History That Doesn't Suck

"Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, or you are all dead men."

This is the story of the First Continental Congress and the build-up to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies air their grievances against Parliament, and it doesn't go well. Paul Revere goes for a ride. Rather than making it to Concord, he gets to listen to soldiers threaten to "blow his brains out." The next morning, shots are fired at Lexington. ​ War is here. British America will never be the same.

This Second Edition episode is a rewritten, rerecorded, and remastered version of the original episode that aired on October 31, 2017. Head to HTDSpodcast.com to find out how to listen to the original.

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“Arnold has betrayed us! Whom can we trust now?”

This isn’t a story of betrayal; this is the story of betrayal. After half a decade of giving his all for the Patriot cause, Benedict Arnold becomes America’s Judas Iscariot. He betrays his brothers-in-arms for a commission in the British army and cold hard cash (even more than 30 pieces of silver). Meanwhile, Lord Cornwallis has Georgia and South Carolina well in hand. Now his sights are set on North Carolina and maybe even Virginia! Can anyone stop him? When all else fails ... send the Quaker. Welcome to the South, Nathanael Greene.

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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

• go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
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“You’re Bill McCoy.” “Never heard of him.”

This is the story of a crazy decade-plus when America outlawed booze...but the liquor kept flowing.

The Prohibition era marks a partial return to the Golden Age of Piracy, with bootleggers frequenting old haunts in the Caribbean, including Nassau, capital of The Bahamas. These sailors are also buying, selling, and drinking copious amounts of—you guessed it—rum. But how does all this booze get from the Bahamas to speakeasies in New York?

William “Bill” McCoy is a legendary rumrunner, one of the best. He’ll be our captain as we explore Nassau’s offerings, buy from the Bootleg Queen of The Bahamas, Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe and set out on a 1923 voyage up “Rum Row” to New York, carefully avoiding the actual pirates and the US Coast Guard. Once we square away a buyer, we’ll take our haul to shore with Maisie Manders and enjoy a few well-earned drinks in Manhattan. All aboard!

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

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HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.

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“Only Capone kills like that.”

This is the story of the rise and fall of Al Capone, and the last gasps of Prohibition.

No other gangster compares to Scarface. He’s remained prominent in the American consciousness for 100 years due to his overt violence and lavish lifestyle, funded by *ahem* unsavory business practices. He brazenly orders murders like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but he also doesn’t hesitate to get his own hands dirty when it comes to traitors. Capone seems to have jumped onto the mob scene ready-made, cutting his teeth on hustling New York shoeshine boys as a teenager. The consummate crime lord rises to the top of Chicago’s seething criminal underworld at just 26 years old, and boy, does he excel. He’s raking in millions from an unholy combination of alcohol sales, brothels, gambling halls, etc.

The well-dressed mafioso looks invincible, but Chicago’s “untouchables” (clean cops) are doing their best to bring Capone down. However, even though he’s taken to court, he’s got most of the Chicago police force in his pocket and witnesses keep disappearing—is it such a stretch to think that he’ll walk? And can the courts make the charges stick to this bootlegger when there’s talk of repealing Prohibition?

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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

• go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
• join discussions in our Facebook community
• get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette
• come see a live show
• get HTDS merch
• or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.

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"We have only been making a little salt-water tea."

This is the story of the Boston Tea Party. The East India Company and the needs of the global British Empire are intertwined, and Parliament wants the American colonies to help foot the bill by drinking the company's tea. The East India Company sends its tea to America on seven ships. Four head to Boston. Three will make it. To be clear: the ships make it. The tea won't.

This Second Edition episode is a rewritten, rerecorded, and remastered version of the original episode that aired on October 16, 2017. Head to HTDSpodcast.com to find out how to listen to the original.

___

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

• go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
• join discussions in our Facebook community
• get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette
• come see a live show
• get HTDS merch
• or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices