Podcast appearances and mentions of Preston Brooks

May 22, 1856. Charles Sumner isn't worried about making friends in the Senate. His rhetoric is inflammatory, almost intentionally. He's an ardent abolitionist in a time when people are still enslaved throughout the South. In his most recent speech, Sumner attacked his colleagues directly, especially pro-slavery Senator Andrew Butler. Butler's cousin, Preston Brooks, is also in Congress, and as a southern gentleman, he decides he has to do something to retaliate. What pushes Preston Brooks to assault Charles Sumner on the Senate floor? And how does this attack help drive Americans towards civil war? Special thanks to Steve Puleo, author of The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union.  Two other books we used to put this episode together: Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War by David Donald, and The Caning of Charles Sumner by Williamjames Hull Hoffer. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1811, Charles Sumner was a prominent American statesman and a fervent abolitionist. Sumner grew up in a society deeply divided over the issue of slavery. He eventually became a powerful voice in the fight against this institution, dedicating his life to the principles of equality and justice. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1851, Sumner quickly became a leading figure in the anti-slavery faction. His passionate speeches and uncompromising stance often put him at odds with pro-slavery congressmen. This led to an incident where Sumner was almost beaten to death with a cane wielded by a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina, Preston Brooks. After recovering from his injuries, Sumner returned to the Senate and worked closely with President Lincoln during the Civil War and was at Lincoln's bedside when he died following his assassination in 1865. For the remaining nine years of his life, Sumner continued to serve in the US Senate and fought tirelessly for the cause of Civil Rights and the equality among races. In this episode of Your History Your Story, our guest is historian, teacher and award-winning author, Stephen Puleo. Stephen will talk about his recently published book, “The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union” and will tell us why he feels that Sumner is one of the most significant figures in American History. Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man Photo(s): Courtesy of Stephen Puleo / YHYS Podcast Support Your History Your Story: Please consider becoming a Patron or making a one time donation via PayPal. - THANK YOU!!! YHYS Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHYS PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHYS: Social Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHYS: Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #yhys #yourhistoryyourstory #history #storytelling #podcast #njpodcast #youhaveastorytoo #jamesgardner To order The Great Abolitionist: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Abolitionist-Charles-Sumner-Perfect/dp/1250276276 Website for Stephen Puleo: https://www.stephenpuleo.com/

Original Air Date: 11/15/2022 Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. Transcript Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22 Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 3: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 1 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21 Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Ch. 6: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 2 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 7: Some Democrats call on McCarthy to resign after comment 'hard not to hit' Pelosi with speaker's gavel - ABC News - Air Date 8-2-21 Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22 Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s Part 2 - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Show Image: Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856. Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain

In this episode, Jonathan talks with Preston Brooks, partner with Cox, Castle, & Nicholson. The firm is a premier law firm that services all things real estate in California. Preston specifically works with developers and municipalities  in the cleanup of brownfield and otherwise contaminated sites that could serve a better use. with redevelopment. In this conversation, we discuss the liabilities for developers of brownfields, potential sources of funds for cleanup, and we go deep into an ongoing project in Lynwood, CA where a known contaminated site is being cleaned up and redeveloped into a grocery store in a food desert.TakeawaysBrownfields are contaminated sites that complicate redevelopment due to the presence of hazardous substances or pollutants.Phase One Environmental Studies are a common tool used to assess the environmental risks of a property, but they may not identify all potential issues.Investors and developers face risks and liabilities associated with cleanup costs, third-party exposure, and regulatory compliance.When considering properties with potential contamination, it is important to conduct thorough due diligence, consult with environmental experts, and assess the risk-reward balance.Redevelopment projects in disadvantaged communities can benefit from state grants and tools like Clara Agreements to address cleanup and liability concerns.Early involvement of environmental consultants and collaboration with regulatory agencies can help navigate the complexities of brownfield redevelopment.Connect with Preston:https://www.coxcastle.com/professionals-brooks-preston-wSupport the podcast by making a monthly donation through Patreon. When you contribute, you'll get access to bonus content not available anywhere else. If you enjoyed this episode, you would probably enjoy reading my weekly newsletter. Every Friday, you'll get a behind the scenes look at my investing, including current events in commercial real estate, deals I'm working on, and random personal things going on in my life. It's a super quick read and you can unsubscribe anytime. - Jonathan Subscribe to the newsletter here: www.thesourcecre.com/newsletterEmail Jonathan with comments or suggestions:podcast@thesourcecre.comOr visit the webpage:www.thesourcecre.com*Some or all of the show notes may have been generated using AI tools.

