This 2020 episode covers the iconic figure of mysticism, Madame Blavatsky. She was the founder of the theosophical movement, and lived a life of adventure that's hard to believe.

This 2020 episode covers the iconic figure of mysticism, Madame Blavatsky. She was the founder of the theosophical movement, and lived a life of adventure that's hard to believe.

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

SYMHC Classics: Madame Blavatsky

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/97cbad58-6d44-4712-8c17-b2480042054b/transcript

Samuel Hartlib doesn’t exactly spring to mind when thinking about influential figures of the 17th century. But he served as a sort of conduit for information and connections among them as he sought to promote his ideas regarding theology and education.

Research:
Britannica Editors. "Samuel Hartlib". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Hartlib
Britannica Editors. "Thirty Years’ War". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/Thirty-Years-War
Britannica Editors. "John Dury". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Dury
Hartlib, Samuel, OR John Dury. “A Further Discoverie Of The Office Of Public Address For Accommodations.” 1648. The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&docname=14A_02_03
Hartlib, Samuel. “Ephemerides 1635.” The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&docname=29_03_01&term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight
Hartlib, Samuel. “Ephemerides 1650.” The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&docname=28_01_49&term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight
Hartlib, Samuel. “Ephemerides 1651.” The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&docname=28_02_01&term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight
Hartlib, Samuel. “Ephemerides 1659.” The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&docname=29_08_01&term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight
McDowell, Nicholas. “The Oxford Handbook of Milton (Oxford Handbooks).” OUP Oxford. 2009. Kindle Edition.
Masson, Victoria. “The Origins & Causes of the English Civil War.” Historic U.K. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Origins-of-the-English-Civil-War/
Milton, John. “Tractate on Education. A FACSIMILE REPRINT FROM THE EDITION OF 1673. EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY OSCAR BROWNING, M.Α.” Cambridge University Press. 1890. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=KzsVAAAAYAAJ&rdid=book-KzsVAAAAYAAJ&rdot=1
“Pact Signed By Dury, Comenius And Hartlib, And Later By William Hamilton.” The Hartlib Papers. March 3, 1642. The University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=additional&docname=7E_109T&term0=transtext_pact#highlight
Trevor-Roper, Hugh. “The Crisis of the Seventeenth Century.” Liberty Fund Indianapolis. 1967. https://web.archive.org/web/20061213185209/http://olldownload.libertyfund.org/Texts/LFBooks/TrevorRoper0256/Crisis17thC/0098_Bk.pdf
Turnbull, G. H. “Samuel Hartlib’s Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society.” Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, vol. 10, no. 2, 1953, pp. 101–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/530806
Turnbull, G.H. “SAMUEL HAKTLIB A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND HIS RELATIONS TO J. A. COMENIUS.” Oxford University Press. 1920. https://ia801209.us.archive.org/21/items/cu31924027998859/cu31924027998859.pdf
Webster, Charles. “A Portrait of Samuel Hartlib: In Search of Universal Betterment.” Open Book Publishers. 2025. Accessible online: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0486

