American History Tellers

November 6, 1860. Abraham Lincoln is elected 16th president of the United States, bringing tensions to a head between America’s North and South.   You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.com History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

November 20, 1992. After a year of bad press for Britain's royals, Windsor castle catches fire, raising questions about the cost and future of the British monarchy. You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.com History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19...

In the early morning hours of April 18th, 1906, residents of San Francisco were awakened by the violent shaking of a massive earthquake. People on the streets watched in horror as entire city blocks were reduced to rubble. Those who had survived the initial quake began rescue efforts, pulling people from destroyed buildings and rushing to aid the wounded and displaced.   The earthquake also sparked fires that quickly began to spread...

Less than 24 hours after a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, fires were raging across the city. Firefighters watched helplessly as the flames devoured homes and businesses, unable to draw water from cracked cisterns and empty hydrants. Mayor Eugene Schmitz formed an emergency committee to orchestrate relief efforts and soon issued a shoot-to-kill order to prevent widespread looting. Meanwhile, U.S...

In the wake of a devastating earthquake that rocked the city of San Francisco, thousands of people were left homeless. The military set up temporary camps in western parts of the city to house the destitute, as far as possible from the fires continuing to rage downtown.  But chaos continued to rule. Overzealous National Guard troops on the lookout for troublemakers shot innocent people attempting to scavenge much needed food and water...

After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire reduced the city to rubble and ash, reporters fanned out across the burning landscape. The San Francisco Chronicle, along with several other papers,] continued to publish amidst the chaos. Today, Lindsay is joined by San Francisco Chronicle culture critic Peter Hartlaub. His office is in the paper’s archive, which he mines for stories to share in his history column called “Our SF.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19...