On this day in 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner with a metal-tipped cane.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Lager is an academic and entrepreneur who lives and teaches in South Carolina. A native of Illinois, Professor Lager obtained his Ph.D in antebellum American History from the University of Tennessee. He currently lectures at The Citadel–that famous Charleston military academy from which so many valiant rebels took their degrees! When outside the classroom, Professor Lager spends his time, well, outside! He is the founder and operator of a burgeoning little business, “Charleston History Walk, LLC”, to which you can find a link below. Combining a professional academic's subject mastery, and a Chicagoan-turned-South Carolinian's natural affability, Professor Lager offers a unique walking tour through one of America's most important and beautiful cities. From this episode, you'll learn…Why, of all places, hostilities broke out at Fort Sumter; Who shot first: The North or the South?; The forgotten “Star of the West”; The lead-up to the Civil War; The “Lame Duck” presidency of James Buchanan; Whether or not Buchanan did enough to prevent war in the winter of 1861; The political battles in which America was engulfed during the first half of the 19th century: The Missouri Compromise, the Kansas Nebraska Act, Dred Scott, etc.; A brief history of South Carolina; Why South Carolina is so historically naughty!; Nullification and secession; John Calhoun, Preston Brooks, and much more! Professor Lager's “Charleston History Walk” link: https://charlestonhistorywalk.com/Next time you're visiting Charleston, SC, be sure to register for one of his tours! Be sure to “like” this video, share it with a fellow history-lover, and subscribe to this channel, my most esteemed friend! Visit me at finneranswake.com where you can read my articles and send me a note at finneranswake@gmail.comIn need of relaxation? Looking to start a meditation practice? Check out my sister project, Pneuma by Daniel FinneranMy latest video is entitled, “How to Keep Calm in a Crazy World”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6RCvBM-ac0Subscribe to it for more sleep stories, meditations, wellness, and mindfulness.Cheers! 

As the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the Capitol rolls around, join The Rebeccas as they look at another episode of violence at the Capitol by examining the case of Rep. Preston Brooks beating Sen. Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate in the few years preceding the Civil War.  Learn about what lead up to this terrible incident, and also what the reactions of citizens across the country meant for the immediate future of the United States. 

Air Date 11/15/2022 Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22 According to Yale historian Joanne Freeman, “The caning of Charles Sumner, which happened in 1856, is pretty much the most famous violent incident in the US Congress.” Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 The Americast team looks at how the attack has led to the sharing of disinformation on social media and Justin and Sarah speak to author Josh Zeitz about the history of political violence in the US. Ch. 3: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 1 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Right-wing violence isn't just sporadic it is a war against American values. The most startling details on right-wing militias, violence, and Trump are coming from Luke Mogelson, an award-winning war reporter. Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21 Our guest and guide this week is Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University. He reminds us that the violence we saw at the Capitol this week is not an anomaly—in fact, political violence is what birthed this nation. Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Sean Ililing talks with author Nicole Hemmer, who shows how the GOP became what it is today Ch. 6: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 2 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 7: Some Democrats call on McCarthy to resign after comment 'hard not to hit' Pelosi with speaker's gavel - ABC News - Air Date 8-2-21 An aide to McCarthy said "he was obviously joking" without commenting further. Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22 Officials say the suspect was targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 “The political violence in our nation's history is organized and purposeful. It is normalized by rhetoric that justifies it, and often encourages it,” writes Jeremi Suri on the attack on Paul Pelosi, in this piece for Time Magazine. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s Part 2 - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Not just winning, defeating - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the bipartisan uses of Rules for Radicals MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Show Image: Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856. Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

