The Sultana Disaster
Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
09/07/24
•17m
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As news of end of the Civil War spread, officials made arrangements to get former POWs home. For union men, this meant traveling via steamship. A frequent method of travel, steamships had a reputation for bad accidents. A reputation that would prove true with the Sultana.
Join me this week as I dive into one of the most devastating maritime disasters in U.S. history: the sinking of the Sultana. Overloaded and plagued by a critical flaw, this steamboat’s final voyage ended in catastrophic explosions on the Mississippi River. Learn more about this disaster - and why it isn't more widely known.
Previous Episode
Surrender: Appomattox
August 31, 2024
•16m
As the Union continued to rack up military victories deep in Confederate territory, there was a sense the end of the war was near. Despite hopeful sentiments, Abraham Lincoln remained stoic and cautious in his second inaugural address in early March.
Little did anyone know that surrender would be in hand just over a month later when General Robert E. Lee requested to speak with General Ulysses S. Grant. What happened during their conversation? Tune in to find out.
Next Episode
The Incorruptibles with Dan Slater
September 14, 2024
•35m
Joining me this week is Dan Slater. He is an author whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and GQ. Slater recently wrote the book The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld which tells the story of the origins of the Jewish criminal underworld in the early twentieth century.
To learn more about Dan, head over to his instagram at: bydanslater
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