://kutv.com/news/local/process-begins-to-select-new-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-leadership * https://youtu.be/W-jrlaqqw00?si=A7KOuIwPqfaSzyHc * https://youtu.be/r1ssF7PV27c?si=M4ydSZ58UlYF6S-9 * https://youtu.be/Fiorzo4nOwg?si=I27tylzqrVYFuoGX * https://youtu.be/FtkYSuRY8Jc?si=w1V3au6w0ZBPWEhN * https://youtu.be/aaDm_m9yYRQ?si=6UKiZD8KfD2_idhR

EP 52: Please Leave a Message After the Death

Happy Halloween! Do you believe in ghosts? Well you aren't alone a lot of people believe that those who have gone on before us occasionally come back to help us on our own journeys. The Victorians Era had a lot of people believing in it, probably because they had people who were able to directly communicate with them. So dive into today's episode to find out what the ghosts were saying. Shownotes: * Episode art is an engraving of the Fox Sisters, Margaretta and Catherine are on the left and center respectively, 1852, public domain via Wikimedia Commons * "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War" by Drew Gilpen Faust * Audio clip is from Episode 102 of tv show Penny Dreadful created by John Logan * Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds * https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2021/10/14/understanding-the-1920s-spiritualism-revival/ [https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2021/10/14/understanding-the-1920s-spiritualism-revival/] * https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/why-did-so-many-victorians-try-to-speak-with-the-dead [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/why-did-so-many-victorians-try-to-speak-with-the-dead] * https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/what-we-do/uc-in-the-community/exhibitions-and-collections/southern-spirits/history-of-spiritualism [https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/what-we-do/uc-in-the-community/exhibitions-and-collections/southern-spirits/history-of-spiritualism] * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0XMn095fd0&ab_channel=KazRowe [https://www.youtube.com/watch?ab_channel=KazRowe&v=A0XMn095fd0] * https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hayden-maria-b-ca-1852 [https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hayden-maria-b-ca-1852] * https://iapsop.com/spirithistory/spiritualists_petition_to_congress.html [https://iapsop.com/spirithistory/spiritualists_petition_to_congress.html] * https://www.weirdhistorian.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spirit-slate-writing-and-of-course-kindred-phenomena/ [https://www.weirdhistorian.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spirit-slate-writing-and-of-course-kindred-phenomena/] * https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61871 [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61871] * https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/slate-writing [https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/slate-writing] * https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/spirit-trumpets-dead-speak [https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/spirit-trumpets-dead-speak] * https://www.britannica.com/topic/ectoplasm-occultism [https://www.britannica.com/topic/ectoplasm-occultism] * https://www.britannica.com/science/ideomotor-effect [https://www.britannica.com/science/ideomotor-effect] * https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11950/pg11950-images.html [https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11950/pg11950-images.html] * Table Turning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrYamQTDagE * Telegrams From the Dead (1994), PBS documentary available on Youtube via blackcentury, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk-lJJ3RdgI

EP 51: The Animal Avengers

Hello one and all! History Spelunkers is back with even more of the niche history content you love. In today's episode we look at a class of animals who have gone above and beyond in serving alongside their humans on the fields of war. While we thank all military animals for their service we wanted to highlight some who's tales were just too incredible to believe were true. Shownotes: * Episode photo is Sgt. Stubby with his military medals. Public domain via Wikimedia commons * Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/through-the-clouds * https://www.history.com/articles/the-last-major-cavalry-charge-70-years-ago [https://www.history.com/articles/the-last-major-cavalry-charge-70-years-ago] * https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/296891/ [https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/296891/] * https://portal.ct.gov/MIL/MAPO/History/People/Stubby-the-Military-Dog [https://portal.ct.gov/MIL/MAPO/History/People/Stubby-the-Military-Dog] * https://sleeplessmusingsofawellgroomedmoustachedman.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/kurt-the-wonder-doberman-one-of-many-canine-heroes/ [https://sleeplessmusingsofawellgroomedmoustachedman.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/kurt-the-wonder-doberman-one-of-many-canine-heroes/] * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/2009/08/15/heroic-warrior-canines-name-put-on-memorial [https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/2009/08/15/heroic-warrior-canines-name-put-on-memorial] * https://uswardogsheritagemuseum.org/a-dog-called-chips/ [https://uswardogsheritagemuseum.org/a-dog-called-chips/] * https://lenatoritch.com/project/chips-the-war-dog/ [https://lenatoritch.com/project/chips-the-war-dog/] * https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002qbjp [https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz0002qbjp] * http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7072669.stm [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7072669.stm] * https://pigeons-of-war.com/2022/10/26/pigeon-heroes-of-the-great-war-spike/ [https://pigeons-of-war.com/2022/10/26/pigeon-heroes-of-the-great-war-spike/] * https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012209/http://www.history.army.mil/news/2013/131025a_pigeon.html [https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012209/http://www.history.army.mil/news/2013/131025a_pigeon.html]  * https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/651326/dvpTag/Animation/ [https://www.marines.mil/News/Marines-TV/videoid/651326/dvpTag/Animation/] * https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2022/11/23/the-marine-who-was-a-duck-yes-an-actual-duck/ [https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2022/11/23/the-marine-who-was-a-duck-yes-an-actual-duck/] * https://time.com/archive/6782570/marines-good-old-siwash/ [https://time.com/archive/6782570/marines-good-old-siwash/]  * https://time.com/4731787/wojtek-the-bear-history/ [https://time.com/4731787/wojtek-the-bear-history/] * https://www.britannica.com/animal/Wojtek-the-Bear [https://www.britannica.com/animal/Wojtek-the-Bear]