When have American leaders confronted particularly hostile political opposition? How can fighting back against an unjust party help the nation? And what might the history of these back-and-forths say about the recent vibe shift in the Democratic Party?  Heather and Joanne discuss other moments where politicians pushed back, from Massachusetts Representative Anson Burlingame's willingness to duel South Carolina's Preston Brooks after the caning of Charles Sumner in 1856, to FDR's 1936 “I Welcome Their Hatred” speech, to the ubiquity of 1980s underdog movies.  Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/when-parties-push-back/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Violence at the airport or over mask mandates, rudeness, crime and reckless driving are all on the rise. Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World (Hachette Go, 2020), explores the theories as to why people are behaving so badly. @BrianLehrer I've noticed people have been PRESSED. I attributed it to folks being locked up in Covid for 2 yrs and warming temps cuz of climate change shortening fuses and simmering tempers — an italian girl from new york (@xmasslh) April 7, 2022 It started in the 90s. Humor on television and movies started glorifying disrespect insults as hilarious. It's been all downhill from there. The pandemic has accelerated and exacerbated the problem, but it did not start the decline. — Francesca (@lacasinera) April 7, 2022 When it comes to politics, too many people are now treating governing like sports. Working together and coming to consensus on laws are considered to be the actions of losers. — Lisa (@vegaslisa777) April 7, 2022 I'll add to the convo about why some folks are harming each other more: I agree w/folks being pressed & untethered, ALSO its the competitiveness that gets stirred up when people think there is scarcity. It raises all our adrenaline & puts folks into fight or flight all the time — Ashley (she/her) (@ACSawyerJustice) April 7, 2022 I'm a car owner but also a biker and pedestrian and the driving out there is insane. Maybe b/c more cars on the road from pandemic (NYC surpassed LA for traffic), construction, etc. People regularly and casually run reds, block bike lanes, drive on wrong side (!). Also real rage. — Avi Glickstein (@HelloHarvi) April 7, 2022 This isn't new. Preston Brooks almost beat Charles Sumner to death on the floor of Congress in the 1800's. — Hugo Chavez's Ghost (@1stab1egenius) April 7, 2022 @BrianLehrer maybe one way these trends connect is that we find out things we thought were necessary, like going to the office, aren't; and so we question whether other things we thought were rules (don't call names, don't wave a gun) are also overthrown — no relation to josh or bethany, those creeps (@bklynharuspex) April 7, 2022 Such a relevant and timely topic, @BrianLehrer. Can't count the # of times I've said to myself recently, "We've lost our minds." I think the "us vs. them" mindset, which is perpetuated by social media, politicians and cable news, drives a lot of these outbursts. — Erin Sandberg (@Erin_Sandberg) April 7, 2022 Olga, there are many types of meditation, consider yoga, Tai chi or jiu jitsu. Inhale pink, exhale blue. — Captain Critical John E. Capobianco (@jecapobianco) April 7, 2022

What if cane fighting remained as the way to settle disputes in the Senate, instead of the filibuster?Politicians in the U.S. used to squash their beefs by smacking each other in the head with canes. Gold-tipped canes. The filibuster replaced the practice in the Senate, and reasoned discourse continues within the hallowed Senate chambers to this day…Alex shows us the dangers of honor culture. Colin rambles about the failure of the filibuster across time.Sorry about the audio quality in this one! It doesn't reflect the sound of the rest of our episodes. Our hosts really blew it on this one.Want to join the OUAT community? Have an idea for a change in history? Join our Facebook page! Edited by Hannah BurkhardtHosted by Alex Smith, Cody Sharp, and Colin Sharp.Milktoast Media LLCShow Sources (Fact check us! Heard something wrong? Let us know.):Hoffer, William James H. The Caning of Charles Sumner: Honor, Idealism, and the Origins of the Civil War. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010. “The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner.” U.S. Senate: The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner, May 4, 2020. “Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner.” ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Accessed November 9, 2020. Little, Becky. “Violence in Congress Before the Civil War: From Canings and Stabbings to Murder.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, July 24, 2019. Fisk, Catherine, and Erwin Chemerinksy. “The Filibuster.” Stanford Law Review 49 (1997): 181–254. McKay, Brett & Kate. “Manly Honor Part V: Honor in the American South.” The Art of Manliness, September 26, 2020.Bilefsky, Dan. “Sworn to Virginity and Living as Men in Albania.” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 23, 2008. Mann, Thomas E., and Norman J. Ornstein. “Finding the Common Good in an Era of Dysfunctional Governance.” Daedalus, vol. 142, no. 2, 2013, pp. 15–24. JSTOR.Coudert, Allison. “Judicial Duels Between Husbands And Wives.” Notes in the History of Art, vol. 4, no. 4, 1985, pp. 27–30. JSTOR.Kane, Paul. “Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear' option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees”. Washington Post. Nov. 21, 2013.Bryan, William Jennings, and Francis W. Halsey. The World's Famous Orations. II, Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1906.Little, Becky. “How Rome Destroyed Its Own Republic”. History.com.

