Barbed wire began as a humble solution to a humble problem: fencing the vast, treeless expanses of the American West. But this simple invention—two twisted strands studded with sharp steel barbs - would soon change the course of history. From reshaping the American frontier to fueling violence, displacing Indigenous nations, and fencing the battlefields and concentration camps of the 20th century, barbed wire earned its ominous nickname: The Devil’s Rope. In this episode, we trace the dramatic journey of barbed wire, from patent wars and range wars to trench warfare and totalitarian terror.

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In this thought-provoking episode of History Shorts, bestselling author John Green joins us, not to talk about fiction, but about the real-world epidemic that once shaped everything from art to architecture, medicine to morality. His new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, traces how tuberculosis (TB) didn’t just ravage lungs, it infected our language, our culture, and our sense of beauty and tragedy. Together, we dive into how TB shaped the Romantic era, influenced urban design, gave us the sanatorium and the selfie, and why it became a metaphor for everything from genius to grief.

This is not just a conversation about a disease; it’s about how a centuries-long epidemic shaped who we are, how we think, and what we value.

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THIS WEEK'S COLLECTOR.COM ARTICLE SELECTION:

1. Romanticizing Death: Art in the Age of Tuberculosis
2. 4 Diseases that Impacted & Altered Human Existence

Between 1866 and 1871, a secretive Irish-American paramilitary group known as the Fenians launched a series of bizarre and audacious cross-border attacks from the U.S. into Canada. Their mission? To strike at the British Empire by seizing Canadian territory and ransoming it for Irish independence. Though the Fenian Raids failed militarily, they left a surprising legacy—spurring Canadian nationalism, hastening Canadian confederation, and complicating U.S.-British diplomacy. In this episode, we unpack the motives, missteps, and aftermath of one of the strangest invasions in North American history.

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Just off a quiet back road in Salem, New Hampshire, sits a baffling jumble of dolmen-like chambers, serpentine walls, and precisely aligned monoliths known today as “America’s Stonehenge.” Is it a colonial root-cellar maze, a Native ceremonial calendar, or proof of ancient trans-Atlantic voyagers? This episode traces the site’s discovery, fringe-theory circus, solar alignments, and ongoing archaeological tug-of-war, asking why a pile of rocks in the New England woods still sparks debate after 200 years.

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In September 1944, while Allied troops battled overseas, the quiet Illinois town of Mattoon was seized by panic. Families awoke to a sickly-sweet odor, burning throats, and sudden paralysis, then glimpsed a shadowy figure slipping into the darkness. For two breathless weeks, newspaper headlines screamed of an “Anesthetic Prowler,” armed neighbors patrolled the streets, and the FBI weighed sabotage or chemical crime. Yet in the end, no culprit and no clear cause were ever found. Was it an industrial leak, a wartime spy, a malicious prankster, or mass hysteria born of home-front stress? This episode unpacks one of America’s strangest unsolved mysteries and asks what happens when fear itself becomes contagious.

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Deadwood, Dakota Territory, 1876. A town of gold, grit, and gamblers. Among its rogues and prospectors walked a legend: Wild Bill Hickok, the Civil War scout turned gunslinger turned gambler. But on August 2nd, fate caught up to the myth. In a smoky saloon, with a hand of cards and his back to the door, Hickok was shot dead by a coward with a grudge. This episode unpacks the gripping true story of the man behind the legend and how the Old West’s most feared gunman met his end not in a duel, but in an ambush.

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In this episode of History Shorts, we explore the fascinating and often frustrating history of third parties in American politics, just as Elon Musk launches his own. From the Republican Party's origins as a third-party insurgency to the fleeting promise of Ross Perot and the Reform Party, we trace the moments when political outsiders challenged the system, and when they crashed against it. What does history teach us about third parties? Why do they so often fail? And can Musk’s new venture break the mold, or is it destined to become a footnote? Join us as we walk through the surprising successes, sobering failures, and enduring influence of America’s third-party movements.

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In the borderlands of Missouri, where the American Civil War devolved into personal feuds and guerrilla terror, one name echoed louder, and bloodier, than the rest: “Bloody Bill” Anderson.

Feared by Union soldiers, hated by Unionist civilians, and idolized by vengeful Confederate bushwhackers, Anderson wasn’t just a man; he was a menace. His savage reign of ambushes, executions, and mutilations left a trail of horror across Missouri, culminating in the Centralia Massacre, where over 120 Union soldiers were killed, many after trying to surrender.

This episode dives deep into the life and legacy of William T. Anderson, exploring how a young man forged by trauma became one of the most sadistic figures in Civil War history. We examine the broader guerrilla war in Missouri, the personal vendettas that fueled its violence, and the dark aftermath that bled into America’s outlaw era.

Was he a Confederate avenger? A terrorist? A man driven mad by loss? Join us as we unravel the grim tale of “Bloody Bill” Anderson.

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