1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. These are coming from the 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: t D I h c vall, so you'll also here 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: to hosts. Consider it a double feature. Enjoy the show, 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to the stay in history classes. July nine. The 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: Constitutionalist Revolution of nine thirty two began in Brazil on 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: this day. It's also called the Paulista Rebellion of nineteen 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: thirty two and the sal Paolo Revolution of nineteen thirty two, 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: and it all started with a contested election. At this point, 10 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: Brazil was essentially a collection of mostly autonomous states, and 11 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: a lot of the political strife that came up came 12 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: from conflicts among these states. In this particular case, the 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: major players were the State of sal Paulo on one 14 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: side and the Liberal Alliance on the other. The Liberal 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: Alliance was made up of three different states. There was 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: Rio grandy Do, soul Pariba, and Mina Giras. Sal Paolo 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: had been the most dominant power in Brazil for a 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: long time. A lot of the other states were getting 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: tired of sal Paolo's continual dominance. The contested election that 20 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: sparked all of this was the presidential election that was 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: conducted on March one of nineteen thirty, so a couple 22 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: of years before. The candidates were Julio Prestis of sal 23 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: Paolo and Giulio Vargas, who was the governor of Rio 24 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: Grandi do Soul. Vargas was running as the reform candidate 25 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: and Prestis had the endorsement of the sitting president, who 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: was also from sal Paolo. Prestis won the election, but 27 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: Vargas contended that this result was fraudulent. He also thought 28 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: that Brazil had become an oligarchy and this whole period 29 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: of time was incredibly contentious beyond just this one election. 30 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: In addition to several people being killed an election related violence, 31 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: they were all so about a hundred people more than that, 32 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: most likely who were killed in various acts of political 33 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: violence over the three years that were leading up to 34 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: this point. So after this contested election, vargas Is running 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: mate was assassinated on July, and then an uprising started 36 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: in October with a coup d eta on October. About 37 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: a hundred people were killed in this wave of violence 38 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: as well, and after the coup, Vargus was appointed the 39 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: interim president. Vargas suspended Brazil's constitution. He started trying to 40 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: move Brazil from this federation of autonomous states to a 41 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: nation that had more centralized power, and a lot of 42 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: people in the military, especially people who were not as 43 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: young in the military, really objected to what he was doing. 44 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: They started to hatch a lot of conspiracies against him, 45 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: and also the elite in sal Pollo resented the fact 46 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: that sal Polo had lost so much power. Among these 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: elite were actually descendants of Confederates who had fled the 48 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: United States after the Civil War and then relocated to Brazil, 49 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: and they joined on the side of this rebellion as well. 50 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: A military faction of people from South Palo started planning 51 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: to overthrow this provisional government. These were known as the Palistas. 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: That was a nickname in general for people from South Palo, 53 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: and they also called themselves the Constitutionalists because they wanted 54 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: to overthrow this provisional government and establish a new Brazilian constitution. 55 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: The Palista's scheduled a revolt for July fourteenth, nineteen thirty two, 56 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: but the general who was leading them, General Bertoldo Clinker, 57 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: was not particularly secretive about what he was trying to do. 58 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: He wound up being relieved of his command on July 59 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: the eighth. Then at that point the people who were 60 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: plotting moved up the date of their rebellion to the 61 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: following day, with Clinger still the one in charge. They 62 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: had a plan that involved several other states coming and 63 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: rising up with them, but those states never did, and 64 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: in fact most of them end up joining the opposite side. 65 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: Fighting in this conflict went on for eighty seven days. 66 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: Clinger proposed a ceasefire on September twenty nine, and their 67 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: revolution ended on October two. It's still unclear today how 68 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: many people died in the fighting, but the number is 69 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: probably in the thousands. Women were also a huge part 70 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: of this uprising. They made hundreds of thousands of uniforms 71 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: for the police, as they did extensive work as nurses 72 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: and in logistics. They distributed food. In some cases they 73 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: also fought alongside the men, and is so often the case, 74 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: this revolution could not have continued without their work. Maybe 75 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: a little erroneous to call it a revolution since it 76 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: wasn't ultimately successful, but it is the name that it's 77 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: most often known by. Vargas remained in power for most 78 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: of the next two decades. Sometimes he was a dictator. 79 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes he was a duly elected president, either elected by 80 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: the Congress or elected by the people. That time, though 81 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: continued to be really tumultuous US. There were other revolts 82 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: following that one in two and Although Vargas is credited 83 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: with a number of reforms, including giving more people in 84 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: Brazil the right to vote, including women, he's also sometimes 85 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: criticized it's basically just being a dictator and doing whatever 86 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: he wanted without the backing of any other part of 87 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: the government. Thanks to Eve's Jeff Code for her research 88 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: on this podcast, Antatari Harrison for her audio work on 89 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: all these episodes, you can subscribe to This Day in 90 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: History Class on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever else 91 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: do you get your podcasts. Tomorrow you can tune in 92 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: for the birthday of one of the Internet's very favorite figures. Hi, 93 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: I'm Eves and welcome to This Day and History Class, 94 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: a show that uncovers history one day at a time. 95 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,799 Speaker 1: The day was July nine, nine eight. At seven twenty 96 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: in the morning, two trains from the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. 