As the sectional crisis gripped the United States, the rancor increasingly spread to the halls of Congress. Preston Brooks's frenzied assault on Charles Sumner was perhaps the most notorious evidence of the dangerous divide between proslavery Democrats and the new antislavery Republican Party. But as disunion loomed, rifts within the majority Democratic Party were every bit as consequential. And nowhere was the fracture more apparent than in the raging debates between Illinois's Stephen Douglas and Mississippi's Jefferson Davis. As leaders of the Democrats' northern and southern factions before the Civil War, their passionate conflict of words and ideas has been overshadowed by their opposition to Abraham Lincoln. But here, weaving together biography and political history, Michael E. Woods restores Davis and Douglas's fatefully entwined lives and careers to the center of the Civil War era.Operating on personal, partisan, and national levels, Woods traces the deep roots of Democrats' internal strife, with fault lines drawn around fundamental questions of property rights and majority rule. Neither belief in white supremacy nor expansionist zeal could reconcile Douglas and Davis's factions as their constituents formed their own lines in the proverbial soil of westward expansion. The first major reinterpretation of the Democratic Party's internal schism in more than a generation, Arguing until Doomsday shows how two leading antebellum politicians ultimately shattered their party and hastened the coming of the Civil War.-Michael E. Woods is an associate professor of history at the University of Tennessee and director of the Papers of Andrew Jackson project.

Hillary and Tina cover former US Senator from Massachusetts Charles Sumner and current political advisor to President Donald Trump, Stephen Miller. For show notes and links to our sources, please click here (https://themuckpodcast.fireside.fm/articles/ep25notes).

Hello, and welcome to This Day in History. Here’s what happened on May 22nd. It seems like a rare occasion these days when politicians from opposing sides see eye to eye, but today’s war of words is nothing like the very real blood that was shed in the Senate chamber on this day in 1856. Amid rising tensions over the expansion of slavery, southern Congressman Preston Brooks savagely beat abolitionist senator Charles Sumner with his cane.

“We can send five thousand--enough to kill every God-damned abolitionist in the Territory.” This is the story of the Civil War’s warm up. The States are increasingly dividing along northern and southern (anti-slavery and pro-slavery) lines, and this that tention is coming out in spades in Kansas. Northerners want to see it become a free state; Southerners want it to be a slave state. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act is meant to produce a meaningful compromise, but it seems to only make things worse! Terrible violence is breaking out: Missourian “Border Ruffians” are illegally voting in Kansas and ruffing up Free state supporters; southern Congressman Preston Brooks beats northern US Senator Charles Sumner nearly to death in the Senate chambers; and abolitionist John Brown is hacking men to death with a broadsword!   Meanwhile, Dred Scott’s suing for his freedom. It isn’t going to go well, and this is only more fuel for America’s raging fire. Peace--or what’s left of it--can’t last.

Brown and the free settlers were optimistic that they could bring Kansas into the union as a slavery-free state. After the winter snows thawed in 1856, the pro-slavery activists began a campaign to seize Kansas on their own terms. Brown was particularly affected by the sacking of Lawrence in May 1856, in which a sheriff-led posse destroyed newspaper offices and a hotel. Only one man, a Border Ruffian, was killed. Preston Brooks's caning of anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner in the United States Senate also fueled Brown's anger. A pro-slavery writer, Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, of the Squatter Sovereign, wrote that "[pro-slavery forces] are determined to repel this Northern invasion, and make Kansas a Slave State; though our rivers should be covered with the blood of their victims, and the carcasses of the Abolitionists should be so numerous in the territory as to breed disease and sickness, we will not be deterred from our purpose". Brown was outraged by both the violence of the pro-slavery forces, and what he saw as a weak and cowardly response by the antislavery partisans and the Free State settlers, whom he described as "cowards, or worse". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist)#Pottawatomie John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry was an effort by armed abolitionist John Brown to initiate an armed slave revolt in 1859 by taking over a United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown's party of 22 was defeated by a company of U.S. Marines, led by First Lieutenant Israel Greene. Colonel Robert E. Lee was in overall command of the operation to retake the arsenal. John Brown had originally asked Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, both of whom he had met in his transformative years as an abolitionist in Springfield, Massachusetts, to join him in his raid, but Tubman was prevented by illness, and Douglass declined, as he believed Brown's plan would fail. https://www.google.com/search?q=john+Brown+plans+Harpers+Ferry&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS721US721&oq=john+Brown+plans+Harpers+Ferry&aqs=chrome..69i57.16991j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Public Access America PublicAccessPod Productions Footage downloaded and edited by Jason at PublicAccessPod producer of Public Access America Podcast Links Review us Stitcher: goo.gl/XpKHWB Review us iTunes: goo.gl/soc7KG Subscribe GooglePlay: goo.gl/gPEDbf YouTube goo.gl/xrKbJb YouTube “Not for ourselves alone, but that we must teach others.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton

One stormy morning in 1880, naturalist John Muir set out to explore a glacier in Alaska's Taylor Bay, accompanied by an adventurous little dog that had joined his expedition. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the harrowing predicament that the two faced on the ice, which became the basis of one of Muir's most beloved stories. We'll also marvel at some phonetic actors and puzzle over a season for vasectomies. Intro: In 1904 a 12-year-old J.R.R. Tolkien sent this rebus to a family friend. In 1856 Preston Brooks beat Charles Sumner with a gold-headed cane on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Sources for our feature on John Muir and Stickeen: John Muir, Stickeen, 1909. Ronald H. Limbaugh, John Muir's "Stickeen" and the Lessons of Nature, 1996. Kim Heacox, John Muir and the Ice That Started a Fire, 2014. Ronald H. Limbaugh, "Stickeen and the Moral Education of John Muir," Environmental History Review 15:1 (Spring 1991), 25-45. Hal Crimmel, "No Place for 'Little Children and Tender, Pulpy People': John Muir in Alaska," Pacific Northwest Quarterly 92:4 (Fall 2001), 171-180. Stefan Beck, "The Outdoor Kid," New Criterion 33:4 (December 2014), 1-6. Edward Hoagland, "John Muir's Alaskan Rhapsody," American Scholar 71:2 (Spring 2002), 101-105. Ronald H. Limbaugh, "John Muir and Modern Environmental Education," California History 71:2 (Summer 1992), 170-177. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, "John Muir" (accessed July 2, 2017). "John Muir: Naturalist," Journal of Education 81:6 (Feb. 11, 1915), 146. William Frederic Badè, "John Muir," Science 41:1053 (March 5, 1915), 353-354. Charles R. Van Hise, "John Muir," Science 45:1153 (Feb. 2, 1917), 103-109. Listener mail: Delta Spirit, "Ballad of Vitaly." Wikipedia, "Aftermath (2017 Film)" (accessed July 14, 2017). Wikipedia, "Überlingen Mid-Air Collision" (accessed July 14, 2017). Anthony Breznican, "'The Princess Bride': 10 Inconceivable Facts From Director Rob Reiner," Entertainment Weekly, Aug. 16, 2013. Wikipedia, "Charlotte Kate Fox" (accessed July 14, 2017). Wikipedia, "Incubus (1966 film)" (accessed July 14, 2017). Wikipedia, "Esperanto" (accessed July 14, 2017). Toño del Barrio, "Esperanto and Cinema" (accessed July 14, 2017). Wikipedia, "Phonetical Singing" (accessed July 14, 2017). Wikipedia, "Deliver Us (The Prince of Egypt)" (accessed July 14, 2017). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was inspired by an item in Dan Lewis' Now I Know enewsletter. (Warning: This link spoils the puzzle.) You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

On this episode of the Freecast, there are more breweries blossoming on Portsmouth's West end. We've got Granite State Progress trying to suspend instead of befriending the FSP. There's Joel acting as Dash's MC and blockchain governance as a philosophy. With the history of Henry Wilson, New Hampshire's only native born VP. Next on the Freecast. News New Brewery coming to Portsmouth's West End Loaded Question Current Bartender at Earth Eagle Brewings, Tom Bath, which he hopes will be open for business in December. This will be the West End's third brewery opening in a year. (Liar's Bench & Great Rhythm being the others) Bath says the space reminds him of a speakeasy. “Loaded Question was conceived on the idea that great beer mimics life. Our favorite beer changes with the season, the time of day, the weather and the crew we are hanging with. When the color, flavor, body and aroma of the beer match the moment it enriches the experience. Loaded Question is dedicated to understanding the infinite possibilities of craft beer and making memorable moments with our fellow beer lover.”   Speaking of West End, State Street Saloon is looking to rebuild in the West End Recently Burned down State Street Saloon is planning to rebuild just not in their previous spot. The location hasn't been confirmed but they are looking to rebuild on Bartlett St in Portsmouth near Great Rhythm. One of the signs from the former Saloon was found in fair condition after the fire and will be restored and put back up in the new place.   Rockingham Democrats holding meeting about Free State Project by Granite State “Progress” Quote from the reporter: “The Free State Project's stated purpose is to move to New Hampshire, take over state government and establish a libertarian ideal of utopia.” Strawman argument and lazy journalism. A quick look at freestateproject.org says the FSP is really about: “The Free State Project is an effort to recruit 20,000 liberty-loving people to move to New Hampshire. We are looking for neighborly, productive, tolerant folks from any and all walks of life, of all ages, creeds, and colors, who agree to the political philosophy expressed in our Statement of Intent, that government exists at most to protect people's rights, and should neither provide for people nor punish them for activities that interfere with no one else.” The Rockingham County Democrats are sponsoring a talk by Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director of Granite State Progress. “Exposing the Free State Project,” Wednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. at the Exeter Inn, 90 Front St. Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. It works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems. Hawkins is founding executive director of Granite State Progress.   State Police will be having DWI style checkpoints for firewood Yes that's right. If you're  heading up to the white mountains to camp, you better not have firewood that's from Rockingham, Belknap, Hillsborough or Merrimack county. Unless you've heated the wood to 160 degrees F for 75 minutes. Apparently there is an invasive insect called the Emerald Ash Borer which targets ash trees in wood from those counties. They can kill ash trees within 3-5 years from initial infection Local happenings LPNH Fisher Cats Night - https://www.lpnh.org/baseball/ June 10th 7pm Special Guest Joël Valenzuela DASH (Digital Cash) Philosophy of Liberty Governing through a Blockchain. Seacoast History Henry Wilson Most people remember Franklin Pierce, the only president from NH. Not many remember vice presidents. Wilson born in Farmington, NH in 1812. Wilson was the only VP born in NH. His birth name was Jeremiah Jones Colbath, his father apparently gave him that name because Jeremiah Jones was a wealthy neighbor of his and was a childless bachelor and hoped that he would bequeath his wealth to Wilson when he died… he didn't. Grew up poor, so poor in fact that Wilson was indentured to a neighboring farmer when he was 10 years old! He worked with the farmer for 10 years! At the end he received 6 sheep and 2 oxen which he sold for $85 Wilson didn't like his birth name and petitioned the NH general court to legally change it to Henry Wilson when he was 21. According to his brother he changed it to Henry Wilson because he read a biography about a teacher in Philadelphia with that name.   The same year he changed his name 1833, Wilson moved to Natick Ma because he was trying to find work. Wilson WALKED there from Farmington. Google maps says that is a 30 hr walk and is 89.8 miles present day. It was probably more then. Wilson got a job making shoes. After learning the trade within a few weeks he bought out his contract for $15 and opened his own shop. He was very successful very quickly, saving hundreds of dollars in a relatively short amount of time. There was a legend saying that he once attempted to make 100 shoes without sleeping but fell asleep with the 100th pair of shoes in his hand. Later in his political years his nickname was “The Natick Cobbler” Working so hard deteriorated his health and so he went to Virginia to recuperate. On a stop in Washington D.C he heard congressional debates on slavery and abolitionism and saw black families being separated from each other while being bought and sold.. Personally this and being indentured himself as a child shaped his political leanings later on He went to Strafford, Wolfeboro and Concord NH academies to further his education. Wilson founded a shoe manufacturing company that employed over 100 people with only a $12 investment to start   Around 1840 Wilson became politically active as a Whig. Member of Mass state senate 1844-1846 and 1850-52, in his latter term he was the senate president. In 1845 Wilson and fellow whig John Greenleaf Whittier submitted a petition to congress to not annex Texas as it would expand slavery. Wilson was a delegate in 1848 for the Whigs but left the party after it nominated slaveholder Zachary Taylor for president. He collaborated with other anti slavery people from democrats, know nothing, free soilers and other anti-slavery whigs.   He joined the Free soil party and was elected to the US senate in 1855 for Massachusetts by a coalition of free soilers, know nothings and anti-slavery democrats. Once in the Senate he was very polarizing. At the height of antebellum tension he got challenged to a duel TWICE! By SC representative Preston Brooks because Brooks had punched and knocked out Senator Charles Sumner and Wilson said Brooks was "brutal, murderous, and cowardly" and California Senator William Gwin who Wilson had made a speech saying Gwin and the California government were corrupt. No dual ever happened though As soon as the congressional session ended in the summer of 1861, Wilson went back to Massachusetts and recruited and equipped 2,300 men to fight in the not-so Civil War And commanded the 22nd Massachusetts regiment from late September to late October. Funny Story: In July 1861 Wilson was present at the first battle of Bull Run, just outside of DC. There were many Senators, representatives, reporters and other elites there. They assumed a quick Union victory. Wilson rode out in a carriage with a picnic hamper of sandwiches to feed the troops. However the confederates routed the Union troops and Wilson was almost captured by the confederates while his carriage was crushed. He had to walk all the way back to Washington by foot. In December 1861 Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery in DC. Signed into law in April 1862. Throughout the war he introduced several other abolishment bills that were signed into law.   In 1872, Wilson became the VP running mate for incumbent Ulysses Grant's presidential campaign. Wilson supported black civil rights(yay), voting rights for women(yay), federal education aid(boo), regulation of businesses(boo), and prohibition of liquor(boo). They ran on the working man's candidate. Grant and Wilson were elected but Wilson was involved in the credit mobilier scandal which Wilson admitted to. He accepted $2,000 from Union Pacific railroad to support legislation for the trans pacific railroad. In May 1873, 2 months into his vice presidency he suffered a stroke and was in poor health until he died 2 years later from another stroke on November 22nd 1875 in the Capitol building. Social media We make the Freecast because we enjoy sharing news, knowledge, and fun with you. Yes you in particular, dear listener. Each one of you matters.   But any good relationship is a two-way street. So here's what you can do to become an active listener…   Give us feedback! You can connect with us at our website freecoastfreecast.com or by emailing freecoastfreecast@gmail.com. This show is for you, so tell us what you want out of it.   Spread the word! If you like the show, don't keep it to yourself! Write an iTunes review, share an episode on social media, write us up on your blog, or do something else creative to promote the show. You wouldn't believe how much encouragement we get out of a few minutes of your effort.   Become a sponsor! We don't do this for an income. All sponsorship funds go to support activities of the liberty community on the Freecoast. It's a great way to show that you care about what we're doing. And we'll be sure to thank you profusely on air!   Featuring: Host Matt Carano, Mike Vine and Nicholas Boyle Special Guests: Joël Valenzuela Producer: Rodger Paxton Editor: Matt Carano

