1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Hey, history enthusiasts, you get not one, but two events 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: in history today on with the show Hi Um Eve's 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Day in History Class, a show that 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: reveals a little bit more about history day by day. 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: The day was March five, seventy. British troops were occupying Boston, Massachusetts, 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: in an effort to enforce Britain's tax laws, which American 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: colonists were not fans of, so tensions were already high 8 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: in the city, but on this snowy night in Boston, 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: the conflict escalated as a street brawl turned into a 10 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: bloody fight between British soldiers and American colonists. Several people 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: died and more were injured. The battle, which came to 12 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: be known as the Boston Massacre, gave colonists even more 13 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: of a reason to oppose British rule and was one 14 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: of the first steps towards the American Revolution. At the time, 15 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: no taxation without representation was a guiding sentiment for the 16 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: American colonists, who weren't happy with being taxed by a 17 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: parliament that lacked American representation. The colonists also were not 18 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: cool with taxes whose point was to raise money, rather 19 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: than regulate commerce. So in seventeen sixty five, when Parliament 20 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: passed the Stamp Act to impose attacks on all paper 21 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: documents in the colonies, the colonists responded with violence. Parliament 22 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: ended up repealing the Stamp Act in seventeen sixty six, 23 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: but it also issued a declaratory Act that said it 24 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: had the authority to pass any colonial legislation it wanted 25 00:01:54,240 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: to and the colonies had to cooperate. Clearly, British Parliament 26 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: it hadn't learned its lesson. That was made exceedingly clear 27 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: when Britain passed the Townsend Acts in seventeen sixty seven. 28 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: The Acts imposed duties on British china, glass, lead, paint, paper, 29 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: and tea imported to the colonies. So in response to 30 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: the new tax policies, American colonists began protesting and boycotting 31 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: British goods. Patriot colonists, who opposed the taxes and objected 32 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: to British rule even vandalized stores that sold British goods 33 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: and intimidated their merchants and customers. Since conditions in Boston 34 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: were getting out of control, Britain decided to send troops 35 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: to the city to restore order, and the Red Coats 36 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: or British foot soldiers, began arriving in Boston on October one, 37 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: seventeen sixty eight. The soldiers overwhelmed the city, numbering more 38 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: than two thousand by seventeen sixty nine, line among just 39 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: sixteen thousand Boston residents. Never known for being submissive or quiet, 40 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: patriots often got into scuffles with the occupying soldiers. Patriots 41 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: even got into fights with loyalists or American colonists who 42 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: were loyal to the British crown. On February seventeen seventy, 43 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: patriots attacked a loyalist store. A customs officer tried to 44 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: shut down the commotion by firing his gun, and he 45 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: ended up killing an eleven year old boy. And on 46 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: March two and third, British troops and a group of 47 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: Boston ropemakers went toe to toe with each other. Words 48 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: spread that the British Red Coats wanted to duke it 49 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: out with the colonist and that the colonists wanted to 50 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: fight the soldiers. This was the level of hostility in 51 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: Boston when fights broke out on March five, seventeen seventy. 52 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: That evening a wigmaker's apprenticed named Edward Garrick, yelled at 53 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: British Captain John Goldfinch, saying Goldfinch had it paid for 54 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: his wig. Goldfinch ignored Garrick, but British private Hugh White, 55 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: who had been on duty near the customs house on 56 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: King Street, butt an end to defend Goldfinch. White said 57 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: that Goldfinch was an honorable man who would always pay 58 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: his debts, but Garrick wasn't hearing it and kept hurling insults. 59 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: So White hit Garrick in the head with his musket, 60 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: knocking him down. Bystanders rushed to Garrick's aid, throwing snowballs, 61 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: and as more people joined the fight, violence escalated. White 62 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: took cover at the custom house and loaded his weapon. 63 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: British Captain Thomas Preston and seven soldiers ventured into the brawl, 64 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: which was hundreds of people strong. They set up in 65 00:04:55,279 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: a semicircle with their bayonets out. The bob kept throwing 66 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 1: objects at the soldiers. Preston ordered the soldiers not to fire, 67 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: but as a man named crispus Attics grabbed Soldier Hu 68 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: Montgomery's bayonet, Montgomery fell fired his musket and told others 69 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: to fire too. Attics was shot and died. Colonists Samuel 70 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: Gray also died at the scene. Sailor James Caldwell was 71 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: also killed. Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr later died from 72 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: their wounds. Six others were injured. Boston and neighboring towns 73 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: that were already full of tension, erupted with fury. Over 74 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: the next few weeks, competing narratives of the Boston massacre emerged. 75 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: The British soldiers who were involved in the shootings did 76 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: go to trial, but Captain Preston was found not guilty, 77 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: and six of the soldiers were acquitted because it was 78 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: found they had acted in defense. The two other soldiers 79 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: were found guilty of manslaughter. But even after the trials 80 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: were over the effects of the shootings resounded and the 81 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: growing calls for American independence. I'm Eve STEPF Coote, and 82 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 83 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you'd like to learn more about 84 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: the Boston Massacre, listen to the episode of stuff you 85 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: missed in history class called the Boston Massacre, And if 86 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: you're so inclined, you can follow us at t d 87 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: I h C Podcast on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Thank 88 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 1: you for joining me today. See you same place, same 89 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: time tomorrow. Hello everyone, I'm Eves. Welcome to this day 90 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: in history class. We take a tiny bite of history 91 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: every day. The day was March five, nineteen o four. 92 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: Physicist Nicola Tesla attempted to explain ball lightning. To this day, 93 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: the phenomenon of ball lightning has not been explained. People 94 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: have been seeing ball lightning for centuries. It appears as 95 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: orbs of light of varying colors, and it usually shows 96 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: up during thunderstorms. Sometimes it comes down from the clouds, 97 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: sometimes it just materializes in the air, and sometimes it 98 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: enters a room through a window. The phenomenon lasts for 99 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: a few seconds to several minutes, and in some old 100 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: accounts it was described as leaving behind a foul odor. 101 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: Some people have claimed to see it inside their homes 102 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: when a no thunderstorm was occurring, and during World War Two, 103 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: aircraft pilots saw what they called foo fighters or UFOs 104 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: and unexplained atmospheric phenomena. Some of their sightings resembled ball lightning. 105 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: One of the first recorded observations of ball lightning occurred 106 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: in sixteen thirty eight in England. According to eyewitness accounts, 107 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: people were gathered for a Sunday service in the Church 108 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: of St. Pancras. During a thunderstorm, a quote great ball 109 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: of fire burst into the church, ripping apart the roof 110 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: and a window. Old accounts also attribute death to ball lightning. Still, 111 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: scientists have been skeptical about the existence of the phenomenon, 112 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: but there were others who attempted to explain ball lightning 113 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: and to recreate it in the lab Inventor and Engineering. 114 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: Nicola Tesla was one of those people. On March five, 115 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: nine four, Tesla attempted to explain the phenomenon in the 116 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: publication Electrical World and Engineer. The communication was titled the 117 00:08:54,920 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: Transmission of Electric Energy Without Wires. In it, Tesla said quote, 118 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: I never saw fireballs, but as compensation for my disappointment, 119 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: I succeeded later in determining the mode of their formation 120 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: and producing them artificially. Tesla aimed to use the phenomenon 121 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: to transmit telegraph and voice signals, as well as electrical 122 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: power itself through the air. Though there have been plenty 123 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: of theories about what it is and how it forms. 124 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: Ball lightning has not been scientifically explained. It's been proposed 125 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: that ball lightning is made up of photons. It's also 126 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: been suggested that the phenomenon is a small black hole. 127 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: Another theory says that ball lightning is just a hallucination 128 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: caused by the sensory experience of being near a lightning strike. 129 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: Evidence of ball lightning relies on personal sightings. Researchers have 130 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: claimed to capture recordings of the phenomenon happening in nature, 131 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: but it largely remains a scientific mystery. I'm Eve Chef 132 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: Coote and hopefully you know a little more about history 133 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,439 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. If you've seen any good 134 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: history memes lately, you can send them to us on 135 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: social media at t D I h C Podcast, or 136 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: you can go the old fashioned route and send us 137 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: an email at this Day at I heart media dot com. 138 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's episode. We'll see you again tomorrow. 139 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I 140 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 141 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.