1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, We're rerunning two episodes today, which means you 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: might hear two hosts. Enjoy the show. Welcome to This 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Day in History Class from how Stuff Works dot com 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and from the desk of Stuff You Missed in History Class. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: It's the show where we explore the past one day 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: at a time with a quick look at what happened 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: today in history. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: Tracy B. Wilson And at September twelve, Victorian poets Robert 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: Browning and Elizabeth Barrett eloped on the stay in eighteen 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: forty six. Elizabeth was born Elizabeth Barrett on March sixth, 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: eighteen six in County Durham, England. She was the eldest 12 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: of eleven children of Edward Moulton Barrett and Mary Graham Clark. 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Her family was really well off and she was bright 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: and precocious and something of a tomboy. As well as 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: being a very gifted student. She was very bright, mostly 16 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: self taught. She started writing from a very young age, 17 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: and although her father was extremely act he also really 18 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: encouraged her writing. She was also chronically ill, and given 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: the state of medical care at the time, the treatments 20 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: that she got were not effective. Mostly she was given laudanum, which, 21 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: in addition to not treating the problem, was also addictive. 22 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: Robert Browning was born May seven, eighteen twelve, in a 23 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: suburb of London into a middle class family. His father 24 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: was a clerk at the Bank of England. Like Elizabeth, 25 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: he liked to learn and was mostly self taught, and 26 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,839 Speaker 1: he also liked to write, but his writing wasn't as 27 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: well received as hers was. But by the eighteen forties 28 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: Elizabeth was well known as a writer. She even got 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: fan mail, and in eighteen forty four she published a 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: collection of works that included the poem Lady Geraldine's Courtship. 31 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: There's a poem about a young poet of modest means 32 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: who falls in love with the daughter of an earl. 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,639 Speaker 1: In it, the young poet talks about reading poems allowed 34 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: to his beloved, including the lines quote from Browning some pomegranate, which, 35 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: if cut deep down the middle, shows a heart within 36 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: blood tinctured of a veined humanity. Robert Browning got a 37 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: copy of this collection and he realized that there was 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: his name right there, and a reference to his work 39 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: right there in the work of the very famous poet 40 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Barrett. In January of eighteen forty five, he wrote 41 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: her a letter that said, I love your verses with 42 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: all my heart, dear miss Barrett, and later on in 43 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: that same later he said I love you too. Elizabeth 44 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: wrote him back the very next day. They kept up 45 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: their correspondence with regular romantic letters. Although Elizabeth didn't think 46 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: she was ever going to marry Number one, she was 47 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: in our late thirties, so she was basically considered to 48 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: be a spinster, and there was also the issue of 49 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: her health, which kept her in bed most of the time. 50 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: There was also the fact that her father had forbidden 51 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: his children to marry. There are a lot of conjectures 52 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: about why her father made this proclamation. One hypothesis is 53 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: that he thought the family had what he called mixed 54 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: blood and that he wanted to put an end to 55 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: their line because of that. They were descended from people 56 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: who owned a plantation in Jamaica, and he was apparently 57 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: afraid that they were descended from the owner and an 58 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: enslaved woman, which might actually have applied to Robert Browning 59 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: as well. Finally, though Elizabeth Barrett allowed Robert Browning to 60 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: call on her on eighteen forty five at about three 61 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: in the afternoon. He was immediately besotted, but from there 62 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: their correspondence became a little strained, with Elizabeth maybe wondering 63 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: if his feelings were sincere, or feeling like he was 64 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: coming on too strong, or maybe just being afraid of 65 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: her father's reaction. In eighteen forty six, though Elizabeth's doctor 66 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: told her she would not survive another winter in England 67 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: and that she needed to go to Italy for the 68 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: sake of her health, her father absolutely refused to let 69 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: her go, so she finally agreed to marry Robert Browning 70 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: in secret, even though she was sure she would lose 71 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: her father if she did so. They got married and 72 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: then for the next week they acted as though nothing 73 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: had happened, so that Elizabeth could prepare to go to Italy. 74 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: When they left, her father never forgave her, however. Robert 75 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: and Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived the rest of their lives 76 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: in Italy together. They had a son together in eighteen 77 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: forty nine, and she died in Robert's arms after fifteen 78 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: years of marriage, on June twenty nine of eighteen sixty one. 79 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: You can learn more about all of this, including Robert's 80 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: life after Elizabeth's death. In the February fiftwelve episode of 81 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: Stuffy Miss in History Class called Elizabeth Barrett and Robert 82 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: Browning in Love. You can subscribe to This Day in 83 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: History Class on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever else 84 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts. Thanks to Terry Harrison for her 85 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: audio work on this show, and you can tune in 86 00:04:54,279 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: tomorrow for an incredible injury. Hey guys, welcome to This 87 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, where we bring you a new 88 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:21,679 Speaker 1: tidbit from history every day. The day was September twelfth, 89 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy four. Emperor of Ethiopia Hila Selassie was deposed 90 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: by Marxist colonel man Gitsu Hila Mariam. Just under a 91 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: year later, Hila Selassie died. Hila Selassie was born Tafari 92 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: mcconan in eighteen ninety two in Harrar, Ethiopia. At this time, 93 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: Menelek the second was Emperor of Ethiopia. Mentele Like the 94 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: second was known for expanding and modernizing Ethiopia, as well 95 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: as defeating an Italian military expedition. He made Addis Ababa 96 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: his capital and attempted to suppress the save trade. Hilo 97 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: Selassie's father was a chief advisor to Menelik the second. 98 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: By the time Hila Selassie was a teenager, his father 99 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: had made him commander of a local militia. After his 100 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: father died, Hilo Selassie was appointed to be governor of 101 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: a small province by Menelik the second. A few years later, 102 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: he was promoted to a larger province than a couple 103 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: of years after that, he was made governor of Harar. 104 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: His policies were progressive, as he tried to limit the 105 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: feudal power of nobility by increasing the power of the 106 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: central government. He developed a salaried civil service and created 107 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: a court system that gave legal rights to the peasantry. 108 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: But when Menelik the second died and his grandson lij 109 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: Yasu succeeded him, Lijiyasu was viewed as pro Muslim and 110 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: unpopular with Ethiopia's Christian majority. Hila Selassie was an Amhara, 111 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: which is an Ethiopian ethnic group formed mostly of Orthodox Christians. 112 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 1: He was educated in the tenets of the Coptic Church. 113 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 1: He rose as a prominent voice in the Christian resistance 114 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: against Lijyasu, whom he deposed in nineteen sixteen. Mantle, like 115 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: the second's daughter Zao Ditto, then became empress in Hila Selassie, 116 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: or Ross Safari as he was known, was named Prince 117 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: Regent and heir to the throne. Saal Dittu was conservative 118 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:32,239 Speaker 1: and focused on religion, while Higla Selassie maintained his progressive stance. 119 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: He replaced conservative members on the Council of Ministers with 120 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: his pro reformed supporters. Cars, a printing press, telephone service, 121 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: and a reformed justice system were introduced. Ethiopia was admitted 122 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: to the League of Nations in nineteen twenty three. He 123 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: got international attention as he traveled to France, Sweden, England 124 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: and other countries, and in nineteen he was named Negus 125 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: or King. Under pressure from his supporters, Jamaicans developed Rastafari, 126 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: a religion which has adherents who believed that Hila Selassie 127 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: was the second coming of Christ. Two years after he 128 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: was appointed King, Salditud died in Holly Selastie was coordinated 129 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: as emperor. At that point, he changed his name from 130 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: Rastafari to Holly Celastie, which means power of the Trinity. 131 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: He enacted Ethiopia's first constitution in nineteen thirty one, creating 132 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: a two chamber parliament with a popularly elected lower house 133 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: so he could overthrow parliamentary decisions. He continued his efforts 134 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: at modernization and centralizing power by strengthening police forces, establishing 135 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: provincial schools, and other measures, but after Italy invaded Ethiopia 136 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty five, Hoila Selassie was forced into exile. 137 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: When he returned to Ethiopia, he started again on his 138 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: modernization efforts, with an emphasis on education. At the same time, 139 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: the government was becoming more corrupt, and despite appearances of reform, 140 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: power still resided in the emperor. In nineteen sixty, dissidents 141 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: seized control of Oddis Ababa and called for a true 142 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: constitutional monarchy with democracy, economic and agricultural reform, and a 143 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: real effort to end poverty. The resistance was squashed and 144 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: many of its leaders were executed. Highla Selassie then began 145 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 1: to focus on foreign affairs, advocating for Pan Africanism and 146 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: playing a key role in the creation of the Organization 147 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: of African Unity. But religious and ethnic conflict was escalating 148 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: in Ethiopia and so was dissatisfaction with economic conditions. Famine, unemployment, 149 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: and political ineptitude led military officers to rebel. In nineteen 150 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: seventy four, the emperor's cabinet resigned, Hilly Selassie and his 151 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: family members were imprisoned, and the officers formed the DIRT, 152 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: or the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia. They accused 153 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: Hiley Celassie of embezzling and causing the famine. Hiley Celassie 154 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: remained in prison until his death in nineteen seventy five. 155 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: At the time of his death, reports said that he 156 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: died from complications after a procedure, but evidence later turned 157 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: up that he had been assassinated by military officers. The 158 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: DIRT declared Marxism Leninism the state ideology, and ruled Ethiopia 159 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: until nineteen seven. I'm Eve Stefcote and hopefully you know 160 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 161 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at 162 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: T D I h C Podcast. Thank you so much 163 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: for listening, and I hope to see you again tomorrow 164 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: for more tidbits of history m For more podcasts from 165 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 166 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.