SPILLED.

Delaney & Kendyl Florence
  • 4.9 (67)
  • HISTORY

Kendyl and Delaney Florence are bringing you history’s hottest gossip, every other Tuesday. SPILLED. brings you the tea you didn’t know you needed through a light-hearted and (somewhat) educational podcast on historic scandals, betrayals, rumors, and more. Each episode will focus on a new - well, old - story that will leave you with the coolest fun facts at your next dinner party. Join us to make history a bit more fun, and a lot juicier. Business Inquiries: spilledhistory@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3D AGO

    The Watergate Scandal was MESSY - Do You Really Know What Happened?

    Watergate is one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history, but do you actually know what happened? This week we spill the story behind the Watergate break-in, the cover-up, and how it all led to the resignation of Richard Nixon. We also get into the wild side of the scandal, including the outspoken Martha Mitchell and the mysterious source known as Deep Throat. Lies, secret tapes, political drama, you're in for a wild ride. SOURCES:  Colodny, Len, and Robert Gettlin. Silent Coup: The Removal of a President. St. Martin's Press, 1991. Dwyre, Diana, and Robin Kolodny. "Corruption and Campaign Finance in the U.S." The Fundamentals of Campaign Finance in the U.S.: Why We Have the System We Have, University of Michigan Press, 2024, pp. 29–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.9813302.8. Gormly, Kellie B. "Martha Mitchell Was the Brash 'Mouth of the South' That Roared." Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/martha-mitchell-was-the-brash-mouth-of-the-south-that-roared-180979951/. HISTORY.com Editors. "Identity of 'Deep Throat,' Source Who Helped Unravel the Watergate Scandal, Is Revealed." History.com, 13 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-31/deep-throat-is-revealed. Lineberry, Cate. "Martha Mitchell: The Socialite Turned Watergate Whistleblower." History.com, 25 Apr. 2022, http://history.com/articles/martha-mitchell-watergate-kidnapping. Morgan, Ruth P. "Nixon, Watergate, and the Study of the Presidency." Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 1, 1996, pp. 217–238. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27551561. National Security Archive. "Six Things You Didn't Know About Watergate." nsarchive.gwu.edu, 27 May 2021, https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/2021-05-27/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-watergate. National Security Archive. "Haldeman Diary Transcript, April 29, 1973." nsarchive.gwu.edu, https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/21240-730429-haldeman-diary-transcript. O'Connor, John D. "I'm the Guy They Called Deep Throat." Vanity Fair, July 2005, https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2005/7/im-the-guy-they-called-deep-throat. Richard Nixon Foundation. "Watergate Explained." Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, https://www.nixonfoundation.org/watergate-explained/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026. Shepard, Alicia C. "Deep Throat's Legacy to Journalism." NPR, 19 Dec. 2008, https://www.npr.org/2008/12/19/98532461/deep-throats-legacy-to-journalism. Smoller, Fred. "Watergate Revisited." PS: Political Science and Politics, vol. 25, no. 2, 1992, pp. 225–227. https://doi.org/10.2307/419713. U.S. National Archives. "Nixon and the Environment." Prologue Magazine, Winter 2012, http://archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/winter/nixon-homefront. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr

  2. FEB 28

    The Peaky Blinders Were Real? Everything You Need To Know

    Even if you haven't seen the show (Kendyl hasn't), you're going to want to tune in to this one. This week we’re getting into the real history behind Peaky Blinders. Inspired by the hit series Peaky Blinders, we break down who the Peaky Blinders actually were, the true gang wars of early 1900s Birmingham, and the core figures who built the gang’s reputation long before TV dramatized it. We talk bad accents (ours included), the iconic outfits, what the show gets right (and wrong), and how much of the Shelby story is rooted in fact. If you’ve ever wondered about the real Peaky Blinders, their history, and the crime culture that inspired the series — this one’s for you. SOURCES Gooderson, Philip. The Gangs of Birmingham. Milo Books, 2010. Our History. "The Shocking History Behind the Real Peaky Blinders." YouTube, 25 Oct. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUJibuwsImI. Sharpe, James. "Who Were the Real Peaky Blinders?" Smithsonian Magazine, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-were-real-peaky-blinders-180973328/. "The Real Peaky Blinders." FindMyPast, www.findmypast.com/blog/discoveries/real-peaky-blinders. West Midlands Police Museum. Criminal Records and Mugshots Collection. Birmingham, England. Wu, Yang. "Coal Resources Distribution and Its Influence on Industrial Development and Underground Water in UK." Journal of Coastal Research, vol. 94, 2019, pp. 97–101. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26853258. Primary Sources: "Peaky Blinders Gang Activity." Birmingham Mail, 24 Mar. 1890. "Thomas Walters Criminal Record." Cheltenham Chronicle, 12 Jan. 1901. "Birmingham Gang." Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser, 2 Nov. 1929. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  3. FEB 11

