The Free City of Danzig

COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) remains one of the most contentious and clandestine operations in American history. Initiated by the FBI in 1956, COINTELPRO operated covertly to surveil, infiltrate, discredit, and disrupt civil rights groups, political organizations, and individuals deemed subversive or threatening to national security. Targeting African American leaders, the civil rights movement, left-wing activists, and anti-war groups, COINTELPRO's actions continue to provoke debates on the balance between security and civil liberties in the U.S.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

12 Jul 10min

In this wide-ranging and deeply insightful conversation, award-winning author and narrative historian Hampton Sides joins History Shorts to discuss his latest book, The Wide Wide Sea, a gripping account of Captain James Cook’s third and final voyage in search of the Northwest Passage. From stories of colonial contact in Polynesia to the legacy of exploration and the unexpected consequences that followed, Sides reflects on what drew him to the subject and what makes narrative history so compelling. Along the way, he shares personal stories of growing up in Memphis, his early journalism career, his friendship with the son of Civil War historian Shelby Foote, and what it means to bring history alive on the page.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE COLLECTOR.COM   LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/   THIS WEEK'S THE COLLECTOR.COM ARTICLE SELECTION: 1. 4 Famous Explorers from the Age of Exploration 2. Meet the Maori: History & Culture of Aotearoa's People

11 Jul 32min

The tale of the “Man in the Iron Mask” is one of history’s most intriguing and enigmatic mysteries. A figure imprisoned under the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, his identity and the reasons for his prolonged confinement remain shrouded in secrecy to this day. Was he a royal relative, a political rival, or an unknown prisoner? This episode explores the mystery surrounding the Man in the Iron Mask, the theories about his identity, and the captivating historical backdrop of 17th-century France that set the stage for his bizarre fate.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

10 Jul 9min

The Peggy Eaton Affair, or Petticoat Affair, is one of the most intriguing political scandals in early U.S. history, involving President Andrew Jackson, his Cabinet, and a scandalous dispute centered around the wife of Jackson's Secretary of War, John Eaton. This personal drama quickly escalated into a full-blown political crisis that reshaped Jackson’s administration and revealed the complicated intersection of gender, politics, and power struggles in 19th-century America. The scandal would have lasting consequences for political allegiances and Jackson's inner circle.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

9 Jul 9min

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study stands as one of the most egregious medical scandals in U.S. history. Spanning from 1932 to 1972, this study followed 399 Black men in Macon County, Alabama, who were deliberately denied treatment for syphilis in order to observe the disease’s progression. Despite the availability of penicillin in the 1940s, these men were subjected to unethical experimentation, marking a horrific chapter in American medicine that exposed the intersection of racial exploitation, medical malpractice, and the systemic dehumanization of Black Americans.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

8 Jul 8min

The Bible, while primarily a spiritual text, is rich with dramatic and often bloody tales of battle, where divine intervention and human ambition collide. From the fall of Jericho to the final battle of Armageddon, these conflicts shaped the history and faith of Israel. This episode explores some of the Bible's most epic and violent battles, examining not just the bloodshed but the spiritual and divine significance behind each confrontation.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

7 Jul 11min

On April 12, 1864, the banks of the Mississippi River ran red with blood. At Fort Pillow in western Tennessee, Confederate troops under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest overran a Union outpost largely defended by Black soldiers, many of them formerly enslaved. But what happened after the battle began would echo through history as one of the most brutal atrocities of the American Civil War. This episode tells the full, harrowing story of the Fort Pillow Massacre, a chilling event that laid bare the deep racial hatred at the core of the Confederate cause. We examine the life and legacy of General Forrest, the firsthand accounts of survivors, and the political shockwaves that followed. Was it an unfortunate consequence of battle, or a war crime born of white supremacy? We follow the massacre’s reverberations through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and into the present day as the United States continues to reckon with the legacy of racial violence and the myths we tell about the Civil War.   DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

6 Jul 10min

For over four centuries, adventurers, historians, and fortune hunters have been drawn to the mystery of Sir Francis Drake’s treasure. The legendary privateer and pirate amassed vast wealth in his raids on Spanish territories, yet what became of his treasure remains one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries. Was it lost to the sea, buried in the jungles of Central America, or hidden away in the name of crown and country? This episode explores the enduring legend, the life of Drake himself, and the myths surrounding his treasure. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SPONSORED BY THE PODCAST REPUBLIC: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/    LEARN MORE AT: www.historyshortspodcast.com SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise    SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/

5 Jul 10min