Samuel Hartlib doesn&rsquo;t exactly spring to mind when thinking about influential figures of the 17th century. But he served as a sort of conduit for information and connections among them as he sought to promote his ideas regarding theology and education.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Samuel Hartlib".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Hartlib</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Thirty Years&rsquo; War".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/Thirty-Years-War</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "John Dury".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Dury</li>
<li>Hartlib, Samuel, OR John Dury. &ldquo;A Further Discoverie Of The Office Of Public Address For Accommodations.&rdquo; 1648. The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&amp;docname=14A_02_03</li>
<li>Hartlib, Samuel. &ldquo;Ephemerides 1635.&rdquo; The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&amp;docname=29_03_01&amp;term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight</li>
<li>Hartlib, Samuel. &ldquo;Ephemerides 1650.&rdquo; The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&amp;docname=28_01_49&amp;term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight</li>
<li>Hartlib, Samuel. &ldquo;Ephemerides 1651.&rdquo; The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&amp;docname=28_02_01&amp;term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight</li>
<li>Hartlib, Samuel. &ldquo;Ephemerides 1659.&rdquo; The Hartlib Papers. University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=main&amp;docname=29_08_01&amp;term0=transtext_ephemerides#highlight</li>
<li>McDowell, Nicholas. &ldquo;The Oxford Handbook of Milton (Oxford Handbooks).&rdquo; OUP Oxford. 2009. Kindle Edition.</li>
<li>Masson, Victoria. &ldquo;The Origins &amp; Causes of the English Civil War.&rdquo; Historic U.K. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Origins-of-the-English-Civil-War/</li>
<li>Milton, John. &ldquo;Tractate on Education. A FACSIMILE REPRINT FROM THE EDITION OF 1673. EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY OSCAR BROWNING, M.&Alpha;.&rdquo; Cambridge University Press. 1890. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=KzsVAAAAYAAJ&amp;rdid=book-KzsVAAAAYAAJ&amp;rdot=1</li>
<li>&ldquo;Pact Signed By Dury, Comenius And Hartlib, And Later By William Hamilton.&rdquo; The Hartlib Papers. March 3, 1642. The University of Sheffield. https://www.dhi.ac.uk/hartlib/view?docset=additional&amp;docname=7E_109T&amp;term0=transtext_pact#highlight</li>
<li>Trevor-Roper, Hugh. &ldquo;The Crisis of the Seventeenth Century.&rdquo; Liberty Fund Indianapolis. 1967. https://web.archive.org/web/20061213185209/http://olldownload.libertyfund.org/Texts/LFBooks/TrevorRoper0256/Crisis17thC/0098_Bk.pdf</li>
<li>Turnbull, G. H. &ldquo;Samuel Hartlib&rsquo;s Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society.&rdquo;&nbsp;Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, vol. 10, no. 2, 1953, pp. 101&ndash;30.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/530806</li>
<li>Turnbull, G.H. &ldquo;SAMUEL HAKTLIB A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND HIS RELATIONS TO J. A. COMENIUS.&rdquo; Oxford University Press. 1920. https://ia801209.us.archive.org/21/items/cu31924027998859/cu31924027998859.pdf</li>
<li>Webster, Charles. &ldquo;A Portrait of Samuel Hartlib: In Search of Universal Betterment.&rdquo; Open Book Publishers. 2025. Accessible online: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0486</li>
</ul>

Samuel Hartlib doesn’t exactly spring to mind when thinking about influential figures of the 17th century. But he served as a sort of conduit for information and connections among them as he sought to promote his ideas regarding theology and education.

Samuel Hartlib and the Hartlib Circle

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7aa3539f-a722-4085-90b9-b456013e1ce0/transcript

Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban doctor who did a lot of work to understand the spread of Yellow Fever. But Walter Reed got most of the credit.