    F*ck, Marry, Kill: Aqua Tofana, The Original Husband Poison

    This week, we’re talking Giulia Tofana and the infamous Aqua Tofana — the legendary 17th-century poison rumored to be colorless, tasteless, and almost impossible to detect. We break down the history, the myths, and why this story still fascinates people today, especially its ties to women secretly poisoning abusive husbands in a time when divorce wasn’t an option. Plus, because it’s us, we’re playing F**k, Marry, Kill inspired by the episode. If you love dark history, true crime legends, and chaotic commentary, this one’s for you. SOURCES:  Griffiths, Arthur. “Female Criminals.” The North American Review 161, no. 465 (1895): 141–52. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25103561. Review of Inorganic Poisons, by Paul Dittrich, Franz Erben, and R. v. Jaksch. The British Medical Journal 2, no. 2556 (1909): 1802–3. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25289004. Johann Wilhelm Archenholz recounted the story of “Aqua Tofana” in his travel narrative England und Italien (1785) https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/women-and-early-modern-poison/ Dash, Mike. “Aqua Tofana,” n.d. From the greater book “Toxicology in the Middle Ages and Renaissance” Ferraro, Joanne M. “The Power to Decide: Battered Wives in Early Modern Venice.”  Renaissance Quarterly 48, no. 3 (1995): 492–512. https://doi.org/10.2307/2862872. Monson, Craig A. The Black Widows of the Eternal City: The True Story of Rome’s Most  Infamous Poisoners. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min

  4. JAN 27

    The Salem Witch Trials Debunked

    We're back with our MOST requested episode yet -- the Salem Witch Trials! Join us to hear us unpack the biggest misconceptions, implications, and causes of the witch hunts and trials that plagued Salem, Massachusetts between February 1692 – May 1693. We cover famous trials, shocking facts, and as always, one too many dirty jokes. SOURCES:  Deodat Lawson, A Brief and True Narrative of Some Remarkable Passages Relating to Sundry Persons Afflicted by Witchcraft, at Salem Village Which happened from the Nineteenth of March to the Fifth of April 1692 (Boston: Benjamin Harris, 1692), p. 9.Norton, Mary Beth. In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. Alfred A. Knopf, 2002Georgescu, Sedona. Fear Thy Neighbor: Spatial Relations in 17th Century New England Witch-Hunt Trials. Documents, 2017. https://jstor.org/stable/community.34031178. https://doi.org/10.2307/362849.(A. Scott, personal communication, 2025) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 6m

  5. JAN 13

    We Thought the World Was Ending? Y2K Explained

    Everyone jokes that Y2K was fake. It wasn’t. It was stopped. In this episode, we break down how a tiny design choice made decades earlier put banks, power grids, hospitals, air traffic control, and even nuclear systems on edge as the clock approached January 1, 2000. We explore why the Y2K bug was a real, systemic risk, how hundreds of billions of dollars and years of invisible labor quietly defused it, and why the absence of disaster became proof of success. Drawing on first-hand accounts (from Reddit, obviously) from the programmers who fixed the code and waited on call, we chat aboutY2K as a case study in technological dependence, mass anxiety, and what it actually looks like when prevention works. Sources: Scholarly + Academic / Research ReportsBosch, Olivia. “Expectations in 1999 of Potential Impact of Y2K.” In The Year 2000 Issue and Information Infrastructure Security. Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, 2001. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep20291.6.Bosch, Olivia. “Motivations for Dealing with Y2K.” In The Year 2000 Issue and Information Infrastructure Security. Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, 2001. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep20291.5.Bosch, Olivia. “What Happened?” In The Year 2000 Issue and Information Infrastructure Security. Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, 2001. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep20291.7.Garcia-Feijóo, Luis, and John R. Wingender. “Y2K: Myth or Reality?” Quarterly Journal of Business and Economics 46, no. 3 (2007): 27–44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40473301.Romanosky, Sasha, and Jonathan W. Welburn. “Disclosure of Software Supply Chain Risks.” RAND Corporation, 2022. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep41324.Knox, Hannah. “How the Climate Takes Shape.” In Thinking Like a Climate: Governing a City in Times of Environmental Change, 63–66. Duke University Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.33610740.8.Journalism / Magazine / NewsKolker, Claudia. “Seeking Y2K Getaway, Some Head for the Hills, in Ozarks.” Los Angeles Times, April 4, 1999. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-04-mn-24190-story.html.Radil, Amy. “The Y2K Bust.” Minnesota Public Radio, December 30, 1999. https://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/199912/30_radila_y2k-m/.Ratcliffe, Mitch. “Y2K Survivalists Struggle with Reality.” UPI, January 2, 2000. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/01/02/Y2K-survivalists-struggle-with-reality/8815946789200/.Rothman, Lily. “Remember Y2K? Here’s How We Prepped for the Non-Disaster.” Time, December 31, 2014. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://time.com/3645828/y2k-look-back/.(Archive video collection) “25 years since Y2K archive collection.” KSBW. https://www.ksbw.com/article/25-years-since-y2k-archive-collection/63241773Museums / Educational ReferenceSmithsonian National Museum of American History. “Y2K.” Accessed January 2, 2026. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/y2k.EBSCO Research Starters. “Y2K Crisis.” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/computer-science/y2k-crisis.National Geographic Education. “Y2K bug.” https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Y2K-bug/.Government / Primary DocumentsYear 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act. Public Law 105–271 (1998). https://www.congress.gov/105/plaws/publ271/PLAW-105publ271.pdf.The White House (Clinton Administration Archives). “The Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act” / related statement and “National Y2K Action Week” materials (October 1998). https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/WH/Work/101998.htmlTrade / Professional PublicationWitherspoon, Roger. “Y2K: The Millennium Mystery.” Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology 14, no. 2 (1999): 50–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43827991. Scholarly Article (Environmental / Public Health angle)Chepesiuk, Ron. “Y2K: The Moment of Truth.” Environmental Health Perspectives 107, no. 5 (1999): A252–55. https://doi.org/10.2307/3434533. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    Shrooms, Rome, and Reddit: 10 Christmas Tradition Origins

