1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey guys, I hope you enjoy these classic 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: episodes from the t D I h C Vault. Be 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: sure to join me again on January second, when we 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: return with all new episodes. Talk to you soon. Welcome 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class from how Stuff Works 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: dot Com and from the desk of Stuff You Missed 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: in History Class. It's the show where we explore the 9 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 1: past one day at a time with a quick look 10 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: at what happened today in history. Hello and welcome to 11 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and it's January one, 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: Happy New year. Lorenzo de Medici was born on the 13 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: Stay in fourteen forty nine. The Medici family of Florence 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: was rich and powerful. They had come to Florence sometime 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: in the twelfth century, although they had started out as 16 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: just simple Tuscan peasants, but over a couple hundred years 17 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: they became incredibly wealthy and powerful. By the middle of 18 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: the fourteenth century, they were one of Florence's leading families, 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: and they also had a reputation for being extremely adept 20 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: at negotiating in the worlds of both politics and money, 21 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: and This was through legitimate means as well as through 22 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: things like bribery. Lorenzo de Medici was described as the 23 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: most Medici of the Medici. He was nicknamed Lorenzo the Magnificent. 24 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: He's been described as the most powerful, the most famous, 25 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: the most brilliant, the most influential in the world of 26 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: art thanks to his patronage, and the most ruthless. He 27 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: came to power in Florence along with his brother in 28 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: fourteen sixty nine after the death of their father, and 29 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: the two of them were ruling together, and nine years 30 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: later there was a conspiracy to assassinate both of them 31 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: and to take control of the Republic of Florence away 32 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: from the Medici. This was called the Pozzi Conspiracy. The 33 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: Pozzi and the Medici were basically rival families within Florence. 34 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: One of the things that had led to this whole 35 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: rivalry in the conspiracy was that the Pozzi family had 36 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: taken over the financial affairs of the papacy, and that 37 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: was taking business away from the Medici, which the Medici 38 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: did not appreciate. The ringleader in this conspiracy was Francesco 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: de Pazzi, and he wasn't the patriarch of the Pozzi family, 40 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: but he was the one that was driving all of this. 41 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: The assassination was finally set to take place during Easter 42 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: Mass in fourteen seventy eight, and Lorenzo's brother Juliano was killed, 43 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: but Lorenzo escaped. Afterward, though Lorenzo sought retribution against all 44 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: of his conspirators, there was a lot of hanging people, 45 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: a lot of throwing them out windows, a lot of dismemberments. Overall, 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: it was very gruesome and there were more than seventy 47 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: executions of purported co conspirators. This whole incident, though, really 48 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: shaped Lorenzo's future. It meant that his brother was dead, 49 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: so he is on his own in terms of his 50 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: leadership at the Republic, and it had also gotten rid 51 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: of a lot of their detractors, and it demonstrated the 52 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: links that he would go to. So after this whole 53 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: conspiracy and the war that followed, he really had the 54 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: support of a lot of the people of Florence. He 55 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: ruled almost as a monarch, although Lorenzo really liked to 56 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: describe himself as just a highly respectable citizen, not anything special. 57 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: He and others in the family also acted as patrons 58 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: to writers and artists and architects, including people like Botticelli 59 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: and Leonardo da Vinci, among many others. There was also, 60 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: of course, Michelangelo, who was brought up partially in the 61 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: Medici household. Lorenzo de Medici was also a collector of 62 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: antiquities and of artwork. Basically, what they were doing they 63 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: couldn't really afford to pay for the most extravagant, biggest 64 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: name artwork, so they would find lesser known, undiscovered talent 65 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: and sort of cultivate them by their work for cheap. 66 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: It's not, however, totally accurate to say that the Medici 67 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: family singlehandedly paid for the Renaissance. Sometimes they are described 68 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: that way. Lorenzo was also a poet himself, in addition 69 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: to his patronage of other artists. By the fourteen nineties, 70 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: though Lorenzo's health was declining, the city of Florence was 71 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: also becoming less and less enamored with the lifestyle that 72 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: he had enabled and encouraged. This is a lifestyle that 73 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: was just full of lavish festivals and extravagance. He died 74 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: at the age of only forty three. His son Giovanni 75 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: later became Pope Leo the tenth You can learn more 76 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: about this in the Stuff You Missed in History Class 77 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: episode Death at the Duomo The Pozzi Conspiracy from March 78 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: thirty one. Thanks to Casey Pegram and Chandler Maye for 79 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: their audio work on this show. You can subscribe to 80 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class on app podcast, Google Podcast, 81 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, and wherever else you get 82 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: your podcas casts, and you can tune in tomorrow for 83 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: a Discovery kind of Hey, y'all, Happy New Year. I'm 84 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: still at home, but I am excited to bring you 85 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: the first episode of a new decade. Enjoy. The day 86 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: was January one, eighteen. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the Modern 87 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: Prometheus was first published at a young age. Mary had 88 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: taken an interest in writing stories, but her childhood and 89 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: early adult years were tumultuous. Less than two weeks after 90 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: she was born, her mother, writer and women's rights advocate 91 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:56,239 Speaker 1: Mary Wolston Craft, died of pure operal fever. When Mary 92 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: was sixteen years old, she eloped with the wealthy writer 93 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: Percy bish Shelley, who abandoned his wife. She gave birth 94 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: to four children, but only one survived to adulthood, and 95 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: she miscarried during her fifth pregnancy. In eighteen sixteen, Mary's 96 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: sister Fanny Goodwin, as well as Percy's wife Harriet Shelley, 97 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: died by suicide. Mary was inspired to write Frankenstein on 98 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: a rainy June night in eighteen sixteen. Eighteen sixteen is 99 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: known as the Year without a Summer, since it was 100 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: marked by low temperatures, high rainfall, and crop failures around 101 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: the world attributed to the eruption of Mount tom Bora 102 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: in the Dutch East Indies. History of a Six Weeks Tour, 103 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: a travel narrative by Mary and Percy published in eighteen seventeen, 104 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: contains letters written during their time in Geneva during that summer. 105 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,799 Speaker 1: In the letters, Mary writes about the dark and rainy weather. 106 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: Her journey through France and Switzerland provided the perfect setting 107 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: for writing a Gothic story. Mary was in late Geneva Switz, 108 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: ser Land with Percy as well as poet Lord Byron 109 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: and physician and writer John Paula Dorri. The group was 110 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: reading a French translation of a German book of ghost 111 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: stories called Phantasmagoriana at the Villa Diodati, the house where 112 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: they would have spirited late night discussions. When Byron suggested 113 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: they see who could write the best ghost story. They 114 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: took on the challenge. Pouladori ended up writing The Vampire, 115 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: which was published three years later, but the competition also 116 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: marked the birth of Frankenstein. One night after one of 117 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: the group's philosophical discussions, Mary could not sleep. She later 118 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: wrote about the restless night, She said, quote, I saw 119 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: the pale student of the unhallowed arts, kneeling beside the 120 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm 121 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: of a man stretched out and then, on the working 122 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir 123 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be? First? 124 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,679 Speaker 1: Are premely frightful? Would be the effect of any human 125 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the creator of 126 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: the world. It was the origin of her story, one 127 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who created an eight 128 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: foot tall creature made of the body parts of dead people. 129 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: Percy encouraged Mary to turn the story into a novel, 130 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: and she finished writing the book by May of eighteen seventeen. 131 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, was first published anonymously in 132 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: London as a three volume novel on January one, eighteen. 133 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: The book is a combination of a Gothic horror story 134 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: and science fiction. In it, Frankenstein's nameless monster turns into 135 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: a murderer who is tortured by loneliness and rejection. The 136 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: first edition of the novel contained a preface written by 137 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: Percy Shelley. In fact, when it was published, many people 138 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: thought that Percy Shelley had written it. Another edition of 139 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: the novel, credited to marry A. Shelley and edited by 140 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: her father, was published several years later. The first one 141 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: volume edition of the book was published. Shelley wrote several 142 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: more novels, but Frankenstein is her best known book. Frankenstein 143 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: has since become the inspiration for stories about morality, human 144 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: hubrists and scientists and the implications of their creations. I'm 145 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: Eves Jeff Cote and hopefully you know a little more 146 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. Feel free to 147 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: shoot us an email at this day at I heart 148 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: media dot com, or if you prefer social media, hit 149 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: us up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter at T D 150 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: I h C Podcast. Thanks again for listening and we'll 151 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: see you tomorrow. Happy New Year, and welcome to this 152 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: day in History class a show that belts out the 153 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: greatest hits of history, one day at a time. I'm 154 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: Gay Blusier, and today we're talking about the concert that 155 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: turned Johnny Cash into a champion of prison reform and 156 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: set one talented inmate on his own path to country 157 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: music fame. The day was January first, nineteen fifty nine. 158 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 1: Musician Johnny Cash rang in the new year by performing 159 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: live at San Quentin State Prison in California. The maximum 160 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: security penitentiary just outside of San Francisco was the second 161 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: of more than thirty prisons the singer performed at in 162 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: his lifetime. The concerts were held at various correctional facilities 163 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: throughout at least ten states, sometimes at the direct request 164 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: of the inmates. The shows eventually inspired the recording of 165 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: two live of albums, Johnny Cash at Fulsome Prison, released 166 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty eight and Johnny Cash at San Quentin, 167 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: released in nineteen sixty nine. Although it wasn't recorded, the 168 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: New Year's concert at San Quentin was historic in its 169 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: own right, not only for the positive effect it had 170 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 1: on Cash's career and public persona, but also for its 171 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: impact on another country music legend who happened to be 172 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: in the audience that day. Cash performed at San Quentin 173 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: for the first time as part of a seven hour 174 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: entertainment extravaganza which the prison held for the inmates on 175 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: January one of each year. Cash's performance was the standout 176 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: of the nineteen fifty nine show, beating out other popular 177 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: acts like a women's dance troupe and a seventeen piece 178 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: jazz band. The prison had its own inmate published paper 179 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,679 Speaker 1: called the San Quentin News, and for the January addition, 180 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: the headline was quote gigantic review, Harold's New Year, three 181 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: thousand San Quentin Men, cheer stars and Johnny Cash. The 182 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: singer had never been imprisoned himself, except for one night 183 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: at a time whenever he was arrested for public intoxication. Nonetheless, 184 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 1: he felt a special connection or kinship with those behind bars. 185 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: As Cash's younger brother Tommy later explained, quote, he always 186 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: identified with the underdog. He identified with the prisoners because 187 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: many of them had served their sentences and had been 188 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: rehabilitated in some cases, but were still kept there the 189 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: rest of their lives. He felt a great empathy with 190 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 1: those people. As someone who wrestled with alcohol and substance abuse, 191 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: Cash empathized with those who had made bad choices or 192 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: given in to their own worst impulses. His prison concerts, 193 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: she always performed for free. We're a way to offer 194 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: comfort and maybe even the hope of finding another better 195 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: path for the prisoner's own lives. That turned out to 196 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: be the case for at least one of the inmates 197 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: at San Quentin that day, the future country music star 198 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: Merle Haggard. In nineteen fifty seven, Haggard had been arrested 199 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: for burglary at age eighteen. He was sentenced to fifteen 200 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: years in prison, but wound up serving a little less 201 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: than three. Cash's performance occurred about halfway through his stint, 202 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: and Haggard later cited it as a life changing moment, 203 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 1: one that inspired him to pursue his own career in music. 204 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: He got to work as soon as he was released 205 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: on parole in nineteen sixty, and eventually he rapped up 206 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: thirty eight number one hits on the country charts, including 207 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: songs like sing Me Back Home and Okie from Muskogee. 208 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: Years later, Heard reflected on why Cash had been received 209 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: so enthusiastically by he and the other inmates. He said, quote, 210 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: Johnny Cash had the right attitude. He chewed gum, looked arrogant, 211 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: and flipped the bird to the guards. He did everything 212 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: the prisoners wanted to do. He was a mean mother 213 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: from the South who was there because he loved us. 214 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: When he walked away, everyone in that place had become 215 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: a Johnny Cash fan. The two singers reunited in nine 216 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: sixty nine. On an episode of The Johnny Cash Show 217 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: on ABC, the host mentioned that he didn't remember Merle 218 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: being part of the concert that day, to which Haggard quipped, well, 219 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: I was in the audience. Johnny Cash went on to 220 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: perform dozens more prison concerts, including at least two more 221 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: at San Quentin. During each visit, he made time to 222 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: get to know the inmates. He would sit down with 223 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: them and listen to their story, what had led them 224 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: to be incarcerated, and what they hoped to do when 225 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: or if they were released. These stories would later inform 226 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: Cash's songwriting, which frequently took the perspective of outlaws and outsiders. 227 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: Following his messy public struggle with drug addiction, The prison 228 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: concerts and the albums they inspired helped jump start Cash's career, 229 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: but it's clear that the cause always meant far more 230 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: to him than money. Providing entertainment and a listening year 231 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: was already beyond what most prisoners would expect from a celebrity. 232 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: But Cash didn't stop there. The time he spent within 233 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: prison walls led him to advocate for the rights of 234 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: prisoners and to use his power to push for prison reform. 235 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: He donated a portion of the sales from his live 236 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: prison albums to reform campaigns, and in nineteen seventy two 237 00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: he got involved directly by testifying before Congress is about 238 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: prison conditions. Appearing before the Senate Subcommittee on National Penitentiaries, 239 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: Cash said quote, I have seen and heard of things 240 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: that some of the concerts that would chill the blood 241 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: of the average citizen. But I think possibly the blood 242 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: of the average citizen needs to be chilled in order 243 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: for public apathy and conviction to come about, because right 244 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: now we have nineteen seventy two problems in eighteen seventy 245 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: two jails. People have got to care in order for 246 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: prison reform to come about. Johnny Cash continued to perform 247 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: at US prisons until at least nineteen eighty and As 248 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: he grew older, he stayed in touch with prisoners he 249 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: had met, and visited some of the ones who lived 250 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:53,479 Speaker 1: near his home in Tennessee. Today, the United States incarcerats 251 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: more people per capita than any other developed country in 252 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: the world. As of one the number stands at roughly 253 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: two point three million people in jail, which breaks down 254 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: to six hundred and thirty nine out of every one 255 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: hundred thousand American citizens. There have been many victories for 256 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: the cause of prison reform since Cash's New Year's concert 257 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: at San Quentin, but the rate of incarceration has kept 258 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: right on growing. Over half a century later, the need 259 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: for prison reform remains a vital issue. That means that 260 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: for better or worse, the music of Johnny Cash and 261 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: the stories that inspired it are just as relevant now 262 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: as ever. I'm Gabe Lousier and hopefully you now know 263 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 264 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: If you want to keep up with the show, you 265 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t 266 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:58,120 Speaker 1: D i HC Show, And if you have any comments 267 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: or suggestions, you can always send my way at this 268 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: Day at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays, 269 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 270 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 271 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: in history class. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 272 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 273 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.