This 2017 episode features three unique women, all of whom are notable. They each have a surprising aspect to their stories, and they each have the name Belle. 

This 2017 episode features three unique women, all of whom are notable. They each have a surprising aspect to their stories, and they each have the name Belle.

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: Three Astonishing Belles

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/21093226-49a4-49c1-b8db-b11400fc29e4/transcript

Tracy talks about how the show's recording schedule meant that this week's Monday episode got revised repeatedly to reflect current events. Holly talks about the way theater performances during portions of heavy censorship in France incorporated audience participation.

Tracy talks about how the show's recording schedule meant that this week's Monday episode got revised repeatedly to reflect current events. Holly talks about the way theater performances during portions of heavy censorship in France incorporated audience participation.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Censorship Cats

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d51329f7-35c0-4bb5-9512-b4020058d15c/transcript

“Le Chat Noir” is one of the most famous pieces of late 19th century European art, but the artist behind it was also very active in France's anarchist and socialist political groups of the time.

Research:
Asimakis, Magdalyn. “War, Socialism, and Cats: Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen's Political Artistic Practice.” The Met. Nov. 2, 2017. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/theophile-alexandre-steinlen-cats-socialism-world-war-i
Budge, A. “Arts & Decoration Combined with the Spur.” Volumes 19-20. 1923. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=joAyAQAAIAAJ&vq=steinlen&source=gbs_navlinks_s
“Charles Matlack Price letters 1917-1947 [bulk 1918-1923].” The New York Public Library – Archives and Manuscripts. https://archives.nypl.org/mss/18567#:~:text=His%20career%20trajectory%20was%20briefly,to%20friends%2C%20and%20his%20work
“Declaration of the Rights of Man – 1789.” Yale Law School. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/rightsof.asp
Fau-Vincenti, Véronique. “STEINLEN Théophile, Alexandre.” Le Maitron. Nov. 4, 2009. https://maitron.fr/steinlen-theophile-alexandre/
Gegout, E. and Ch. Malato. “Prison fin de siècle : souvenirs de Pélagie.” Paris. G. Charpentier et E. Fasquelle. 1891. https://digital-research-books-beta.nypl.org/read/7581051
Glass, Chloe. “Printmaker Theophile Steinlen Used Art to Advocate for Social Change in 1900s France.” Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. https://crystalbridges.org/blog/printmaker-theophile-steinlen-used-art-to-advocate-for-social-change-in-1900s-france/
Goldstein, Robert Justin. “Fighting French Censorship, 1815-1881.” The French Review, vol. 71, no. 5, 1998, pp. 785–96. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/398913
Guthrie, Christopher E. “History of Censorship in France.” EBSCO. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/history-censorship-france
Kagan, Étienne, et al. “GEGOUT Ernest.”Le Maitron. April 7, 2014. https://maitron.fr/gegout-ernest-charles-joseph-ernest-dit-dictionnaire-des-anarchistes
Olsen, Annikka. “The Surprising Story of the Cat-Obsessed Artist Behind the Famed ‘Le Chat Noir’ Poster.” Artnet News. Oct. 28, 2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/theophile-alexandre-steinlen-tournee-du-chat-noir-2417712?amp=1
Stefiuk, Eleanor. 2022. “Villiers de L’Isle-Adam’s Anarchism: A Legacy of the Paris Commune.” Dix-Neuf26 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1080/14787318.2021.2010167

