John Quincy Adams probably comes to mind as the son of second U.S. President John Adams, and the 6th president of the U.S. But he and his wife, Louisa Catharine Johnson Adams worked in the realm of international diplomacy for years before his presidency.

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John Quincy Adams probably comes to mind as the son of second U.S. President John Adams, and the 6th president of the U.S. But he and his wife, Louisa Catharine Johnson Adams worked in the realm of international diplomacy for years before his presidency. Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams Abroad

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c47b4430-41e3-4a14-b2c2-ae28004b524b/transcript

Tracy and Holly talk about their time visiting Chefchaouen during their Morocco trip. Holly shares her belief that secret societies don't work very well. 

Tracy and Holly talk about their time visiting Chefchaouen during their Morocco trip. Holly shares her belief that secret societies don't work very well.&nbsp;

Behind the Scenes Minis: Morocco and Bavaria

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bcb4e016-881b-40d1-9f25-b4aa0158e710/transcript

The reality of the Bavarian Illuminati is much less dramatic than conspiracy theories would indicate. It wasn’t a mystical organization, but a protest organization formed by a rather conceited man who was frustrated with the Catholic church.

Research:
Britannica Editors. "illuminati". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/illuminati-group-designation
Carlson, Michael. “Robert Anton Wilson [Obituary].” The Guardian. Jan. 17, 2007. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/18/guardianobituaries.usa
“Two Letters from Adam Weishaupt, Founder of the Order of the Illuminati (1776).” German History Intersections. https://germanhistory-intersections.org/en/knowledge-and-education/ghis:document-190
“1776.” Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/lmu-at-a-glance/history/1776/
Goldenbaum, Annika. “250 Years of the Order of the Illuminati: New Research Puts Gotha in the Spotlight.” Centre for Transcultural Studies. Universitat Erfurt. https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/forschungskolleg-transkulturelle-studien/ueber-uns/aktuelles/news/news-detail/250-years-of-the-order-of-the-illuminati-new-research-puts-gotha-in-the-spotlight
Greene, Jim, MFA. Discordianism. EBSCO. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/discordianism
Hernandez, Isabel. “Meet the Man Who Started the Illuminati.” National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/profile-adam-weishaupt-illuminati-secret-society
“To the Fathers Departing for Germany.” Georgetown University Library. https://library.georgetown.edu/woodstock/ignatius-letters/letter12
Galer, Sophia Smith. “The accidental invention of the Illuminati conspiracy.” BBC. July 11, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170809-the-accidental-invention-of-the-illuminati-conspiracy
Stauffer, Vernon. “New England and the Bavarian Illuminati.” Columbia University. New York, 1918. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/newenglandbavari00stauuoft
Taylor, Michael. “British Conservatism, the Illuminati, and the Conspiracy Theory of the French Revolution, 1797–1802.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 47, no. 3, 2014, pp. 293–312. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24690289
Miller, Shari Parsons. “Illuminati.” EBSCO. 2022. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/illuminati#bibliography
Robison, John. “Proofs of a conspiracy against all the religions and governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Free masons, Illuminati, and reading societies.” Philadelphia : T. Dobson. 1798. https://archive.org/details/proofsofconspira00r/page/n9/mode/2up
Vickery, Matthew. “The Birthplace of the Illuminati.” BBC. Nov. 28, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20171127-the-birthplace-of-the-illuminati

The reality of the Bavarian Illuminati is much less dramatic than conspiracy theories would indicate. It wasn&rsquo;t a mystical organization, but a protest organization formed by a rather conceited man who was frustrated with the Catholic church.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Britannica Editors. "illuminati".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/illuminati-group-designation</li>
<li>Carlson, Michael. &ldquo;Robert Anton Wilson [Obituary].&rdquo; The Guardian. Jan. 17, 2007. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/18/guardianobituaries.usa</li>
<li>&ldquo;Two Letters from Adam Weishaupt, Founder of the Order of the Illuminati (1776).&rdquo; German History Intersections. https://germanhistory-intersections.org/en/knowledge-and-education/ghis:document-190</li>
<li>&ldquo;1776.&rdquo; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit&auml;t M&uuml;nchen. https://www.lmu.de/en/about-lmu/lmu-at-a-glance/history/1776/</li>
<li>Goldenbaum, Annika. &ldquo;250 Years of the Order of the Illuminati: New Research Puts Gotha in the Spotlight.&rdquo; Centre for&nbsp;Transcultural Studies. Universitat Erfurt. https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/forschungskolleg-transkulturelle-studien/ueber-uns/aktuelles/news/news-detail/250-years-of-the-order-of-the-illuminati-new-research-puts-gotha-in-the-spotlight</li>
<li>Greene, Jim, MFA. Discordianism. EBSCO. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/discordianism</li>
<li>Hernandez, Isabel. &ldquo;Meet the Man Who Started the Illuminati.&rdquo; National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/profile-adam-weishaupt-illuminati-secret-society</li>
<li>&ldquo;To the Fathers Departing for Germany.&rdquo; Georgetown University Library. https://library.georgetown.edu/woodstock/ignatius-letters/letter12</li>
<li>Galer, Sophia Smith. &ldquo;The accidental invention of the Illuminati conspiracy.&rdquo; BBC. July 11, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170809-the-accidental-invention-of-the-illuminati-conspiracy</li>
<li>Stauffer, Vernon. &ldquo;New England and the Bavarian Illuminati.&rdquo; Columbia University. New York, 1918. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/newenglandbavari00stauuoft</li>
<li>Taylor, Michael. &ldquo;British Conservatism, the Illuminati, and the Conspiracy Theory of the French Revolution, 1797&ndash;1802.&rdquo;&nbsp;Eighteenth-Century Studies, vol. 47, no. 3, 2014, pp. 293&ndash;312.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24690289</li>
<li>Miller, Shari Parsons. &ldquo;Illuminati.&rdquo; EBSCO. 2022. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/illuminati#bibliography</li>
<li>Robison, John. &ldquo;Proofs of a conspiracy against all the religions and governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Free masons, Illuminati, and reading societies.&rdquo; Philadelphia : T. Dobson. 1798. https://archive.org/details/proofsofconspira00r/page/n9/mode/2up</li>
<li>Vickery, Matthew. &ldquo;The Birthplace of the Illuminati.&rdquo; BBC. Nov. 28, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20171127-the-birthplace-of-the-illuminati</li>
</ul>

The reality of the Bavarian Illuminati is much less dramatic than conspiracy theories would indicate. It wasn’t a mystical organization, but a protest organization formed by a rather conceited man who was frustrated with the Catholic church.

Adam Weishaupt and the Bavarian Illuminati

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/769259ca-268a-4498-9b1c-b4aa0158c4d2/transcript

A lot of European accounts of Sayyida al-Hurra’s life characterize her as a pirate, but that really isn't accurate. She was a a leader of a city-state and a queen of a sultanate.

Research:
Ali, Adam. “The Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean: The Story of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra.” Medievalists.net. https://www.medievalists.net/2022/08/pirate-queen-mediterranean-al-sayyida-al-hurra/
Britannica Editors. "Barbarossa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbarossa. Accessed 29 July 2026.
El Haimeur, A. (2024). Sayyida Alhurra: A forgotten North African queen and war leader: A forgotten North African queen and war leader. Africana Annual, 1(1), 44-60. https://doi.org/10.17161/africana.v1i1.19207
Hellman, Rick. “Researcher reclaims 16th century Moroccan woman leader from obscurity.” University of Kansas. 4/17/2024. https://news.ku.edu/news/article/researcher-reclaims-16th-century-moroccan-woman-leader-from-obscurity
Lebbady, “Women in Northern Morocco: Between the Documentary and the Imaginary.” Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, No. 32. 2012. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41850741
Mourtada-Sabbah, Nada and Adrian Gully. “'I Am, by God, Fit for High Positions': On the Political Role of Women in al-Andalus.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies , Nov., 2003, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Nov., 2003). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3593222
Rafferty, John P.. "From Pirate to Admiral: The Tale of Barbarossa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/story/from-pirate-to-admiral-the-tale-of-barbarossa. Accessed 29 July 2026.
Sparkes, Jason Idriss. “Sayyida al‑Hurra: An Early Modern Decolonial Muslim Exemplar.” Religions 16: 1362. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16111362
Verde, Tom. “Malika VI: Sayyida Al-Hurra.” AramcoWorld. 1/4/2017. https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2017/malika-vi-sayyida-al-hurra
Williams, Terry. “Pirate Profile: Sayyida al-Hurra.” Queen Anne’s Revenge Project. 5/25/2020. https://www.qaronline.org/blog/2020-05-25/pirate-profile-sayyida-al-hurra

 

A lot of European accounts of Sayyida al-Hurra&rsquo;s life characterize her as a pirate, but that really isn't accurate. She was a a leader of a city-state and a queen of a sultanate.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Ali, Adam. &ldquo;The Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean: The Story of Al-Sayyida al-Hurra.&rdquo; Medievalists.net. https://www.medievalists.net/2022/08/pirate-queen-mediterranean-al-sayyida-al-hurra/</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Barbarossa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbarossa. Accessed 29 July 2026.</li>
<li>El Haimeur, A. (2024). Sayyida Alhurra: A forgotten North African queen and war leader: A forgotten North African queen and war leader. Africana Annual, 1(1), 44-60. https://doi.org/10.17161/africana.v1i1.19207</li>
<li>Hellman, Rick. &ldquo;Researcher reclaims 16th century Moroccan woman leader from obscurity.&rdquo; University of Kansas. 4/17/2024. https://news.ku.edu/news/article/researcher-reclaims-16th-century-moroccan-woman-leader-from-obscurity</li>
<li>Lebbady, &ldquo;Women in Northern Morocco: Between the Documentary and the Imaginary.&rdquo; Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, No. 32. 2012. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41850741</li>
<li>Mourtada-Sabbah, Nada and Adrian Gully. &ldquo;'I Am, by God, Fit for High Positions': On the Political Role of Women in al-Andalus.&rdquo; British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies , Nov., 2003, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Nov., 2003). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3593222</li>
<li>Rafferty, John P.. "From Pirate to Admiral: The Tale of Barbarossa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/story/from-pirate-to-admiral-the-tale-of-barbarossa. Accessed 29 July 2026.</li>
<li>Sparkes, Jason Idriss. &ldquo;Sayyida al‑Hurra: An Early Modern Decolonial Muslim Exemplar.&rdquo; Religions 16: 1362. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16111362</li>
<li>Verde, Tom. &ldquo;Malika VI: Sayyida Al-Hurra.&rdquo; AramcoWorld. 1/4/2017. https://www.aramcoworld.com/articles/2017/malika-vi-sayyida-al-hurra</li>
<li>Williams, Terry. &ldquo;Pirate Profile: Sayyida al-Hurra.&rdquo; Queen Anne&rsquo;s Revenge Project. 5/25/2020. https://www.qaronline.org/blog/2020-05-25/pirate-profile-sayyida-al-hurra</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

A lot of European accounts of Sayyida al-Hurra’s life characterize her as a pirate, but that really isn't accurate. She was a a leader of a city-state and a queen of a sultanate.

Sayyida al-Hurra, Moroccan Queen

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/987ca9c7-7e7c-451a-98bf-b4a5016146b6/transcript

John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams Abroad

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