Even as Preston Brooks entered the Senate Chamber on May 22nd, 1856 few would predict the chain of events that he would set in motion, least of all him. A Southern Democrat representing South Carolina, he had heard of and read the speech made by Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner. It had publicly Andrew Butler, who was not only his state’s Senator, but also his cousin. Now he demanded retribution. Whereas he might have demanded a duel, it was, after all his first instinct, he was talked out of it by his fellow Congressman Laurence Keitt. This was, after all, a man below his station. He had proven, in his speech and the language he used, that point. Dueling him would be beneath Brooks. No, if he were to get satisfaction it would be by treating him like the slaves the Northern Abolitionist loved so dearly, and caning him. The events that would follow would become an iconic moment in American history and a turning point as Senator Sumner crumbled unconscious in a pool of his own blood on the floor of the Senate. Though he would recover from his injuries the nation would never be the same. In a sense Brooks would, through his actions, create a unity in the Republican Party that would create a national movement that would, in a few years’ time, deliver the White House to Abraham Lincoln as he set into motion events that would quickly sweep out of control. In a sense he would become the unwilling father of the party he so despised and a movement completely contrary to his nature and his ideology. This is the story of the caning of Charles Sumner….

On May 22, 1856, Preston Brooks attacked Charles Sumner on the floor of the U.S. Senate, striking him repeatedly with a cane until he was unconscious.

In which we look at the brutal caning of Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts by Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina in May, 1856.