&ldquo;Le Chat Noir&rdquo; is one of the most famous pieces of late 19th century European art, but the artist behind it was also very active in France's anarchist and socialist political groups of the time.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Asimakis, Magdalyn. &ldquo;War, Socialism, and Cats: Th&eacute;ophile-Alexandre Steinlen's Political Artistic Practice.&rdquo; The Met. Nov. 2, 2017. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/theophile-alexandre-steinlen-cats-socialism-world-war-i</li>
<li>Budge, A. &ldquo;Arts &amp; Decoration Combined with the Spur.&rdquo; Volumes 19-20. 1923. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=joAyAQAAIAAJ&amp;vq=steinlen&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s</li>
<li>&ldquo;Charles Matlack Price letters 1917-1947 [bulk 1918-1923].&rdquo; The New York Public Library &ndash; Archives and Manuscripts. https://archives.nypl.org/mss/18567#:~:text=His%20career%20trajectory%20was%20briefly,to%20friends%2C%20and%20his%20work</li>
<li>&ldquo;Declaration of the Rights of Man &ndash; 1789.&rdquo; Yale Law School. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/rightsof.asp</li>
<li>Fau-Vincenti, V&eacute;ronique. &ldquo;STEINLEN Th&eacute;ophile, Alexandre.&rdquo; Le Maitron. Nov. 4, 2009. https://maitron.fr/steinlen-theophile-alexandre/</li>
<li>Gegout, E. and Ch. Malato. &ldquo;Prison fin de si&egrave;cle : souvenirs de P&eacute;lagie.&rdquo; Paris. G. Charpentier et E. Fasquelle. 1891. https://digital-research-books-beta.nypl.org/read/7581051</li>
<li>Glass, Chloe. &ldquo;Printmaker Theophile Steinlen Used Art to Advocate for Social Change in 1900s France.&rdquo; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. https://crystalbridges.org/blog/printmaker-theophile-steinlen-used-art-to-advocate-for-social-change-in-1900s-france/</li>
<li>Goldstein, Robert Justin. &ldquo;Fighting French Censorship, 1815-1881.&rdquo;&nbsp;The French Review, vol. 71, no. 5, 1998, pp. 785&ndash;96.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/398913</li>
<li>Guthrie, Christopher E. &ldquo;History of Censorship in France.&rdquo; EBSCO. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/history-censorship-france</li>
<li>Kagan, &Eacute;tienne, et al. &ldquo;GEGOUT Ernest.&rdquo;Le Maitron. April 7, 2014. https://maitron.fr/gegout-ernest-charles-joseph-ernest-dit-dictionnaire-des-anarchistes</li>
<li>Olsen, Annikka. &ldquo;The Surprising Story of the Cat-Obsessed Artist Behind the Famed &lsquo;Le Chat Noir&rsquo; Poster.&rdquo; Artnet News. Oct. 28, 2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/theophile-alexandre-steinlen-tournee-du-chat-noir-2417712?amp=1</li>
<li>Stefiuk, Eleanor. 2022. &ldquo;Villiers de L&rsquo;Isle-Adam&rsquo;s Anarchism: A Legacy of the Paris Commune.&rdquo;&nbsp;Dix-Neuf26 (1): 1&ndash;17. doi:10.1080/14787318.2021.2010167</li>
</ul>

“Le Chat Noir” is one of the most famous pieces of late 19th century European art, but the artist behind it was also very active in France's anarchist and socialist political groups of the time.

Théophile Steinlen Beyond 'Le Chat Noir'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9b5ffa37-1fd3-4d87-b66d-b3ff003b2562/transcript

The President's House was the first home of the U.S. president in the temporary capital of Phildelphia. While George Washington lived there, he had nine enslaved people that we know of., including the cook, Hercules. 

Research:
“George Washington to Tobias Lear, 12 April 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-08-02-0062 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 8, 22 March 1791 – 22 September 1791, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999, pp. 84–]
“President's House Civic Engagement Forum Grant Report 1.” USHistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/controversy/october_30_2004_report.php
“Tobias Lear to George Washington, 5 June 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-08-02-0172 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 8, 22 March 1791 – 22 September 1791, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999, pp. 231–]
1838 Black Metropolis et al. “Re: President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.’” 9/8/2025. https://preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NPS-Signage-Letter-9-9-25.pdf
Althouse, Michela. “President's House display on George Washington's slaves remains despite White House scrutiny — for now.” Philly Voice. 9/26/2025. https://www.phillyvoice.com/george-washington-slaves-presidents-house-exhibit-trump/
Andersen, Eva. “Philadelphia advocates say key panels of slavery exhibit still missing at President's House Site.” CBS News. 2/25/2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/slavery-exhibit-philadelphia-presidents-house/
Bomar, Mary A. and Dennis R. Reidenbach. “Report on Site Review of Interpretive Programs by The Organization of American Historians.” National Park Service Independence National Historical Park. 9/8/2025. https://www.oah.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Review-of-Independence-National-Historic-Parks-interpretive-programs.pdf
Cerino, Marco. “Feds detail plans for restoring President's House.” Philadelphia Tribune. 2/24/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/feds-detail-plans-for-restoring-presidents-house/article_85ee7f4a-0b19-4d20-8933-951c7e2bfea0.html.
Chervinsky, Lindsay M. “The Enslaved Household of President George Washington.” The White House Historical Association. 9/6/2019. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-household-of-president-george-washington
Custis, George Washington Parke. “Recollections and private memoirs of Washington.” Philadelphia, J. W. Bradley. 1861. https://archive.org/details/recollectionspri02cust/
Evans, Dorinda. “Portrait of a Man from the Island of Dominica (?).” Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional. https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/reynolds-circle-sir-joshua/portrait-man-island-dominica
Fanelli, Doris Devine. “History, Commemoration, and an Interdisciplinary Approach to Interpreting the President's House Site.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , Oct, 2005, Vol. 129, No. 4. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093820
George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “A Case of Mistaken Identity.” https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/mistaken-identity
George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “Hercules Posey.” https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/hercules
Hinks, Peter. “A Shambles for the President's House.” Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies , Vol. 81, No. 2 (Spring 2014). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/pennhistory.81.2.0253
House Appropriations Committee. “H. Rept. 107-564 - DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2003.” https://www.congress.gov/committee-report/107th-congress/house-report/564
Joselow, Maxine. “Park Service Is Ordered to Take Down Some Materials on Slavery and Tribes.” 9/16/2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/climate/trump-park-service-slavery-photo-tribes.html
Lawler, Edward Jr. “The President's House Revisited.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , Oct., 2005, Vol. 129, No. 4 (Oct., 2005). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093817
Organization of American Historians. “Statement on the Freedom and Slavery Exhibit Removal at Independence National Historical Park.” 1/24/2026. https://www.oah.org/2026/01/24/statement-on-the-freedom-and-slavery-exhibit-removal-at-independence-national-historical-park/
Preservation Alliance. “We are outraged … “ 1/22/2026. https://preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/President-House-Statement-1-22-26.pdf
“US national parks told to remove signs on mistreatment of Native Americans, climate, Wash Post reports.” 1/27/2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-national-parks-told-remove-signs-mistreatment-native-americans-climate-wash-2026-01-27/
Rufe, Cynthia M. “CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Plaintiff, v. DOUG BURGUM, et al., Defendants. Civil Action no. 26-434. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.paed.648842/gov.uscourts.paed.648842.53.0.pdf
Schuessler, Jennifer. “How Trump Brought the Fight Over American History to Philadelphia.” 2/5/2026. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/arts/george-washington-slavery-trump-history.html
Smith, Dinita. “Slave Site For a Symbol Of Freedom.” New York Times. 4/20/2002. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/20/arts/slave-site-for-a-symbol-of-freedom.html
Spears, Alan. “To Tell the Truth.” National Parks Conservation Association. Winter 2026. https://www.npca.org/articles/11218-to-tell-the-truth
Visit Philadelphia. “The President's House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation.” Via YouTube. 12/14/2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPxu2z2GEcc
Wiencek, Henry. "George Washington and Slavery" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (07 Dec. 2020). Web. 11 Feb. 2026. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/washington-george-and-slavery/
Young, Patrick. “The Signage at Manassas That Is Slated for Removal by the National Park Service.” The Reconstruction Era. 9/17/2025. https://thereconstructionera.com/the-signage-at-manassas-that-is-slated-for-removal-by-the-national-park-service/