    Come with us on a holly jolly holiday episode on debunking 10 Christmas traditions and their origins. This episode is a little different, though -- you'll be in charge of guessing if each of the 20 traditions is "Real or Reddit." That's right, Kendyl did her trademark Reddit deep-dive to find 10 family traditions that'll keep you guessing if the origin is Pagan, Nordic, Victorian, or some plain and simple family creativity. We break down the origins of the Christmas Tree, Santa's appearance, why reindeer fly, Christmas cards, and more! Sources: Chastagner, Gary A., and D. Michael Benson. “The Christmas Tree: Traditions, Production, and Diseases.” Plant Health Progress, October 13, 2000.  https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-2000-1013-01-RV . Eldridge, Adam, and Ilaria Pappalepore.  “Festive Space and Dream Worlds: Christmas in London.” In Destination London, 183–204. 2019. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvhrd0t9.12 . HISTORY.com Editors.  “History of Christmas Trees.” History.com, November 28, 2023 (updated December 19, 2025). https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-christmas-trees . Miller, Daniel. \ “Christmas: An Anthropological Lens.” Hau 7, no. 3 (2017): 409–442. https://doi.org/10.14318/hau7.3.027 . Salazar-Porzio, Margaret. “Who Arrives on the  12th Day of Christmas? Three Wise Men, of Course.” National Museum of American History, January 6, 2014.  https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/who-arrives-12th-day-christmas-three-wise-men-course . Wachelder, Joseph. “Toys, Christmas Gifts and Consumption Culture in  London’s Morning Chronicle, 1800–1827.” Icon 19 (2013): 13–32. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23788118 .  https://www.ffungi.org/blog/the-influence-of-hallucinogenic-mushrooms-on-christmas V&A. “Victorian Christmas Traditions.”  https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/victorian-christmas-traditions History.com Saturnalia:  https://www.history.com/articles/saturnalia Britannica Christmas:  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas Massachusetts law banning Christmas:  https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-law-banning-christmas Smithsonian mistletoe:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mistletoe-the-evolution-of-a-christmas-tradition-10814188/ Pagan origins overview:  https://historycooperative.org/pagan-origins-of-christmas/ BBC Newsround:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/59905614 PBS fruitcake:  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/the-misunderstood-fruitcake-has-a-magnificent-shelf-life-and-history Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  7. 12/10/2025

    They Were the Richest People in the World, then the Murders Started: The Osage Nation

