Who Knew? A History Podcast

Mary Cassatt is one of the most important artists in American history, and much of her time was spent in Paris, France. But as we return to the Columbian Exposition for our latest Who Knew? episode, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon will dive into Cassatt's impact and influence in Chicago, her travels throughout Europe, and what makes something a distinct "Cassatt" painting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

As Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon return to Chicago and the Columbian Exposition, we focus on the man who designed its fairgrounds: Frederick Law Olmsted. In our latest episode from Season Two, we explore Olmsted's varied life and career as a businessman, farmer, Union soldier, and what he is best known for, landscape architect and designer of some of America's most celebrated parks and public gardens. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

We're back! After months of delays, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are pleased to bring you an all-new episode of Who Knew? A History Podcast! And we return to Chicago and the Columbian Exposition of 1893 to take in one of its premier attractions - the Ferris Wheel. This episode is packed with lots of information - design, fair amusements, the proper pronunciation of college names, and quicksand! But at the heart of the episode is one engineer whose singular vision would bring about an attraction that not only bears his name, but would become a hallmark of fairs and amusements around the world. Original music composed and performed by Matthew Brown. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

We know many of you have been patiently waiting for our next episodes about the Chicago World's Fair. We were on track to get them published over the summer, but between vacations, family obligations, and the eventual start of the school year, we fell a little bit behind. But fear not! Mrs. Allgood and I are hard at work editing the remaining World's Fair episodes, and we hope to have them up in the future. We're also making plans for our summer season in 2022, when we'll be exploring a brand new topic, and one we think fans will be very excited about! To stay up to date on the latest episodes, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you so much for your support of Who Knew? A History Podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

The Columbian Exposition of 1893 is linked to several famous American food brands, including Vienna Beef Hot Dogs and Hershey's Chocolate. But it was also the debut of Aunt Jemima, the famous mascot for the ready-made pancake mix brand. And in the years since, the mascot and the brand have been the topic of controversy. In our second episode of season two, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon explore the origins of the pancake company, as well as the troubling roots of the character, how she was portrayed, and how events in the 21st century have forced a reckoning around how history depicts certain figures and eras. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are back for Season Two of Who Knew? A History Podcast! And this season, we're taking the listeners back in time to an event that created modern America - the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. In our first episode, we explore how the fair ultimately landed in Chicago, the construction process, and finally, Mrs. Allgood gives us a tour of what a spectator would see at the "White City." A special shout-out goes to O'Connell student Matthew Brown, who wrote and composed all of the incredible music you'll hear throughout this season! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are back to answer your questions, with special guest and fellow O'Connell Social Studies teacher Mr. Kasakove! In this bonus episode, we answer questions sent in by our current APUSH students. What is the coolest fact we've ever learned from a student? Which president would you least want to have dinner with? Why is there a weird "nub-thing" that's part of Minnesota? We answer these questions and many more! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are back for a bonus Halloween episode! What do dead cows, black cats, and a rat infestation have in common? They're all connected to the "Witch of Pungo," an urban legend in Virginia Beach, VA. In this bonus episode, we'll discuss Grace Sherwood, the first person arrested and tried in colonial America for the crime of witchcraft, and how her story tells us much about life in Virginia in the 1600's and 1700's. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

We've reached the season finale of Who Knew?, so Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood are cracking open an ice cold can of knowledge about Coca-Cola! In this episode, we explore how the beverage has origins in the Civil War, as well as the patent medicine craze of the late 1800's and early 1900's. We'll also discuss the shady business dealings around the growth of the brand, and how Diet Coke sold at McDonald's is scientifically proven to taste better! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

She's beauty, she's grace, she's....Mrs. Cottrell! Join Mrs. Allgood and special guest Mrs. Cottrell, another Social Studies teacher at Bishop O'Connell High School, as they explore the history of New Jersey's favorite summer tradition, The Miss America Pageant. In this episode we discuss how history is not all cut-and-dry, and how post-war America has constantly reinvented the "American woman." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

What do you get when you cross Mr. Rixon's love of sports with Mrs. Allgood's love of the Golden Age of Hollywood? You get Esther Williams! In our latest episode, we discuss some of the double standards that women swimmers faced in the 1920's and 1930's, and how she turned her swimming skills into a movie career. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

In March 2020, Joe Biden announced that if he won the Democratic nomination, he would select a woman to be his running mate. In light of that decision, Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood go back in time this week to discuss the first woman ever nominated for a presidential ticket, Geraldine Ferraro. We will explore her childhood in New York, her career as a teacher, lawyer, and Congresswoman, and the factors that put her on the ticket in 1984. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

The "Wild West" is perhaps the most romanticized period in American history, filled with cowboys, gun fights, stagecoaches, and saloons. And it has been populated by figures that have become myths and legends, including Calamity Jane. But how much of Calamity Jane's story was real? In our latest episode, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon will try to reveal the true story of Martha Jane Canary. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Prior to the 1990's, the Internet was the exclusive domain of university professors, as well as "hackers and hobbyists," who built their own computers and had mastered the language of coding. But corporate executive Steve Case had a vision of creating a "bulletin board" that average computer owners could use to "surf the web." His vision eventually became America Online, and the story of its rise and fall is the topic of our latest episode, as Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood reminisce about "dial-up," our AIM screen names, and how the service became a staple of 90's and 2000's culture. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

The bagel has become a staple of the American breakfast, particularly for teachers like Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood. And, like so many popular American foods, it was brought here by immigrants, in this case, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. In today's episode, we'll explore the difficult conditions under which bagel bakers worked, and how their fight to protect themselves and their traditions brought breakfast and brunch in New York City to a halt in 1951. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

On November 7, 2000, Americans headed to the polls to cast their vote in the Presidential election, but the voters did not know the result for another 36 days. The story of that election and its hotly contested recount is the topic of our latest episode. We'll briefly discuss the two candidates, Al Gore and George W. Bush, the drama surrounding election night and the subsequent recount in Florida, and how millions of Americans became so familiar with "chads." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mystery. Intrigue. An aggressive zombie disease. SOUND EFFECTS?! Join Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood for the final episode in our summer-listening series, "Who Knew? Presents: The New World". In this episode we take a deep dive into the origins of English colonialism in North America, while also addressing some of the more quirky conspiracy theories surrounding one of the greatest mysteries in early American history...the lost colony of Roanoke! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

In this episode Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood take a quick sojourn to the north where we dig into the legacy of the French in early colonial history! If you've ever found yourself curious about Jesuits, the macabre, or kettle corn...this is the episode for you! Join us, won't you?, for 30 minutes of intrigue and reflections on national identity and the fabric of our founding! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

In episode 3, Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood explore the intricacies of the wackiest state in the union...Florida! By exploring the Spanish colonial influences on this peculiar peninsula, we uncover exactly what makes Florida a little different from her northern states. Tune in for action, conquistadors, a mystical youth fountain, and BOA CONSTRICTORS! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Have you ever wondered, what was the currency of the ancient Pacific Northwesterners? Just what do all of those totem pole symbols mean?" Or, exactly what IS a death bed party?! For all of these answers...AND MORE...tune in to episode two of "Who Knew?! Presents: The New World". In this episode Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood take a (metaphorical) trip to the Pacific Coast to learn more about the cultural and political traditions of the aquatic-based tribes of modern day Washington and Southwest Canada. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are taking a break from their regularly scheduled episodes this week, but wanted to offer the regular listeners a chance to hear what they've been working on. It's a five-part limited series called Who Knew Presents: The New World, where they explore elements of early American history, including the indigenous peoples of the Americas, and the Europeans who arrived beginning in 1492. In this first episode, Mr. Rixon takes us through Mesa Verde National Park, one of the most impressive structures of Pueblo Native Americans. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

This past Friday, communities across the United States celebrated Juneteenth, when, in 1865, Union troops announced to the last slaves in Texas that they were free. Juneteenth has been commemorated by African American communities for 155 years...so why has it become so important right now? In this week's episode of Who Knew?, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon explore the origins of Juneteenth, how African Americans have celebrated the holiday throughout history, and how societies choose to honor, as well as ignore, parts of their past. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

As the United States continues to confront the issues of policing, crime prevention, and mass incarceration, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon wanted to provide the listeners with another episode that may help shed light on some of these conversations - the 1994 Crime Bill signed by President Bill Clinton. We'll offer some historical background on crime as a campaign issue in the 1980's, how Democrats tried to wrestle it back from Republicans in 1992, and how present-day Americans are struggling with the bill's long-term consequences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has led to a week of protests and marches across the country, forcing us to confront the issues of systemic racism and police violence against African American communities. We wanted to provide our listeners with an episode that we hope will offer some historical context around this issue. We've chosen to highlight Ida B. Wells, an investigative journalist who chronicled the horrific incidents of lynching in the Jim Crow South, as well as someone who marched for civil rights and women's rights during her lifetime. PHOTO - Women of Color marching at the front of the Chicago delegation of NAWSA --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are heading over to the diner and putting some quarters in the jukebox for the latest episode of Who Knew? as we discuss Chuck Berry, the St. Louis-born guitar player who is credited as being the father of rock and roll. We'll dive into Berry's difficult childhood in segregated St. Louis, his meteoric rise to fame, and his legacy to the musical genre that came define the latter half of the 20th century. SOURCES https://www.biography.com/musician/chuck-berry The Day Chuck Berry Drove Away from Syracuse with $20K in his briefcase Chuck Berry Performs Johnny B. Goode - 1958 (from YouTube) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon are back from the Memorial Day weekend with a new episode of Who Knew? In this week's show, we discuss the rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, and which form of current would reign supreme in the new electrical age. We'll talk about their early childhoods, their feuds in the American press, and their ultimate "battle" at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

In the latest installment of Who Knew?, Mr. Rixon and Mrs. Allgood take the listeners to a galaxy far, far, away.... Well, actually, we're going to the year 1977, when a California-born film director released his obscure "space opera" in a handful of movie theaters across the country. This episode will explore the life and career of George Lucas, and how his crowning achievement, Star Wars, forever changed the film industry, including how movies are made, and how they are sold and marketed. May the Force Be With You! SOURCES Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004) https://www.biography.com/filmmaker/george-lucas https://www.lucasfilm.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Mrs. Allgood's internet has returned! And just in time - because we need to talk about Mary Mallon, a.k.a. "Typhoid Mary". In this episode of Who Knew? A History Podcast, Mrs. Allgood walks through one of history's most vilified figures, whose nickname is now synonymous with sickness and disease. But in digging into her story, we learn that the real-life Mary Mallon is a misunderstood and tragic figure, and her life has many parallels to the issues of public health and individual liberty that we are confronting today. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Due to some technical issues, Mrs. Allgood couldn't join Mr. Rixon for their regularly scheduled podcast - so you get a bonus podcast! We called in the help of John Meehan, our colleague at Bishop O'Connell High School and a HUGE pro wrestling fan, to dive into the legacy of Vince McMahon, founder of World Wresting Entertainment, and how pro wrestling is often a reflection of American culture. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

In 1968, Arthur Ashe, a soft-spoken tennis player from Richmond, Virginia, became the first African American man to win the U.S. Open. Ashe did not strike many observers as someone who would become a vocal activist on racial issues. but that's exactly what happened. In our latest episode of Who Knew?, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon will put Ashe's victory in the context of 1968, one of the most tumultuous years in U.S. history. We will also explore his early life in the segregated South, his battles on and off the tennis court, and his fight against HIV/AIDS. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Most of us know the face of the jovial, mustachioed Chef Boyardee on a can of Beefaroni, smiling at you from the shelf on the grocery aisle. But Boyardee isn't a made-up mascot for a brand of Italian-American food. His real name was Ettore Boiardi, and in this episode, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon explore his life story, which is an intersection of immigration, industrialization, and business success in the United States. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

For much of the 20th century, infantile paralysis, or polio, was a public health crisis in the United States. In 1916 alone, polio took the lives of six thousand Americans, and left thousands more paralyzed. But in 1954, after several years of tireless research, Jonas Salk developed a vaccine that would make polio an afterthought. In this episode, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon will explore the life of Jonas Salk, the science of polio and its impact on public life, how a president raised awareness around the disease, and how Salk became a national hero. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

On May 29, 1851 a former slave gave a speech at the annual Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio which would go down as one of the most powerful speeches in American history. That slave had changed her name to Sojourner Truth, and she's the topic our latest episode. Mrs. Allgood will explore Truth's difficult upbringing as a slave in upstate New York, how she ultimately gained her freedom, and the loneliness that often accompanied her struggles as a black woman abolitionist fighting not only against slavery, but inequality experienced by women. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message

Welcome to the very first episode of Who Knew? A History Podcast! In this episode, Mrs. Allgood and Mr. Rixon discuss Thomas Jefferson: teenage millionaire, paleontologist, and noted coffee drinker. Wait, what?! Those aren't usually facts you hear about with Thomas Jefferson, but we decided to change things up and explore some of of Jefferson's many interests, along with his more famous exploits. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allgood-rixondjo/message