The President's House was the first home of the U.S. president in the temporary capital of Phildelphia. While George Washington lived there, he had nine enslaved people that we know of., including the cook, Hercules.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;George Washington to Tobias Lear, 12 April 1791,&rdquo; Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-08-02-0062 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 8, 22 March 1791 &ndash; 22 September 1791, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999, pp. 84&ndash;]</li>
<li>&ldquo;President's House Civic Engagement Forum Grant Report 1.&rdquo; USHistory.org. https://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/controversy/october_30_2004_report.php</li>
<li>&ldquo;Tobias Lear to George Washington, 5 June 1791,&rdquo; Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-08-02-0172 . [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 8, 22 March 1791 &ndash; 22 September 1791, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999, pp. 231&ndash;]</li>
<li>1838 Black Metropolis et al. &ldquo;Re: President Donald Trump&rsquo;s Executive Order, &lsquo;Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.&rsquo;&rdquo; 9/8/2025. https://preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/NPS-Signage-Letter-9-9-25.pdf</li>
<li>Althouse, Michela. &ldquo;President's House display on George Washington's slaves remains despite White House scrutiny &mdash; for now.&rdquo; Philly Voice. 9/26/2025. https://www.phillyvoice.com/george-washington-slaves-presidents-house-exhibit-trump/</li>
<li>Andersen, Eva. &ldquo;Philadelphia advocates say key panels of slavery exhibit still missing at President's House Site.&rdquo; CBS News. 2/25/2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/slavery-exhibit-philadelphia-presidents-house/</li>
<li>Bomar, Mary A. and Dennis R. Reidenbach. &ldquo;Report on Site Review of Interpretive Programs by The Organization of American Historians.&rdquo; National Park Service Independence National Historical Park. 9/8/2025. https://www.oah.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Review-of-Independence-National-Historic-Parks-interpretive-programs.pdf</li>
<li>Cerino, Marco. &ldquo;Feds detail plans for restoring President's House.&rdquo; Philadelphia Tribune. 2/24/2026. https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/feds-detail-plans-for-restoring-presidents-house/article_85ee7f4a-0b19-4d20-8933-951c7e2bfea0.html.</li>
<li>Chervinsky, Lindsay M. &ldquo;The Enslaved Household of President George Washington.&rdquo; The White House Historical Association. 9/6/2019. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-household-of-president-george-washington</li>
<li>Custis, George Washington Parke. &ldquo;Recollections and private memoirs of Washington.&rdquo; Philadelphia, J. W. Bradley. 1861. https://archive.org/details/recollectionspri02cust/</li>
<li>Evans, Dorinda. &ldquo;Portrait of a Man from the Island of Dominica (?).&rdquo; Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional. https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/reynolds-circle-sir-joshua/portrait-man-island-dominica</li>
<li>Fanelli, Doris Devine. &ldquo;History, Commemoration, and an Interdisciplinary Approach to Interpreting the President's House Site.&rdquo; The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , Oct, 2005, Vol. 129, No. 4. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093820</li>
<li>George Washington&rsquo;s Mount Vernon. &ldquo;A Case of Mistaken Identity.&rdquo; https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/mistaken-identity</li>
<li>George Washington&rsquo;s Mount Vernon. &ldquo;Hercules Posey.&rdquo; https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/hercules</li>
<li>Hinks, Peter. &ldquo;A Shambles for the President's House.&rdquo; Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies , Vol. 81, No. 2 (Spring 2014). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/pennhistory.81.2.0253</li>
<li>House Appropriations Committee. &ldquo;H. Rept. 107-564 - DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2003.&rdquo; https://www.congress.gov/committee-report/107th-congress/house-report/564</li>
<li>Joselow, Maxine. &ldquo;Park Service Is Ordered to Take Down Some Materials on Slavery and Tribes.&rdquo; 9/16/2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/climate/trump-park-service-slavery-photo-tribes.html</li>
<li>Lawler, Edward Jr. &ldquo;The President's House Revisited.&rdquo; The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , Oct., 2005, Vol. 129, No. 4 (Oct., 2005). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093817</li>
<li>Organization of American Historians. &ldquo;Statement on the Freedom and Slavery Exhibit Removal at Independence National Historical Park.&rdquo; 1/24/2026. https://www.oah.org/2026/01/24/statement-on-the-freedom-and-slavery-exhibit-removal-at-independence-national-historical-park/</li>
<li>Preservation Alliance. &ldquo;We are outraged &hellip; &ldquo; 1/22/2026. https://preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/President-House-Statement-1-22-26.pdf</li>
<li>&ldquo;US national parks told to remove signs on mistreatment of Native Americans, climate, Wash Post reports.&rdquo; 1/27/2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-national-parks-told-remove-signs-mistreatment-native-americans-climate-wash-2026-01-27/</li>
<li>Rufe, Cynthia M. &ldquo;CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Plaintiff, v. DOUG BURGUM, et al., Defendants. Civil Action no. 26-434. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.paed.648842/gov.uscourts.paed.648842.53.0.pdf</li>
<li>Schuessler, Jennifer. &ldquo;How Trump Brought the Fight Over American History to Philadelphia.&rdquo; 2/5/2026. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/arts/george-washington-slavery-trump-history.html</li>
<li>Smith, Dinita. &ldquo;Slave Site For a Symbol Of Freedom.&rdquo; New York Times. 4/20/2002. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/20/arts/slave-site-for-a-symbol-of-freedom.html</li>
<li>Spears, Alan. &ldquo;To Tell the Truth.&rdquo; National Parks Conservation Association. Winter 2026. https://www.npca.org/articles/11218-to-tell-the-truth</li>
<li>Visit Philadelphia. &ldquo;The President's House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation.&rdquo; Via YouTube. 12/14/2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPxu2z2GEcc</li>
<li>Wiencek, Henry. "George Washington and Slavery" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (07 Dec. 2020). Web. 11 Feb. 2026. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/washington-george-and-slavery/</li>
<li>Young, Patrick. &ldquo;The Signage at Manassas That Is Slated for Removal by the National Park Service.&rdquo; The Reconstruction Era. 9/17/2025. https://thereconstructionera.com/the-signage-at-manassas-that-is-slated-for-removal-by-the-national-park-service/</li>
</ul>

The President's House was the first home of the U.S. president in the temporary capital of Phildelphia. While George Washington lived there, he had nine enslaved people that we know of., including the cook, Hercules. 

Hercules Posey & the President’s House

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bf286751-0296-44bf-bb5f-b3ff001d7356/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Three Astonishing Belles

In 1 playlist(s)

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips