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 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: in history today. Heads up that you also might hear 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: two different hosts, me and Tracy V. Wilson. With that said, 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: on with the show. Welcome to this Day in History 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: Class from how Stuff Works dot Com and from the 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: desk of Stuff You Missed in History Class. It's the 7 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: show where we explore the past one day at a 8 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: time with a quick look at what happened today in history. Hello, 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and et. 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: September three, The white Stone Hill Massacre took place on 11 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: this day in eighteen sixty three. This massacre followed the U. S. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: Dakota War of eighteen sixty two, and that war followed 13 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: a whole series of unfair and exploit of treaties between 14 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: the United States and the Dakota people. These treaties lead 15 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: to more than six thousand Dakota living on a narrow 16 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: strip of land south of the Dakota River. There was 17 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: a massive food shortage in this area and there was 18 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: no game to hunt anywhere on that small strip of 19 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: land that they were living on, So people were starving, 20 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: especially because they weren't supposed to be hunting outside of 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: this small piece of territory they've been assigned to. And 22 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: then in August eighteen sixty two, four young Dakota men 23 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: killed five white settlers. It's not clear what exactly happened here, 24 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: but one of the stories is that it started with 25 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: an argument over some stolen eggs that then escalated into 26 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: real violence. This set off a huge war between the 27 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: United States and the Dakota. More than six hundred people 28 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: were killed, and most of them were white civilians. Between 29 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: seventy five and a hundred Dakota soldiers died and more 30 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: than seventy white soldiers, and afterward, nearly four hundred Dakota 31 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: men were put on trial and thirty eight of them 32 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: were executed in a mass hanging on December twenty six, 33 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,919 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty two. Congress also revoked all the treaties between 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: the United States and the Dakota, and the Dakota Expulsion 35 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: Act made it illegal for the Dakota to be in Minnesota, 36 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: which is where most of this had happened. The United 37 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: States really wasn't satisfied that the hostilities were over, so 38 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: even though the Dakota had already been forced out of 39 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: Minnesota and into Dakota territory. Two expeditions were mounted to 40 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: try to hunt down any survivors. On September three, eight 41 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: sixty three, three hundred men led by Colonel Albert E. 42 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: House found a large group of Native people encamped at 43 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: white Stone Hill. Some of these people were refugees from 44 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: the Dakota War, but none of them had had anything 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: to do with the fighting. This was basically a group 46 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: of people who weren't involved. It was a large multi 47 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: tribal gathering that was preparing for winter, so they were 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: hunting and they were drawing bison meat. They had thousands 49 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: of pounds of bison meat that was drying on racks. 50 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: That was their food stores for the winter. About half 51 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: of the adult men were away hunting when the army 52 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: found this encampment. After about three hours of negotiations between 53 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: the indigenous people in the military, a force led by 54 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 1: General Alfred Sully charged into the middle of this gathering. 55 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: Most of the people killed in the first assault were women, children, 56 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: and elderly men. Cavalry and artillery ran down the people 57 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: who tried to flee. Estimates range for between a hundred 58 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: and four hundred Native Americans killed, and almost a hundred 59 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: and fifty surrendered. Most of the roughly twenty fatalities among 60 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: the U. S Army were people who had been caught 61 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: in crossfire. Afterward, under Sully's command, the army gathered everything 62 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: that was useful and they burned it, including all of 63 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: that meat that was being dried for winter. And the 64 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: words of soldier f E calledwell quote, Sully ordered all 65 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: the property destroyed, tps, buffalo skins, and all their things, 66 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: including tons and tons of dried buffalo meat and tallow. 67 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: It was gathered wagons, piled in a hollow and burned, 68 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: and the melted tallow ran down into the valley into 69 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: a stream. Hatchett's camp kettles and all things that would 70 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: sink were thrown into a small lake. The people who 71 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: escaped were round up the next day and taken to 72 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: a pow camp, and the immediate aftermath of this, Sully 73 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: and his men described the event as a huge success, 74 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: a necessary coda to the Dakota War, getting rid of 75 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: the people who had been among the belligerents. This may 76 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: have been influenced by the fact that a lot of 77 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: them had family members who had died in the war 78 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: and so they had treated this as something of an 79 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: act of revenge, but it was immediately clear to other 80 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: people that this shouldn't be framed as a successful military campaign. 81 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: In November of eighteen sixty three, Sam Brown, who was 82 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: working as an interpreter at the Pow camp, wrote a 83 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 1: letter to his father and which he said, quote, I 84 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: hope you will not believe all that is said of 85 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: Sully's successful expedition against the Sioux. I don't think he 86 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: ought to brag of it at all, because it was 87 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: what no decent man would have done. Pitched into their 88 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: camp and just slaughtered them. You can learn more about 89 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: this in the November twenty three episode of Stuff You 90 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class called the Dakota War of eighteen 91 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: sixty two and the white Stone Hill Massacre. Thanks to 92 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: Tari Harrison for all of her audio work on this podcast. 93 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: You can subscribe to This Day in History Class on 94 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts. 95 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: Tune in tomorrow for the end of a riot. Greetings everyone, 96 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Day in History class, where we learn 97 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: a smidgen of history every day. The day was September three, 98 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty seven, traffic in Sweden switched from being on 99 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: the left side of the road to the right side 100 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: of the road. The day is officially known as haggar 101 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: traffic Comlaganeden, or the right hand traffic diversion. It's also 102 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: called doggin Hoa or h day for short. The change 103 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: caused some disruption, but not much, since Sweden had been 104 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: preparing for the switch for a while. Most countries in 105 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: the region drove on the right side of the road, 106 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: though some European countries like Ireland, written and Iceland stuck 107 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: to driving on the left side. Many of Britain's former 108 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: territories still drive on the left as well. Left side 109 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: driving can be traced back to ancient Rome. It's not 110 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: clear why ancient Romans traveled on the left, but it 111 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: could have been so they could use their weapons with 112 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: their right hand when someone approached. The practice of staying 113 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: on the left side of the road continued into medieval Europe, 114 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: but by the nineteenth century the United States, Canada, to France, 115 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: and Germany had adopted the key right rule. More European 116 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: countries standardized driving on the right side. Throughout the twentieth century. 117 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: That became an issue for Swedish drivers. Since important and 118 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: Swedish mate cars had steering on the left side, and 119 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: places that have right hand side regulations, drivers sit on 120 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: the left hand side. That way drivers can see past 121 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: the vehicle in front of them, but passing a car 122 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: in Sweden was difficult and dangerous since drivers sat and 123 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: drove on the left side. This awkward setup led to 124 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: many head on collisions on two lane highways as drivers 125 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: ventured into oncoming traffic to pass a vehicle. Also, people 126 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: from nearby countries like Denmark, Norway and Finland were used 127 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: to driving on the right side, so they often got 128 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: an accidents when they visited Sweden because of the confusion. 129 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: So the Swedish government decided to take the issue of 130 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: whether Sweden should it to right hand side driving to 131 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: a vote in the nineteen fifty five referendum. Of people 132 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: opposed the switch, but by nineteen sixty seven there were 133 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: a lot more vehicles on the road and safety was 134 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: a concern. The government decided to go forth with the 135 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: change anyway. They started a whole campaign to make the 136 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: transition smooth. They created signs and stickers with the logo 137 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: for the transition. The logo was an h with an 138 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: arrow going from the left side to the right side 139 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: of the letter beneath the H was the planned date 140 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: for the switch September three, nineteen sixty seven. The government 141 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: put out pamphlets, P s, a S and products that 142 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: marketed the switch. A song about H day hit number 143 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: five on Swedish music charts. In addition to the public 144 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: relations campaign, Sweden had to go through major infrastructure changes. 145 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: Signs had to be reversed, intersections in one way streets 146 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: had to be dealt with, and bus stops had to 147 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: be moved. In the days leading up to H day, 148 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: the new system was explained on TV, on the radio 149 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: and in newspapers. On the morning of the change, all 150 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: non essential traffic was ordered to stay off the roads. 151 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: At four fifty in the morning, the phrase now is 152 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: the time to change over was announced over loud speakers. 153 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: The entire project cost about six hundred and twenty eight 154 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: million kronor or two point six billion kronor the equivalent 155 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: of three hundred and sixteen million US dollars. On the 156 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: Monday after H Day, slightly fewer traffic accidents than average 157 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 1: were reported. The number of motor insurance claims went down, 158 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: but this improvement was likely due to safer than normal driving. 159 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: By nineteen sixty nine, accident and fatality rates had gone 160 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: back up. Since h Day, other nations have change what 161 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: side of the road they dive on to. I'm Eve 162 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: Jeff Coo and hopefully you know a little more about 163 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you feel like 164 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: correcting my pronunciation or my accent on anything that I've 165 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: said in the show, feel free to leave a very 166 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: kind comment on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. At T d 167 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: i h C podcast, Thanks for showing up. We'll meet 168 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow. For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, 169 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 170 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.