6 Little-Known Crises And Lockdowns Of U.S. History

Alex Schmidt is joined by Jody Avirgan (FiveThirtyEight, 30 For 30) and Nicole Hemmer (historian, author 'Messengers Of The Right'). Jody & Nicole host a fantastic new podcast called 'This Day In Esoteric Political History'. On this show, the three of them share amazing stories from T.D.I.E.P.H., and from elsewhere, about America facing shutdown-level crises. It turns out the United States often faces pandemics, crashes, and weather cataclysms that disrupt national life for months or even years. Those events don't loom large in our collective historical memories, despite being important reminders of our country's resilience in the face of bizarre national danger...and reminders that thoughtful collective action is as American as apple pie, baseball, and revolting against the British.

Footnotes

This Day In Esoteric Political History Podcast

Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics, by Nicole Hemmer

The East Coast Dims Out -- T.D.I.E.P.H. Podcast

Wilson Gets The Flu -- T.D.I.E.P.H. Podcast

The Forgotten Crash -- T.D.I.E.P.H. Podcast

1 Way To Make An Emoji Podcast (Alex's Squarespace website)

Shakespeare in lockdown: did he write King Lear in plague quarantine?/The Guardian

Trump Campaign Manager Debuts Trump-Branded Face Mask; Twitter Critics Flip/Huffington Post

Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82, by Elizabeth Anne Fenn

History of Smallpox/CDC

George Washington's trip to Barbados/Mountvernon.org

The epic volcano eruption that led to the 'Year Without a Summer'/Washington Post

Year Without a Summer/The Paris Review

1816: The Year Without a Summer/New England Historical Society

15 Facts About 'The Year Without a Summer'/Mental Floss

The July 1936 Heat Wave/NOAA

The Great Heat Wave of 1936; Hottest Summer in U.S. on Record/Weather Underground

Summer Heat Wave of 1936/Farmer's Almanac

Next to 1936, '05 Is No Sweat/New York Times

Dust Bowl Worries Swirl Up As Shelterbelt Buckles/NPR

History of Air Conditioning/Energy.gov

The Cool History of the Air Conditioner/Popular Mechanics

Tennessee Valley Authority/Encyclopedia Britannica