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Louis Wigfall. Origin and Character Wigfall was born on a plantation in the vicinity of Edgefield, South Carolina, to a prosperous merchant from Charleston, while his mother hailed from French Huguenot lineage. Tragically, his father passed away when Wigfall was merely two years old, and he lost his mother at the age of thirteen. He […]
The Duchess of Windsor. Attributed to Angela Laviosa. Courtesy of Wikipedia. In Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties, and the Making of Wallis Simpson, New York Times bestselling author Paul French examines a controversial and revealing period in the early life of the legendary Wallis, Duchess of Windsor–her one year in China. Read on […]
The Louis Blanc, piloted by Eugène Farcot. Part of the Balloon Post. Historical Context: The Franco-Prussian War and the Siege of Paris The Franco-Prussian War began in 1870, with Prussian forces quickly overwhelming French defenses. By September, Paris was completely encircled by Prussian troops, cutting off communication with the rest of the country. The Government […]
Portrait of Sarah Josepha Hale painted by James Reid Lambdin, circa 1831. James Reid Lambdin/Wikimedia Commons hide caption toggle caption James Reid Lambdin/Wikimedia Commons Portrait of Sarah Josepha Hale painted by James Reid Lambdin, circa 1831. James Reid Lambdin/Wikimedia Commons The Thanksgiving story most of us hear is about friendship and unity. And that’s what […]
In Resist, award-winning journalist Rita Omokha charts the last century of civil rights activism, from the early years of renowned activist Ella Baker and others she inspired, to the first glimpse of allyship in the Bates Seven and a renewed examination of the Black Panther Party, all the way to the current generation of young […]
This bust was found in the Licinian Tomb in Rome. It is thought to be Crassus, although this is disputed. Source: Sergey Sosnovskiy, available here. Led by Crassus, one of Rome’s wealthiest men and a member of the First Triumvirate, the Roman forces had embarked on a campaign against the Parthians, expecting to expand Rome’s […]
Illustration of Socrates, in a basket, based on Aristophanes’s The Clouds. Was Socrates a real person? is one of the most googled questions about perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Socrates’s existence as a historical figure is, however, universally accepted by scholars. He was executed in 399 BCE, aged over seventy, so it’s estimated […]
Naga tribesmen, circa 1905. The agreement reached in 1975 became a flashpoint for division and militarization within the Naga National Movement. Key leaders rejected the Accord outright, arguing that accepting the Indian Constitution and laying down arms amounted to surrendering Naga independence- anyone who did sign this meant he or she was a traitor. This […]
Robin Hood with Sir Guy. From Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest by Louis Rhead. The tales of Robin Hood demonstrate many stories adapted to their time period. As the culture changes so do their heroes. For example, the later tales written during the Reformation included a corrupt […]
Today on the show, we’re taking you behind the scenes. We’ll tell you how Throughline was born, some of what goes into making our episodes, and a little bit about how we make our special sauce — the Throughline rizz, as the kids say. If you want more of these behind-the-scenes conversations become a Throughline+ […]