97 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: Louis railway crashed into each other. The head on collision 98 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: killed a hundred and one people and injured one and 99 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: seventy one people, though some of those injured may have 100 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: died later. Since the train cars were segregated and the 101 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: front cars were the ones for black people, most of 102 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: the people killed in this wreck were black. In the 103 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, train related deaths and injuries 104 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: were not uncommon. The railroad industry was host to a 105 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: lot of hazardous conditions. It was dangerous to couple and 106 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: decoupled train cars, trains derailed and crashed, and bridges collapsed. 107 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: Accidents and the treatment of victims was such an issue 108 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: in the industry that railroads had their own medical organizations. 109 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: Though railroad companies largely opposed increasedfty regulations, by the late 110 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, the government did institute acts that made working 111 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: and riding on a train safer, like requiring powered breaks. 112 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: These changes led to less passenger and employee injuries and deaths, 113 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: but they did not completely read the industry of accidents. 114 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: On July nine, the Number one Express training on the Nashville, 115 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway, left Memphis around midnight, set 116 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: to arrive in Nashville around seven a m. The Number 117 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: four usually left Nashville at seven in the morning. Typically, 118 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: the trains would pass each other in an area between 119 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: Nashville and Shops where there were double tracks. Most of 120 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: the cars were wooden on the Number one, and all 121 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: of the cars were wooden on the Number four. The 122 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: gym crow cars were at the front of each train. 123 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: If anything changed in the train schedules, then the Number 124 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: four would wait on the double tracks until the Number 125 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: one train passed. Since it had priority as an bound 126 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: train to Nashville, and on this day both trains were delayed, 127 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: the Number four waited on the double tracks for the 128 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,119 Speaker 1: Number one to pass. Another train did pass around seven 129 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: a m. But it was a switch engine, not the 130 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: Number one. The conductor assumed it was the Number one 131 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: and proceeded to continue onto the single track before the 132 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: Number one had arrived. The operator at Shops and the 133 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: dispatcher soon realized the train began moving before it was 134 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: supposed to, and the crew at Shops set off the 135 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: emergency whistle, but the Number four just accelerated. By the 136 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: time the crews on each train saw one another near 137 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: a stretch of track called Dutchman's Curve, it was too late. 138 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: They collided going about fifty miles or eighty kilometers per hour. 139 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: The engineers and stokers and the locomotives were immediately killed 140 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: in the impact. The front cars on both trains were crushed, 141 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: and the scene was horrifying. Nurses and doctors came to 142 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: the wreck to help, and the Red Crosses Nashville Chapter 143 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: also showed up. The injured were taken to City Hospital 144 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: and Vanderbilt Hospital, and the wreck was cleared from the 145 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: railroad tracks so that trains could continue operating. After the wreck, 146 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: the Interstate Commerce Commission or i c C, conducted a 147 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: simple investigation into the causes of the accident. In August, 148 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: it released a seven page report made up mostly of pictures. 149 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: It found that the number four train was on the 150 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: track at Dutchman's Curve when it should have been waiting 151 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: at shops for the number one train to pass. The 152 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: crews on both trains were experienced, so that probably was 153 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: not the reason for the crash, and the crew on 154 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: the Number four train had been working for less than 155 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: an hour at the time of the crash, so it 156 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: is not likely that the crew was fatigued due to 157 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: long hours on the train. Though it was not clear 158 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: why the number four's train kept going. Some people guessed 159 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: that the engine near missed a signal at shops or 160 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: thought the switch train was the number one. The i 161 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: c C did make some recommendations for improvements in operation. 162 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: It suggested that trains should have to confirm with the 163 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: dispatcher whether the train with presidents had arrived and proceed 164 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: only if they got to go ahead, or that they 165 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: should proceed only if they were given the official order. 166 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: The i c C also suggested implementing a block signal 167 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: system where signals tell an engineer whether a block is clear, 168 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: and making the train cars steal instead of wooden. Though 169 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: the wreck was devastating, it did not get a ton 170 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: of attention in the press. In the years after the 171 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: Great Train Wreck of nineteen eighteen, automatic block signaling and 172 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: train control systems became mandatory safety measures. I'm Eaves Jeffcote, 173 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 174 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. And if you'd like to learn 175 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: more about this topic, you can listen to an episode 176 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: of Stuff you Missed in History class called Great train 177 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: Wreck of nineteen The link is in the description. Get 178 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: more notes from history on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at 179 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: t d i h C podcast, Thanks again for listening 180 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from I 181 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,599 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 182 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.