Historical Blindness

As a companion piece to my episode on the Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, I look at another influential but dubious anti-Catholic book. In The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop crafts a far reaching conspiracy theory founded on a questionable understanding of history to claim that Roman Catholicism has a secret pagan core. But pseudohistory, while academic sounding enough to convince many, is just fiction in fancy clothes. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to view images associated with the topic and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, as a response to the growing nativism in our our own time, I look at early 19th century anti-Catholic narratives, specifically escaped nun stories and convent exposes, and hoaxes that in some cases led to riots. Check out the blog at historicalblindness.com for images to go with this story, as well as a list of citations and some links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm re-releasing my first Patreon bonus episode here for all my listeners to check out. Each month, I release a Blindside episode that serves as a companion piece for or a continuation of a recent episode. This first Blindside goes into the Red Barn Murder, which I had occasion to briefly mention in my episode on Spring-Heeled Jack back in October. Consider pledging as little as a dollar a month to my Patreon campaign at www.patreon.com/historicalblindness to get ad-free episodes, teasers, and all Blindside bonus content.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a coda to my series on the Killing of Dr. King, I look at some events that transpired in far more recent history than I customarily examine. In the 1990s, James Earl Ray's final attorney, one Dr. Pepper, managed to make a media circus of the case with the revelation of a dubious confession by someone other than Ray. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for images and links to further reading.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third part of this series on the King assassination, I look at James Earl Ray's views on race and indications that he not only was planning King's assassination for some time, but also that he may have had accomplices. Introduction provided by Sebastian Major, host of Our Fake History. Be sure to check out his show if you aren't already listening! And visit the website at historicalblindness.com after Tuesday February 12 to check out the blog post with images and links to further reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my series on the MLK assassination, I examine Dr. King's relationships with people in power who some say might have arranged for his death, and I evaluate his convicted assassin's claims that he was a patsy set up by a mystery figure named Raoul. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com to view images and find links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this premiere installment of a series on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I honor Dr. King ahead of the MLK holiday by telling the story of his life and work beginning my examination of the circumstances surrounding his much-debated death. Some soundbites on this episode are from the fantastic documentary King in the Wilderness. Be sure to visit the blog at historicalblindness.com for links to further reading and videos of MLK's moving speeches.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Holidays! As promised, my Christmas Special is here, in which I examine the origin of Christmas traditions with special guest Brian Earl of the Christmas Past podcast. Check out his show and his website at ChristmasPast.media.  All Christmas music on this episode is from composer Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com, licensed under Creative Commons. Attributions below:   "Wish Background" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Oh Holy Night" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Angels We Have Heard on High" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As promised, here's more bonus content while on my hiatus. This is my first interview on the show. Mike Dash is a great historian who does fascinating work that I have drawn from in a few episodes. You can find work on Smithsonian.com and at his own blog, as well as in his numerous books. I hope you enjoy Mike's interview as much as I enjoyed speaking with him! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this companion piece to my episode on the devilish Spring-Heeled Jack, I follow the trail of the Great Devon Mystery, looking to uncover the truth behind the so-called Devil's Hoofmarks. In February of 1855, mysterious tracks appeared overnight all across the county of Devon in England. In this final Halloween episode and the last episode before the show's hiatus, I consider what might have left its mark in the snow that night. Find the blog post for this episode at historicalblindness.com to see imagery and follow links to further reading.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices