The Great Fear was a panic during the French Revolution that spread through rural areas. It all started with a conspiracy theory.

Research:
Davies, Alun. “The Origins of the French Peasant Revolution of 1789.” History, 1964, Vol. 49, No. 165 (1964). https://www.jstor.org/stable/24404527
Elster, Jon. “The Two Great Fears of 1789.” Prepared for the Conference on “Emotions and Civil War”, Collège de France June 10-11 2010. https://www.college-de-france.fr/media/jon-elster/UPL13205_LePillouerThe_two_great_fears_of_1789.pdf
Hill, Henry Bertram. “An Aftermath of the Great Fear.” The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Dec. 1950). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1875896
Kasal, Krystal. “Mapping out France's 'Great Fear of 1789' shows how misinformation spreads like a virus.” Phys.org. 8/28/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-france-great-misinformation-virus.html
Lefebvre, Georges. “The Great Fear of 1789; rural panic in revolutionary France.” Joan White, translator. Pantheon Books. 1973.
Lenharo, Mariana. “An abiding mystery of the French Revolution is solved — by epidemiology.” Nature. 8/27/2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02739-9
Mark, Harrison W. “Great Fear.” World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Great_Fear/
Markoff, John. “Contexts and Forms of Rural Revolt: France in 1789.” The Journal of Conflict Resolution , Jun., 1986, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jun., 1986), pp. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/174254
Pelz, William A. “The Rise of the Third Estate: The French People Revolt.” From A People's History of Modern Europe. Pluto Press. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1c2crfj.8
Tackett, Timothy. “Conspiracy Obsession in a Time of Revolution: French Elites and the Origins of the Terror, 1789-1792.” The American Historical Review , Jun., 2000, Vol. 105, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2651806
Zapperi, Stefano et al. “Epidemiology models explain rumour spreading during France’s Great Fear of 1789.” Nature. 8/27/2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09392-2

The Great Fear was a panic during the French Revolution that spread through rural areas. It all started with a conspiracy theory.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Davies, Alun. &ldquo;The Origins of the French Peasant Revolution of 1789.&rdquo; History, 1964, Vol. 49, No. 165 (1964). https://www.jstor.org/stable/24404527</li>
<li>Elster, Jon. &ldquo;The Two Great Fears of 1789.&rdquo; Prepared for the Conference on &ldquo;Emotions and Civil War&rdquo;, Coll&egrave;ge de France June 10-11 2010. https://www.college-de-france.fr/media/jon-elster/UPL13205_LePillouerThe_two_great_fears_of_1789.pdf</li>
<li>Hill, Henry Bertram. &ldquo;An Aftermath of the Great Fear.&rdquo; The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Dec. 1950). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1875896</li>
<li>Kasal, Krystal. &ldquo;Mapping out France's 'Great Fear of 1789' shows how misinformation spreads like a virus.&rdquo; Phys.org. 8/28/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-france-great-misinformation-virus.html</li>
<li>Lefebvre, Georges. &ldquo;The Great Fear of 1789; rural panic in revolutionary France.&rdquo; Joan White, translator. Pantheon Books. 1973.</li>
<li>Lenharo, Mariana. &ldquo;An abiding mystery of the French Revolution is solved &mdash; by epidemiology.&rdquo; Nature. 8/27/2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02739-9</li>
<li>Mark, Harrison W. &ldquo;Great Fear.&rdquo; World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Great_Fear/</li>
<li>Markoff, John. &ldquo;Contexts and Forms of Rural Revolt: France in 1789.&rdquo; The Journal of Conflict Resolution , Jun., 1986, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jun., 1986), pp. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/174254</li>
<li>Pelz, William A. &ldquo;The Rise of the Third Estate: The French People Revolt.&rdquo; From A People's History of Modern Europe. Pluto Press. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1c2crfj.8</li>
<li>Tackett, Timothy. &ldquo;Conspiracy Obsession in a Time of Revolution: French Elites and the Origins of the Terror, 1789-1792.&rdquo; The American Historical Review , Jun., 2000, Vol. 105, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2651806</li>
<li>Zapperi, Stefano et al. &ldquo;Epidemiology models explain rumour spreading during France&rsquo;s Great Fear of 1789.&rdquo; Nature. 8/27/2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09392-2</li>
</ul>

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The Great Fear was a panic during the French Revolution that spread through rural areas. It all started with a conspiracy theory.

The Great Fear of 1789

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/00c0b5b1-49c4-487e-ad49-b38a0037f7a6/transcript

Part 1 of this 2020 two-parter covers background on the FBI and on the origins of its counterintelligence programs, as well as one specific operation, called COINTELPRO-White Hate.

Part 1 of this 2020 two-parter covers background on the FBI and on the origins of its counterintelligence programs, as well as one specific operation, called COINTELPRO-White Hate.

SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 1

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a007cbe8-2d8b-4833-835b-b3f001828ae8/transcript

Tracy shares her desire to see the rest of the letter that was quoted in this week's episodes on Anthony Burns. Talk also turns to the fact that many of the things that are surprising people today are, in fact, precedented.

Tracy shares her desire to see the rest of the letter that was quoted in this week's episodes on Anthony Burns. Talk also turns to the fact that many of the things that are surprising people today are, in fact, precedented.

Behind the Scenes Minis: It's Not Unprecedented

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a344bef1-bb63-45b4-999c-b3f00059535e/transcript

Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was returned to Virginia to be enslaved once again, his supporters in Boston continued to work for his freedom.

Research:
Buehrens, John A. “Spiritual friendship and social justice.” UU World. Fall 2019. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/spiritual-friendship
Sutton, Robert K. “’We waked up stark mad Abolitionists.’” From "Stark Mad Abolitionists.” Salon. 8/5/2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/05/we-waked-up-stark-mad-abolitionists/
Sutton, Robert K. “The Wealthy Activist Who Helped Turn ‘Bleeding Kansas’ Free.” Smithsonian. 8/16/2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wealthy-activist-who-helped-turn-bleeding-kansas-free-180964494/
Delblanco, Andrew. “America’s Struggle for Moral Coherence.” The Atlantic. 12/12/2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/the-nation-has-been-this-dividedin-the-civil-war/575587/
Finkelman, Paul & Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Anthony Burns (1834–1862). (2020, December 07). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-1834-1862.
“Anthony Burns Captured.” Africans in America. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2915.html
Boston African American National Historic Site. “"God made me a man- not a slave": The Arrest of Anthony Burns.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/-god-made-me-a-man-not-a-slave-the-arrest-of-anthony-burns.htm#_ftnref14
Linder, Douglas O. “The (Fugitive Slave)Trials of Anthony Burns: An Account.” UMKC School of Law: Famous Trials. 2019. https://www.famous-trials.com/anthonyburns/2425-the-fugitive-slave-trials-of-anthony-burns-an-account
Encyclopedia Virginia. “The Trial of Anthony Burns (1854).” https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-the-trial-of-1854/
Stevens, Charles Emery. “Anthony Burns: A History.” Boston : John P. Jewett and Co. 1856.
Shapiro, Samuel. “The Rendition of Anthony Burns.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan., 1959). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716312
Maginnes, David R. “The Case of the Court House Rioters in the Rendition of the Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns, 1854.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1971). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716024
Landon, Fred. “Anthony Burns in Canada.” Reprinted from the Ontario Historical Society’s “Papers and Records” volume XXII. 1925. https://archive.org/details/anthonyburnsinca00land/
Potter, Joseph S. “The Boston Slave Riot, and Trial of Anthony Burns.” Boston: Fetridge and Company. 1854. https://archive.org/details/DKC0103/mode/1up
Perlstein, Henry, “From the Ashes of the Common Law”: Personal Replevin in the 21st Century (February 05, 2024). Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, Volume 19, pp. 257-309, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5407082 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5407082

Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was returned to Virginia to be enslaved once again, his supporters in Boston continued to work for his freedom.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Buehrens, John A. &ldquo;Spiritual friendship and social justice.&rdquo; UU World. Fall 2019. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/spiritual-friendship</li>
<li>Sutton, Robert K. &ldquo;&rsquo;We waked up stark mad Abolitionists.&rsquo;&rdquo; From "Stark Mad Abolitionists.&rdquo; Salon. 8/5/2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/05/we-waked-up-stark-mad-abolitionists/</li>
<li>Sutton, Robert K. &ldquo;The Wealthy Activist Who Helped Turn &lsquo;Bleeding Kansas&rsquo; Free.&rdquo; Smithsonian. 8/16/2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wealthy-activist-who-helped-turn-bleeding-kansas-free-180964494/</li>
<li>Delblanco, Andrew. &ldquo;America&rsquo;s Struggle for Moral Coherence.&rdquo; The Atlantic. 12/12/2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/the-nation-has-been-this-dividedin-the-civil-war/575587/</li>
<li>Finkelman, Paul &amp; Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Anthony Burns (1834&ndash;1862). (2020, December 07). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-1834-1862.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Anthony Burns Captured.&rdquo; Africans in America. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2915.html</li>
<li>Boston African American National Historic Site. &ldquo;"God made me a man- not a slave": The Arrest of Anthony Burns.&rdquo; National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/-god-made-me-a-man-not-a-slave-the-arrest-of-anthony-burns.htm#_ftnref14</li>
<li>Linder, Douglas O. &ldquo;The (Fugitive Slave)Trials of Anthony Burns: An Account.&rdquo; UMKC School of Law: Famous Trials. 2019. https://www.famous-trials.com/anthonyburns/2425-the-fugitive-slave-trials-of-anthony-burns-an-account</li>
<li>Encyclopedia Virginia. &ldquo;The Trial of Anthony Burns (1854).&rdquo; https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-the-trial-of-1854/</li>
<li>Stevens, Charles Emery. &ldquo;Anthony Burns: A History.&rdquo; Boston : John P. Jewett and Co. 1856.</li>
<li>Shapiro, Samuel. &ldquo;The Rendition of Anthony Burns.&rdquo; The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan., 1959). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716312</li>
<li>Maginnes, David R. &ldquo;The Case of the Court House Rioters in the Rendition of the Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns, 1854.&rdquo; The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1971). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716024</li>
<li>Landon, Fred. &ldquo;Anthony Burns in Canada.&rdquo; Reprinted from the Ontario Historical Society&rsquo;s &ldquo;Papers and Records&rdquo; volume XXII. 1925. https://archive.org/details/anthonyburnsinca00land/</li>
<li>Potter, Joseph S. &ldquo;The Boston Slave Riot, and Trial of Anthony Burns.&rdquo; Boston: Fetridge and Company. 1854. https://archive.org/details/DKC0103/mode/1up</li>
<li>Perlstein, Henry, &ldquo;From the Ashes of the Common Law&rdquo;: Personal Replevin in the 21st Century (February 05, 2024). Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, Volume 19, pp. 257-309, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5407082 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5407082</li>
</ul>

Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was returned to Virginia to be enslaved once again, his supporters in Boston continued to work for his freedom.

The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 2

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/773492b7-cec5-4a10-83be-b3ee003bb945/transcript

The Great Fear of 1789

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