Stuff You Missed in History Class

The final stages of the expedition to summit Denali were grueling for Walter Harper and the rest of the team. And after that accomplishment, Harper's life was tragically short.

Research:

• Bishop, Click. “Sponsor Statement SB-144 – Walter Harper Day.” Alaska State Legislature. https://www.akleg.gov/basis/get_documents.asp?session=31&docid=58198
• Dean, Patrick. “How Hudson Stuck's Ascent of Denali Boost...

While working as a guide in his youth, Walter Harper met and worked for a man named Hudson Stuck. Their friendship would lead to Walter becoming the first person to reach the summit of Denali.

Research:

• Bishop, Click. “Sponsor Statement SB-144 – Walter Harper Day.” Alaska State Legislature. https://www.akleg.gov/basis/get_documents.asp?session=31&docid=58198
• Dean, Patrick. “How Hudson Stuck's Ascent...

The cranberries we typically eat are native to North America, though they are also grown in other places. How did they become a standard part of the holiday table?

Research:

• Albanese, Ellen. “A brief history of the cranberry—Cape Cod’s most important fruit.” Cape Cod Life. 2016 Annual. https://capecodlife.com/a-brief-history-of-the-cranberry-cape-cods-most-important-fruit/
• Banks, Sir Joseph, and Sir Jos...

No dogs or cats here! A number of unorthodox pets have arrived at the White House and become part of the first family in very unusual ways throughout history.

Research:

• “All Creatures Great and Small: Ground Floor Pet Sculptures.” The White House. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/holiday/2002/groundfloor/05.html
• “An Animal Often Misjudged.” Evening Star. Nov. 28, 1926. https://www.newspapers....

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s most well-known art is the Dogs Playing Poker series. He was a true Renaissance man, and even patented a style of kitsch art. 

Research:

• Arn, Jackson. “Why This Painting of Dogs Playing Poker Has Endured for over 100 Years.” Artsy. June 6, 2018. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-painting-dogs-playing-poker-endured-100-years
• Barry, Dan. “Artist’s Fame I...

The third installment of our Charles Sumner episode covers how, two days after Charles Sumner delivered an incendiary speech before the senate, Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina came into the Senate chamber and attacked Sumner at his desk.

Research:

• "Sumner, Charles (1811-1874)." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A148425674/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&si...

The second installment of our episode on Charles Sumner picks up in the wake of his controversial antiwar speech. He next argued a school integration case before the Massachusetts supreme judicial court.

Research:

• "Sumner, Charles (1811-1874)." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A148425674/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=95485851. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
• &...

The first installment of the deeper examination of Charles Sumner's life begins with his early years, including his close relationships with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Samuel Gridley Howe.

Research:

• "Sumner, Charles (1811-1874)." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A148425674/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=95485851. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
• “Rober...

Cat litter, it could be argued, kicked off the pet products industry. After its invention in the 1940s, other inventors started to come up with products that today are standard in the homes of people with pets.

Research:

• Caminiti, Kasey. “Inside the Secret Lives of Pets With Allen Simon.” DuJour. https://dujour.com/life/allen-simon-founder-wee-wee-pad-pet-products/
• “Clays.” U.S. Geological Survey. https...

Ballooning became a huge fad starting in the late 18th century, and there was a surprising amount of rioting associated with it. Fervor, excitement, and intoxication in some instances, meant that balloon events were prone to get out of control.

Research:

• Bond, Elizabeth Andrews. “Popular Science and Public Participation.” From The Writing Public: Participatory Knowledge Production in Enlightenment and Revolutionary...