Research:
American Experience. “Carlos Finlay (1833-1915).” From The Great Fever. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/fever-carlos-finlay/
Berenbrok, Dorothy E., "Latin Heritage Month. Carlos Juan Finlay: Outrageous, Courageous and Correct" (2015). Posters: Jefferson History. 3. https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jeffhistoryposters/3
"Carlos Juan Finlay." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631002194/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=bfeecc25. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Chaves-Carballo, Enrique. “Carlos J. Finlay: The mosquito man.” Hektoen International. 11/2/2020. https://hekint.org/2020/11/02/carlos-j-finlay-the-mosquito-man/
Corbitt, Duvon C. “Carlos J. Finlay, Cuban Physician.” The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Aug., 1965). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2511751
Del Regato, Juan A. “Carlos Juan Finlay (1833-1915).” Journal of Public Health Policy , 2001, Vol. 22, No. 1 (2001). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3343556
Faerstein, Eduardoa; Winkelstein, Warren Jrb. Carlos Juan Finlay: Rejected, Respected, and Right. Epidemiology 21(1):p 158, January 2010. | DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181c308e0
Ferreira Moreno, Víctor Guillermo. “Evocation to the Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Barres on the centennial of his death.” Colombia medica (Cali, Colombia) vol. 47,1 63-6. 30 Mar. 2016
Finlay, Carlos J. “The Mosquito Hypothetically Considered as the Agent of Transmission of Yellow Fever.” Read before the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences Session of August 14th, 1881. https://archive.org/details/b33448541/page/590/mode/1up
Finlay, Carlos Juan. “Trabajos selectos del Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Selected papers of Dr. Carlos J. Finlay.” Habana. 1912. https://archive.org/details/trabajosselectos00finl
Finlay, Charles. “Inoculations for Yellow Fever by Means of Contaminated Mosquitoes.” Published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, n.s. 102: 264-268, 1891. https://archive.org/details/b33445242/page/n4/mode/1up
Finlay, Charles. “Yellow Fever: Its ‘Transmission by Means of the Culex Mosquito.” Published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, n.s. 92: 395-409, 1886. https://archive.org/details/b33435698/page/613/mode/1up
Palmer, Steven. “A Cuban Scientist Between Empires: Peripheral Vision on Race and Tropical Medicine.” Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne desétudes latino-américaines et caraïbes, Vol. 35, No. 69, Special Issue: Landscapes of LatinAmerican Health, 1870-1970. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41800498
Spears, Ellen Griffith and Rosa López-Oceguera. “Carlos Juan Finlay, William Gorgas, and Walter Reed and the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Controversy: Competing Historical Memories.” Alabama Review The University of Alabama Press. Volume 74, Number 1, January 2021. https://doi.org/10.1353/ala.2021.0011
Stepan, Nancy. “The Interplay between Socio-Economic Factors and Medical Science: Yellow Fever Research, Cuba and the United States.” Social Studies of Science , Nov., 1978, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Nov., 1978). Via JSTOR. http://www.jstor.com/stable/284817
Thomas Jefferson University. “10 Notable Jefferson Alumni of the Past.” https://library.jefferson.edu/archives/exhibits/notable_alumni/juan_carlos_finlay.cfm
Tone, John Lawrence. (2002) “How the mosquito (man) liberated Cuba.” History and Technology, 18:4, 277-308, DOI: 10.1080/07341512.2002.11417735
“Carlos J. Finlay.” 5/16/2023. https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/carlos-j-finlay/about
Woodall, Jack. "Yellow Fever." Infectious Diseases: In Context, edited by Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner, vol. 2, Gale, 2008, pp. 925-931. In Context Series. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3045200265/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=bf646a26. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban doctor who did a lot of work to understand the spread of Yellow Fever. But Walter Reed got most of the credit.
Research:
<ul>
<li>American Experience. &ldquo;Carlos Finlay (1833-1915).&rdquo; From The Great Fever. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/fever-carlos-finlay/</li>
<li>Berenbrok, Dorothy E., "Latin Heritage Month. Carlos Juan Finlay: Outrageous, Courageous and Correct" (2015). Posters: Jefferson History. 3. https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jeffhistoryposters/3</li>
<li>"Carlos Juan Finlay." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631002194/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=bfeecc25. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.</li>
