1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey guys, the show is currently on break 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: until the new year, but we've got plenty of classic 4 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: episodes to tide you over. Enjoy this trip through the 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: show's own history, and I'll see you back here on 6 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: January two with a batch of brand new episodes. See 7 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: you then. Welcome to This Day in History Class from 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works dot com and from the desk of 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: Stuff You Missed in History Class. It's the show where 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: we explore the past one day at a time with 11 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: a quick look at what happened today in history. Hello 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy Vie Wilson, and 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,599 Speaker 1: it's December thirty one. Theodosia Burr Alston disappeared on this 14 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: day in eighteen twelve. Of course, she was the daughter 15 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: of Aaron Burr and Theodosja Bartow. When they met, the 16 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: elder Theodosia was already married. Theodosia and Aaron Burr got 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: married in two after the death of her first husband, 18 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: and they had a daughter, the subject of this episode 19 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: on June one. The young Theodosia had very ambitious parents. 20 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: Her parents focused their ambitions on her This is especially 21 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: true of her father. He wanted to groom her to 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: be an outstanding lady. Consequently, she was very highly educated, 23 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: possibly the most educated woman of her time, and she 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: was widely regarded as a child prodigy. When she was 25 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: only ten though, the young Theodosia's mother died was probably 26 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: of stomach cancer, and in spite of her very young age, 27 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: Theodosia sort of taking on more and more of the 28 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: work that had been her mother's. She was managing their 29 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: household and the enslaved staff. She was acting as hostess 30 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: for her father's gatherings. She really was the mistress of 31 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: their house by her early teens. In eighteen hundred, two 32 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: things happened that would really change her life. One was 33 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: that there was an incredibly convoluted presidential election and Theodosia's father, 34 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: Aaron Burr, ultimately aim the vice president. The other big 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: change was that she met a man named Joseph Alston 36 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: of South Carolina. He was a wealthy educated planter and 37 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: he had practiced law before turning his attentions to agriculture. 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: He had a rice plantation that had more than six 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: thousand acres and a staff of more than two hundred 40 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: enslaved Africans. He had to work really hard to convince 41 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: her to marry him, though she was attracted to him, 42 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: but she thought they were way too young to get married. 43 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: Once they did get married, though, they went on a 44 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: lengthy barridal tour, and then they had a son around 45 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: May eighteen o two. During the delivery, Theodosia experienced a 46 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: very severe uterine pro lapse and that negatively affected her 47 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: health for the rest of her life. She was exhausted 48 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: and traumatized after giving birth to her son, and in 49 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: a lot of ways, she felt incredibly isolated in South Carolina. 50 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: Being on a plantation with such a huge enslaved staff 51 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: was a very different experience for her than what she 52 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: had been used to in her father's houses. So just 53 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: three weeks after giving birth, even though she was definitely 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: still recovering, she went to visit her father, and these 55 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: visits back home became an annual tradition. Then, on July eleven, 56 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: eighteen o four, when Theodosia was twenty one, her father 57 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: shot and killed Alexander Hamilton's in a duel. He was 58 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: arrested for treason, tried and acquitted, but he fled to 59 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: Europe to try to escape the scandal. Theodosia had kept 60 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: trying to get permission for her father to come back 61 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: to the United States, but that didn't happen until eighteen twelve, 62 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: and then, unfortunately, they did not have a happy reunion. 63 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: Her son, who was also named Aaron, died just a 64 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: couple of months after arin Burg got back to the 65 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: United States. She was absolutely traumatized and devastated, and her 66 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: only consolation was getting home to her father. But the 67 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: War of eighteen twelve was going on. Theodosia's husband had 68 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: been elected governor of South Carolina and was Brigadier general 69 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: of the state militia, so there is no way that 70 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: he could leave his duties and accompany her on a 71 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: trip to go see her father. An overland voyage would 72 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: have been probably safer in some ways, but very long 73 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: and uncomfortable, especially for somebody with her medical history. The 74 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: only way that was reasonable for her to get to 75 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: her father was by sea. That was a trip that 76 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: would take less than a week, but it was an 77 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: already uncertain means of travel through an active war zone 78 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: that was also full of pirates. In spite of all that, 79 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: she was set on going. Her husband didn't have the 80 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: heart to try to keep her at home, and she 81 