    Imagine becoming the richest community in America overnight—only for people around you to start turning up dead. This episode uncovers the stunning rise of the Osage Nation during the Oklahoma oil boom: how they strategically secured “worthless” land that sat on massive oil reserves, built extraordinary wealth, and shaped a cultural renaissance that most history books barely mention. Then we get into the part everyone tried to hide—the guardianship scams, the coordinated theft, and the string of murders that became the Osage Reign of Terror. We untangle the schemes, the conspirators, and how the FBI used the case to craft its own origin story. A gripping, human look at power, brilliance, and the truth behind one of America’s darkest scandals.   Sources: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/historic-preservation/osage-cultural-history https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/archaeology/native-american/early-middle-woodland-period.html https://biodiversity.ku.edu/archaeology/research/ancient-farming Mack, John. “OSAGE MISSION: THE STORY OF CATHOLIC MISSIONARY WORK IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS.” The Catholic Historical Review 96, no. 2 (2010): 262–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27806535. Christian, Allison B. “DIGGING DEEPER TO PROTECT TRIBAL PROPERTY INTERESTS: UNITED STATES v. OSAGE WIND, LLC.” American Indian Law Review 43, no. 2 (2018): 411–35. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26789486. Jean Dennison. “The Logic of Recognition: Debating Osage Nation Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century.” American Indian Quarterly 38, no. 1 (2014): 1–35. https://doi.org/10.5250/amerindiquar.38.1.0001. Bone, Corey. “Osage Oil.” The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=OS006. Hunter, Andrea A., James Munkres, and Barker Fariss. Osage Nation NAGPRA Claim for Human Remains Removed from the Clarksville Mound Group (23PI6), Pike County, Missouri. Pawhuska, OK: Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office, 2013. Inskeep, Steve. “In the 1920s, a Community Conspired to Kill Native Americans for Their Oil Money.” NPR, April 17, 2017. https://www.npr.org/2017/04/17/523964584/in-the-1920s-a-community-conspired-to-kill-native-americans-for-their-oil-money. McBride, Mike III. “Reconciling Osage Betrayal: Killers of the Flower Moon.” American Bar Association, January 22, 2024. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/resources/human-rights/2024-january/reconciling-osage-betrayal-killers-flower-moon/. National Park Service. “Native Americans and the Homestead Act.” https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/native-americans-and-the-homestead-act.htm. Strickland, Rennard. “Osage Oil: Mineral Law, Murder, Mayhem, and Manipulation.” Natural Resources & Environment 10, no. 1 (1995): 39–43. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40923431. Toll, Shannon. “For the Osage Nation, the Betrayal Yet Lingers.” The Conversation. Reprinted in News-Register. https://newsregister.com/article?articleId=47809. Warren, Andrew L. “Earning Their Spurs in the Oil Patch: The Cinematic FBI, the Osage Murders, and the Test of the American West.” The Chronicles of Oklahoma. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40923431?searchText=osage+oil&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dosage%2Boil%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fspellcheck_basic_search%2Ftest&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aabbb5d6739d56fe82e30c6d76968d956&seq=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    The Dancing Plagues - There Wasn't Just One...

    In this episode, we get into the absolutely unhinged Dancing Plague of 1518 — the real moment when hundreds of people in Strasbourg danced for days, weeks, and sometimes literally to death. We look at the dance manias that came before, the political and religious chaos that had everyone on edge, and how it all escalated after Frau Troffea started dancing and just… didn’t stop. We break down the competing explanations of the time — curses, saints, divine punishment, choreomania, humors, ergot, even early “hysteria.” Then we connect it to now: what the dancing plague can teach us about mass psychogenic illness, social contagion, and the way behaviors go viral today, from TikTok tics to doomscrolling spirals. A weird, chaotic, and surprisingly relevant deep dive into one of history’s strangest events.   Sources: Andrews, Evan. “What Was the Dancing Plague of 1518?” History, August 31, 2015. Lapinskas, Vincas. “A Brief History of Ergotism: From St. Anthony’s Fire and St. Vitus’ Dance until Today.” Medicina Teorija ir Praktika, 2007. Miller, Lynneth J. “Divine Punishment or Disease? Medieval and Early Modern Approaches to the 1518 Strasbourg Dancing Plague.” Dance Research 35, no. 2 (2017): 149–164. Petlevski, Sibila. “Choreomanic NeuroDance and Its Aesthetics: Dance Research and Controversies Connected to Cognitive Neuroscience and Meme Theory.” In Taboo–Transgression–Transcendence in Art and Science, 650–674. Sweeney, John. “INFECTIOUS CONNECTIVITY: ILLUSTRATING THE THREE TOMORROWS.” In The Postnormal Times Reader, edited by Ziauddin Sardar, 137–58. Turner, Osie. The Dance Manias of the Middle Ages. The Forlorn Press, 2013. Waller, John. “A Forgotten Plague: Making Sense of Dancing Mania.” The Lancet 373, no. 9664 (2009): 624–625. Waller, John C. “In a Spin: The Mysterious Dancing Epidemic of 1518.” Endeavour 32, no. 3 (2008): 117–121. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min
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4.9
out of 5
67 Ratings

About

Kendyl and Delaney Florence are bringing you history’s hottest gossip, every other Tuesday. SPILLED. brings you the tea you didn’t know you needed through a light-hearted and (somewhat) educational podcast on historic scandals, betrayals, rumors, and more. Each episode will focus on a new - well, old - story that will leave you with the coolest fun facts at your next dinner party. Join us to make history a bit more fun, and a lot juicier. Business Inquiries: spilledhistory@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Delaney & Kendyl Florence
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    SPILLED.

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