<li>Chaves-Carballo, Enrique. &ldquo;Carlos J. Finlay: The mosquito man.&rdquo; Hektoen International. 11/2/2020. https://hekint.org/2020/11/02/carlos-j-finlay-the-mosquito-man/</li>
<li>Corbitt, Duvon C. &ldquo;Carlos J. Finlay, Cuban Physician.&rdquo; The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Aug., 1965). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2511751</li>
<li>Del Regato, Juan A. &ldquo;Carlos Juan Finlay (1833-1915).&rdquo; Journal of Public Health Policy , 2001, Vol. 22, No. 1 (2001). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3343556</li>
<li>Faerstein, Eduardoa; Winkelstein, Warren Jrb. Carlos Juan Finlay: Rejected, Respected, and Right. Epidemiology 21(1):p 158, January 2010. | DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181c308e0</li>
<li>Ferreira Moreno, V&iacute;ctor Guillermo. &ldquo;Evocation to the Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Barres on the centennial of his death.&rdquo; Colombia medica (Cali, Colombia) vol. 47,1 63-6. 30 Mar. 2016</li>
<li>Finlay, Carlos J. &ldquo;The Mosquito Hypothetically Considered as the Agent of Transmission of Yellow Fever.&rdquo; Read before the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences Session of August 14th, 1881. https://archive.org/details/b33448541/page/590/mode/1up</li>
<li>Finlay, Carlos Juan. &ldquo;Trabajos selectos del Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Selected papers of Dr. Carlos J. Finlay.&rdquo; Habana. 1912. https://archive.org/details/trabajosselectos00finl</li>
<li>Finlay, Charles. &ldquo;Inoculations for Yellow Fever by Means of Contaminated Mosquitoes.&rdquo; Published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, n.s. 102: 264-268, 1891. https://archive.org/details/b33445242/page/n4/mode/1up</li>
<li>Finlay, Charles. &ldquo;Yellow Fever: Its &lsquo;Transmission by Means of the Culex Mosquito.&rdquo; Published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, n.s. 92: 395-409, 1886. https://archive.org/details/b33435698/page/613/mode/1up</li>
<li>Palmer, Steven. &ldquo;A Cuban Scientist Between Empires: Peripheral Vision on Race and Tropical Medicine.&rdquo; Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne des&eacute;tudes latino-am&eacute;ricaines et cara&iuml;bes, Vol. 35, No. 69, Special Issue: Landscapes of LatinAmerican Health, 1870-1970. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41800498</li>
<li>Spears, Ellen Griffith and Rosa L&oacute;pez-Oceguera. &ldquo;Carlos Juan Finlay, William Gorgas, and Walter Reed and the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Controversy: Competing Historical Memories.&rdquo; Alabama Review The University of Alabama Press. Volume 74, Number 1, January 2021. https://doi.org/10.1353/ala.2021.0011</li>
<li>Stepan, Nancy. &ldquo;The Interplay between Socio-Economic Factors and Medical Science: Yellow Fever Research, Cuba and the United States.&rdquo; Social Studies of Science , Nov., 1978, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Nov., 1978). Via JSTOR. http://www.jstor.com/stable/284817</li>
<li>Thomas Jefferson University. &ldquo;10 Notable Jefferson Alumni of the Past.&rdquo; https://library.jefferson.edu/archives/exhibits/notable_alumni/juan_carlos_finlay.cfm</li>
<li>Tone, John Lawrence. (2002) &ldquo;How the mosquito (man) liberated Cuba.&rdquo; History and Technology, 18:4, 277-308, DOI: 10.1080/07341512.2002.11417735</li>
<li>&ldquo;Carlos J. Finlay.&rdquo; 5/16/2023. https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/carlos-j-finlay/about</li>
<li>Woodall, Jack. "Yellow Fever." Infectious Diseases: In Context, edited by Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner, vol. 2, Gale, 2008, pp. 925-931. In Context Series. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3045200265/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&amp;sid=bookmark-GPS&amp;xid=bf646a26. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.</li>
</ul>

Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban doctor who did a lot of work to understand the spread of Yellow Fever. But Walter Reed got most of the credit.

Carlos Juan Finlay and Yellow Fever

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9f47d542-1cb3-4018-b9d0-b45500710bcb/transcript

This 2022 episode covers Deborah Sampson, who could count William Bradford and Myles Standish in her family tree. That tree didn’t include Robert Shurtliff; that was the alias Deborah used to enlist in the Continental Army.

This 2022 episode covers Deborah Sampson, who could count William Bradford and Myles Standish in her family tree. That tree didn&rsquo;t include Robert Shurtliff; that was the alias Deborah used to enlist in the Continental Army.

SYMHC Classics: Deborah Sampson

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ece16cb5-7a52-48de-80ad-b45200383fa9/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Madame Blavatsky

In 1 playlist(s)

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips