Barely Historical

Barely Historical
  • 4.8 (5)
  • Comedy
  • Updated Weekly

Barely Historical is a comedy podcast where two lifelong friends pick a year, dive in, and immediately regret it. Amanda and JoLynne drag the past through the mud, from Salem to the Spice Girls, covering pop culture, scandals, disasters, and all the weird moments that never made it into your textbook. It’s history told by people who probably shouldn’t be trusted with it, but at least you’ll laugh while you learn. Expect games, chaotic commentary, and stories that prove the past was just as unhinged as the present.

  1. Presidents Behaving Badly: Duels, Dirty Letters, and Stolen Corpses

    10h ago

    Presidents Behaving Badly: Duels, Dirty Letters, and Stolen Corpses

    Forget the eagles and the Boston Tea Party. This 4th of July we're chasing the stories hiding next to the story. Amanda and JoLynne hand out America's most cursed historical awards, dig into the presidents who behaved badly, and cover the ones who literally would not stay in the ground. On the docket: Andrew Jackson killing a man after taking a bullet to the chest, William Henry Harrison drinking sewage water, Zachary Taylor possibly murdered by summer snacks, Jack Daniel dying because he stubbed his toe on a safe, Warren G. Harding's horrifyingly horny letters (yes, he named it Jerry), JFK's staffers Fiddle and Faddle, and the Chicago counterfeiting ring that tried to steal Abraham Lincoln's body and hold it for ransom. Plus games, gossip, and way too many exhumed presidents. Follow Barely Historical Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda Produced by Barely Historical Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical⁠⁠⁠⁠ Contact: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠oops@barelyhistorical.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tagline: Let’s ruin the past.

    46 min
  2. The Whittakers of West Virginia | When the Family Tree Folded Back on Itself

    6d ago

    The Whittakers of West Virginia | When the Family Tree Folded Back on Itself

    What happens when one family tree becomes less of a tree… and more of a wreath? This week on Barely Historical, we’re tackling one of the internet’s most infamous families: the Whittakers of West Virginia. But instead of treating them like a punchline, we wanted to understand how they got there. We dig into over a century of Appalachian history, coal country, geographic isolation, poverty, and the family relationships that turned an already-complicated genealogy into something that left even us completely confused. Along the way we cover:• Why identical twins made the genetics even more complicated• What “double first cousins” actually means• Coal camps, company stores, and why so many families never left the hollers• The Battle of Blair Mountain and the brutal realities of Appalachian mining life• Why this story is ultimately about isolation and lack of opportunity, not just genetics Plus, Amanda and Jo repeatedly lose track of the family tree, accidentally invent new family members, and discover that trying to explain this genealogy without a whiteboard is nearly impossible. If you’ve only ever seen viral clips of the Whittakers, this episode explores the history behind the headlines and the people behind the internet’s fascination. Sources referenced in this episode: Soft White Underbelly West Virginia Mine Wars Museum National Coal Heritage Area Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia If you enjoyed this episode, follow Barely Historical wherever you get your podcasts, leave us a review, and come hang out with us on social media for bonus content, behind-the-scenes fun, and even more bizarre stories from history.

    1h 18m
  3. Juneteenth | Why Freedom Was Delayed in Texas

    Jun 17

    Juneteenth | Why Freedom Was Delayed in Texas

    Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people there were free more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In this episode of Barely Historical, we explore the history of Juneteenth, why freedom was delayed in Texas, how General Order No. 3 finally reached a quarter million enslaved people, and why Juneteenth became one of the most important dates in American history. We discuss the myths surrounding Juneteenth, the reality of delayed enforcement, the search for separated families after emancipation, the origins of Juneteenth celebrations, Emancipation Park, and the people who carried this holiday forward for generations, including Felix Haywood, Jack Yates, Al Edwards, Lula Briggs Galloway, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Opal Lee. This is a heavier episode than our usual fare, and we want to acknowledge that this is not our story. We are two white women doing our best to learn, listen, and share what we learned with care and respect. We hope we did this history justice. If we inspire you to learn more, please do. The voices, books, historians, and communities who have preserved this history deserve to be your next stop. Recommended Reading & Resources 📚 On Juneteenth — Annette Gordon-Reed 📚 How the Word Is Passed — Clint Smith 📚 Help Me to Find My People — Heather Andrea Williams 📚 Juneteenth: A Children's Story — Opal Lee 🏛 National Museum of African American History and Culture 🏛 Emancipation Park Conservancy Follow Barely Historical Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda Produced by Barely Historical Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical⁠⁠⁠ Contact: ⁠⁠⁠⁠oops@barelyhistorical.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tagline: Let’s ruin the past.

    44 min
  4. Cleopatra | It's the Trojan Horse, but Horny

    May 15

    Cleopatra | It's the Trojan Horse, but Horny

    Hot take to start the show: every man who has ever lost his entire mind over a woman has blamed her for it. Two thousand years ago that energy started a civil war, ended with Julius Caesar getting stabbed 23 times on the Senate floor, and somehow left us remembering the smartest woman in the Mediterranean for her eyeliner and a snake. This week Amanda and JoLynne take on Cleopatra VII, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, fluent in nine languages, queen at 18, mother to Caesar's only biological son, and the most successfully slandered woman in human history. Spoiler: according to the actual ancient source, she wasn't even that hot. She just out-talked every Roman in the room and they could not handle it. In this episode: Fact or Follicle, a beauty quiz where we figure out which ancient Egyptian skincare routines were real and which Amanda made up in the shower (pubic wigs glued on with tree resin: tragically real)The Ptolemaic family tree, which is technically just a circleHow a 21-year-old got herself smuggled into Julius Caesar's bedroom rolled up in a rug, which is either the most badass entrance in history or the most theater kid behavior of all timeRed Flag or Roman Emperor, the dating game where Caligula keeps showing upMark Antony, the original man who moved too fast, abandoned his Roman wife, and started minting coins with his side piece on themOctavian, a sickly little accountant who invented the political smear campaign and somehow still has us repeating his lies in 2026Why the snake story is biologically insane and what probably actually killed her (girl had a poison garden energy)A real ancient cocktail called The Cleopatra, which involved dissolving a pearl in vinegar to flex on a man at dinnerAlso covered: lice horror stories, why Korean skincare is superior, Brendan Fraser appreciation, and the eternal question of whether sleeping in socks is a war crime. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Patreon at @BarelyHistorical for bonus episodes and our worst takes. Share this one with the guy who calls his situationship his queen, the friend doing a six-month Cleopatra skincare routine with nothing to show for it, and anyone currently losing it over a man who is, objectively, mid. Let's ruin the past.

    1h 19m
  5. De Clare: Too Much Power, Too Few Cousins

    May 6

    De Clare: Too Much Power, Too Few Cousins

    This week, we’re diving into the chaotic world of the De Clare sisters, one of medieval England’s most powerful families. What starts as inheritance drama quickly turns into royal favoritism, political manipulation, tangled family trees, suspiciously close relationships, and enough rumors to make an entire kingdom uncomfortable. We talk about King Edward II, Hugh Despenser, Piers Gaveston, medieval marriage politics, power struggles, inheritance battles, and why keeping land and influence inside the same elite circles created absolute chaos. Along the way, we also discuss bizarre medieval behavior, weird historical jobs, and why history’s family trees sometimes look more like family wreaths. If you like messy royals, medieval history, scandal, dark humor, and uncomfortable historical rumors, this episode is for you. Credits Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda Produced by Barely Historical Contact: oops@barelyhistorical.com Let’s ruin the past.

    50 min
  6. Sid & Nancy | Punk Isn't Dead But These Two Sure Are

    Apr 29

    Sid & Nancy | Punk Isn't Dead But These Two Sure Are

    Patreon Bonus Episode. The year is 1978, and apparently the hottest relationship trend is mutual destruction. JoLynne and Amanda ruin history with the chaotic, toxic, and wildly overrated romance of SID VICIOUS and NANCY SPUNGEN. From the rise of punk in a collapsing England to the disaster that was the Sex Pistols’ U.S. tour, we follow two people who should have absolutely never been left unsupervised together. In this episode, we get into punk culture in 1970s England, why SID became famous despite barely being able to play bass, and how NANCY went from suburban Philadelphia to the center of the CBGB scene in New York. We talk heroin, hotel fights, bad decisions, worse men, and the murder at the Chelsea Hotel that turned their mess into legend. Spoiler: this was not a love story. It was codependency with better eyeliner. In this episode • How punk exploded out of economic collapse and pure spite • Why SID VICIOUS was more image than musician • NANCY SPUNGEN’s complicated life before New York • The Sex Pistols’ absolute trainwreck of a U.S. tour • Room 100 at the Chelsea Hotel and the murder that followed • Why history keeps trying to make terrible men romantic Credits Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda Produced by Barely Historical Contact: oops@barelyhistorical.com Let’s ruin the past.

    1h 20m
  7. Gilded Age Mansions: Wealth, Labor, & Dark Truths

    Apr 23

    Gilded Age Mansions: Wealth, Labor, & Dark Truths

    What were Gilded Age mansions really hiding? In this episode of Barely Historical, we dive into the outrageous world of America’s most extravagant homes—built during the late 1800s by names like the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Morgans. These weren’t just houses… they were statements. Massive, detailed, and honestly a little unhinged. But once you get past the marble staircases, gold leaf everything, and “casual” ballrooms… the story shifts. Because behind the luxury was something else entirely. We break down: What the Gilded Age actually was (and why it still feels relevant today)How these mansions were built with zero modern machineryThe insane level of craftsmanship that still doesn’t make senseThe hidden systems and labor that kept these homes runningReal scandals, including a public murder tied to this worldAnd why so many of these mansions didn’t survivePlus: A chaotic game of “Gilded Building or B******t”Smash or Pass: Billionaire EditionReal Gilded Age headlinesAnd quick facts that will make you question everything about wealth, then and nowThis episode starts as architecture… and ends somewhere much deeper. If you love:history, dark humor, weird facts, rich people doing too much, and stories that feel a little too familiar… you’re in the right place. Welcome to Barely Historical—the podcast where we take the past, look a little closer, and realize it’s never as simple as it appears. Follow us for more history that makes you stare at the ceiling afterward. Follow us: @barelyhistoricalpodcast on Instagram and TikTok Email: ⁠⁠oops@barelyhistoricalpod.com⁠⁠ Hosted by Amanda and JoLynne~60 minutes | Explicit | Released 04/23/2026 Let's ruin The Guilded Age

    51 min
  8. Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Brown Paint, Horses, & Bed Rafts

    Apr 15

    Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Brown Paint, Horses, & Bed Rafts

    The year is 1919. Boston is minding its business when a 50-foot tank full of molasses says, “absolutely not.” JoLynne and Amanda ruin history with a literal syrup tsunami, corporate negligence, and the moment breakfast turned into a crime scene. This is the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, and yes… it is exactly as insane as it sounds. In this episode, we cover a 30–40 foot wave of molasses moving at 35 mph, the engineering strategy of “paint it brown and pray,” a man who literally rafted through molasses on his bed (we respect it), why this somehow gets worse the more you think about it, and the world’s worst legal defense: “the anarchists did it.” Chapters 00:00 Cold open 02:30 Intro Game: Would You Rather – Sticky Situations 07:45 Paint It Brown and Pray 15:30 How Do You Die 22:00 Cracker Barrel Crime Scene 28:00 Wrap Games we played (because we’re professionals) Would You Rather: Sticky Situations — slow, warm, pancake death vs. fast, cold, salty death. Choose wisely. How Do You Die — are you nosy, petty, or protecting your laundry? Either way… the molasses is coming. The takeaway: sometimes history is kings and wars. Sometimes it’s a giant tank of breakfast exploding because no one wanted to spend money on safety. And somehow it’s both hilarious and horrifying. Follow us wherever you ruin history.

    33 min
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Barely Historical is a comedy podcast where two lifelong friends pick a year, dive in, and immediately regret it. Amanda and JoLynne drag the past through the mud, from Salem to the Spice Girls, covering pop culture, scandals, disasters, and all the weird moments that never made it into your textbook. It’s history told by people who probably shouldn’t be trusted with it, but at least you’ll laugh while you learn. Expect games, chaotic commentary, and stories that prove the past was just as unhinged as the present.

Information

  • Creator
    Barely Historical
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Barely Historical
  • Show Website
    Barely Historical

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