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: departed from Georgetown, South Carolina, aboard a small pilot boat 82 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: called the Patriot on December thirty first, eighteen twelve. She 83 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: also had a lot of her father's papers with her 84 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: to return to him, and Dr. Timothy Ruggles Green on 85 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: board with her to take care of her because of 86 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: her illness. She probably had a maid and maybe a 87 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: cook with her as well. Her husband boarded the ship 88 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: with her and then rode back to shore after kissing 89 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: her goodbye, and then once the Patriots slipped out of 90 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: view from the shore, it was never seen again. Her 91 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: father and her husband held out hope for weeks that 92 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: maybe she had just been delayed somehow, but they were 93 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: never reunited, and they eventually accepted that she had died. 94 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: There are, though, theories that continue to persist about what 95 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: really happened. You can learn more about this, including more 96 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: about those theories, in the October episode of Stuffy Miss 97 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: in History Class. Thanks to Casey Pegram and Chandler Mays 98 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: for their audio work on this show. You can subscribe 99 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: to the Stand History Class on Apple podcast, Google podcast, 100 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: the I Heart radio app, and wherever else you get 101 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: your podcasts, and you can tune in tomorrow for the 102 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: birth of one of history's most famous patrons. Hey, y'all, 103 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: I'm closing out the decade from the comfort of my 104 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: own home, but I'm so glad that you made it 105 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: to the end of the year with me. And still 106 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: the show must go on, So let's get into the 107 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: last episode of the year. The day was December thirty one, 108 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three. Klan Jack was sworn in as Borough 109 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: President of Manhattan, making him the highest ranking black elected 110 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: municipal official in the US at the time. Jack was 111 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: born in St. Lucia. Jack's father was a minister and 112 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 1: was active in Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. Jack's 113 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: family spent time on a various Caribbean islands, but when 114 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 1: he was a teenager, he accompanied his father on a 115 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: trip to New York City and stayed there even after 116 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: his father returned to the Caribbean. Jack's plan was to 117 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: get an American education, to find work, and to become 118 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: involved in politics, and he immediately set about reaching all 119 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: of those goals. Jack enrolled in the New York Evening 120 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: High School and got his diploma in nine. He later 121 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: took evening classes at New York univer City, where he 122 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: completed three years of study towards a bachelor's degree in 123 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: business administration. Jack found work at a paper box factory, 124 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: and he managed to work his way from being a 125 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: box cutter there to being the vice president of sales. 126 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: But as he witnessed more racism and discrimination, Jack turned 127 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: toward a political career. In nineteen thirty Jack joined the 128 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: Democratic Party. The next year, he became a U. S citizen. 129 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty four, he married Gertrude Hewitt, with whom 130 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: he had one child. She died in nineteen thirty seven, 131 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,679 Speaker 1: and four years later he married Almira Wilkinson. They also 132 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: had one child together. Jack entered politics as millions of 133 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: black people left the Republican Party to vote for Democrat 134 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: Franklin D. Roosevelt as president. He did face racism as 135 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: he became more involved in the Democratic Party, but in 136 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: nineteen forty he was elected to represent Harlem and the 137 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: New York State Assembly. He served as an assembly in 138 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: from nineteen forty one to nineteen fifty three. After being 139 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: re elected several times. He became known as a Tammany 140 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: Hall Operative Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party political machine 141 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: that had a lot of control in New York City 142 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: and state politics from the late eighteenth century to the 143 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties. The organization was known for its support of 144 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: impoverished people in immigrants as well as its corruption, but 145 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: Jack was also known for his advocacy for bills that 146 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: struck down segregation and discrimination. In nineteen fifty three, as 147 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: the Republicans moved towards choosing a black candidate for president 148 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: of the Borough of Manhattan, the Democratic Party decided to 149 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: run Jack for office. He won the election, becoming the 150 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: first black person to hold the office. Jack was the 151 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: first Black American to hold a major city elective posts 152 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: since reconstruction. It was a major win as the office 153 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: came with a decent salary of twenty five thousand dollars 154 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: and a lot of recognition and power. During his time 155 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: in office, many improvements were made to the infrastructure in 156 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: Manhattan and more public housing was made available, even though 157 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: some of the projects he supported proved controversial. He was 158 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: re elected to a second term in nineteen fifty seven, 159 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: but during this term he ran into a political scandal 160 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: that had an impact on his position. Jack was convicted 161 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: of accepting an i legal gift of forty dollars after 162 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: a contractor refused to accept payment for renovations on his apartment. 163 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: At this point, Tammany Hall's power was waning and some 164 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: people were accusing Jack of being an uncle Tom for 165 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: working within the system. He resigned as borough president in 166 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty, but he continued in politics and made good 167 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: with constituents despite becoming involved in another scandal. Jack argued 168 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: that so much heat was on him because of his race. 169 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: He was re elected to the New York State Assembly 170 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty eight, and he continued serving as dish 171 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: Strict leader of the Democratic Party, a position he held 172 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: from nineteen forty six to nineteen seventy two. But Jack 173 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: would become embroiled in political scandal yet again in nineteen 174 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: seventy two, when he was wrapped up in conflict of 175 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: interest charges related to a community service firm that he 176 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: was a partner in. He was convicted and sentenced to 177 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: three months in federal prison, which he served. In nineteen 178 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: seventy three, Jack went on to advise other politicians endorsed 179 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: the controversial blenden Age LaRouche Jr. For the presidential nomination 180 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty and become the founder and executive board 181 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: member of the Schiller Institute, a political and economic think tank. 182 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: Jack died in New York City in nineteen eighty six. 183 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: His involvement in political scandals, the decline of the Tammany 184 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: Hall political machine, changes to how political power was organized, 185 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: and a shifting landscape of race and politics all complicated 186 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: his legacy. I'm Eves Jeffcote and hopefully you know a 187 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,560 Speaker 1: little more about history to day then you did yesterday. 188 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: And if you want to send us a note on 189 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: social media, you can do that at t d i 190 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: h C Podcast on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or you 191 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: can shoot us an email at This Day at iHeart 192 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thanks as always for listening to the 193 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: show and we'll see you again tomorrow. Hello, and welcome 194 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class, a show for those 195 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: interested in the big and bizarre moments of history. I'm 196 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: Gabe Lousier and in this episode we're talking about the 197 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: dinner party to end all dinner parties, the only one 198 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: on record to be held inside of a thirty ton dinosaur. 199 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: The day was December three, first. Eighteen fifty three, natural 200 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: history artist and sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins hosted a New 201 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: Year's Eve dinner party inside a full scale model of 202 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: an aquanadon. The event was attended by twenty one high 203 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: profile guests, including leading scientists, businessmen and journalists. It was 204 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: held as a publicity stunt to advertise hawkins latest upcoming project, 205 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: a display of the world's first dinosaur sculptures at the 206 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 1: Crystal Palace Park in London. The Iguanodon was chosen as 207 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 1: the site of the meal because it was the largest 208 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: of the thirty three concrete dinosaur models that had been 209 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,839 Speaker 1: commissioned one year earlier. Like the animal it was based on, 210 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: the sculpture measured approximately two point seven meters or nine 211 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: feet high and ten meters or thirty three feet long. 212 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: The dinners guest of honor was Professor Richard Owen, a 213 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: trained doctor and celebrated paleontologist who spent much of his 214 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: life studying fossilized remains. In fact, Owen was the one 215 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 1: who first coined the term dinosaur, which means terrible lizard, 216 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: and he did so just eleven years before hawkins party. 217 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: He's also the researcher who advised Hawkins on the design 218 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: of his dinosaur models, including the iguanodon. Owen provided estimates 219 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: on the general size and shape of the animals, and 220 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: then supervised the sculpting process to make sure Hawkins captured 221 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: the key details of each species. That said, it's worth 222 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: noting that the models represented the knowledge of the time 223 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: and are no longer considered scientifically accurate. As for why 224 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: the dinosaur sculptures were made at all, they were commissioned 225 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: by the Crystal Palace Company as a way to celebrate 226 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: the venue's reopening. The Crystal Palace was a huge, glass, 227 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: steel and irons structure that had been built to house 228 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: the exhibits of the first World's Fair, also known as 229 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: the Great Exhibition of eighteen fifty one. When that exhibition ended, 230 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: the Crystal Palace was meticulously disassembled and moved to a 231 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: new permanent location nine miles away. Hawkins dinosaur models were 232 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: meant to be one of the new premier attractions when 233 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: the Palace reopened in June of eighteen fifty four. At 234 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: the time, the public had only seen illustrations of dinosaurs 235 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: or maybe an incomplete skeleton. It was hard to get 236 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: a sense of the animal's true scale, and as a result, 237 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: dinosaurs weren't a subject of public fascination like they are today. However, 238 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: the Crystal Palace Company saw the potential. It wagered that 239 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: life size replicas would be enough to capture the public's 240 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 1: interest and draw a big crowd for the palaces opening day. 241 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: Hawkins New Year's Eve dinner was a way to build 242 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: excitement for the upcoming exhibit, and so what the public's 243 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: appetite for big concrete dinosaurs. There are some details we 244 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: know for certain about the famous dinner, including the guest 245 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: list and the menu, which consisted of eight courses including 246 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: mock turtle soup, mutton cutlets, and partridge stew. But there 247 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: are also some things we don't know about the evening. 248 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: For example, it's unclear whether the guests sat inside the 249 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: actual concrete model or inside the mold that the concrete 250 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: was later poured into. Either way, many of the guests 251 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: were seated inside the iguanodon's open back cavity. We don't 252 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: know the exact arrangement of the tables and chairs, but 253 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: a drawing published in the Illustrated London News a week 254 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: later does provide some clues. The most likely scenario is 255 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: that eleven guests were seated in a row inside the belly, 256 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: and the rest were seated at a perpendicular table just 257 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: behind the iguanodon, creating a T shaped table setting. The 258 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: drawing also shows the model surrounded by a high, elevated stage, 259 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: which enabled the guests and the waite staff to climb 260 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: inside the chamber more easily. To recognize his role as 261 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: the brains behind the project, Richard Owen was seated at 262 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: the head of the table, which happened to coincide with 263 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: the head of the iguanodon. Hawkins, as host, was seated 264 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: in the center. He reportedly gave a short speech at dinner, 265 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: and Owen followed it with a brief presentation about the sculptures. 266 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: According to a later report written by Hawkins, the dinner 267 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: got pretty rowdy as the night went on, or, as 268 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: he put it, quote, the roaring chorus was so fierce 269 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: and enthusiastic as almost to lead to the belief that 270 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: a herd of iguanodons were bellowing. As you might expect, 271 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: the boisterous guests stayed well passed midnight, meaning they were 272 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: lucky enough to ring in the new year from inside 273 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 1: a massive, hollowed out dinosaur. Talk about life goals, It 274 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: should go without saying, but the dinner was a huge success. 275 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: The press got into the holiday spirit and gave the 276 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: events some lighthearted coverage. For instance, the popular humor magazine 277 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: Punch joked that the dinner showed just how far humans 278 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: had come as a species. It said, quote, we congratulate 279 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: the company on the era in which they live, for 280 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,640 Speaker 1: if it had been an early geological period, they might 281 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: perhaps have occupied the iguanodons inside without having any dinner there. 282 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: The press reports stoked excitement for the exhibits debut, as 283 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: had been the plan, and when the big day finally came, 284 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: the public didn't disappoint, and neither did the dinosaurs. The 285 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 1: lifelike recreations helped make dinosaurs a subject of mainstream interest 286 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: for the first time. Visitors took home dinosaur posters and figurines, 287 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: and for the next half century, more than a million 288 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 1: people came to see the models every year. Sadly, the 289 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: original Crystal Palace burned to the ground in nineteen thirty six, 290 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: but the good news is that Hawkins concrete statues were 291 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: durable enough to survive the fire. Most of the replicas 292 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: still stand in the Crystal Palace Park to this day, 293 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: and thanks to recent refurbishments, they now look better than ever. 294 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: They're still not the most accurate depictions of prehistoric life, 295 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: but without them, the public may have never fallen in 296 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: love with dinosaurs, and really, who would want to live 297 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: in a world like that? I'm Gay Lousier and hopefully 298 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 299 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. You can learn even more about history 300 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t 301 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: d i HC Show. You can also leave us a 302 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: review on Apple Podcasts, and you can write to us 303 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: at this day at I heart media dot com. I'd 304 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: love to know which species of dinosaur you'd most like 305 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: to dine inside of for a dinner party. My pick 306 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: would probably be a stegosaurus so that we wouldn't have 307 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: to worry about running out of plates. Thanks to Chandler 308 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 309 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another New 310 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: Year in History class. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 311 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or where ever 312 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.