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History That Doesn't Suck

126: Christmas Special 6: Jacob Riis’ “Is There a Santa Claus?”

History That Doesn't Suck

ProfGregJackson

Education, History, Society & Culture

4.55.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“Now, how would you like to be a reporter, if you have got nothing better to do?” This is the story of a reporter–a muckraker–answering a boy who wants to know if Santa Clause actually exists. And somehow, it’s an answer that manages to mention Theodore Roosevelt. This is Jacob Riis’ Is There a Santa Clause? ___ 4 Ways to dive deeper into History That Doesn’t Suck Join our growing facebook community Get our weekly newsletter, The Revolution Become part of the HTDS Patreon family Subscribe to Greg’s monthly newsletter, Connected History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

You know what's better than listening to history that doesn't suck?

0:02.5

Experiencing it live from New York City.

0:04.8

Join me, Professor Jackson, under the lights for storytelling with video and live musicians.

0:09.3

This show won't be recorded for the podcast and can only the experienced live-in person

0:13.9

or view live stream.

0:14.9

Shows are January 14th, 15th and 16th.

0:17.6

Go to htdspodcast.com and click the live-in NYC link for more info and tickets.

0:23.0

That's htdspodcast.com to experience history live.

0:27.0

History that of course doesn't suck.

0:30.3

History that doesn't suck is a bi-weekly podcast delivering a legit, seriously researched

0:33.8

hard-hitting survey of American history through entertained stories.

0:36.6

If you'd like to support htds or enjoy bonus content, please consider giving at patreon.com

0:41.9

forward slash history that doesn't suck.

0:45.7

It's an unspecified night, sometime in the late 1880s.

0:55.0

And the nearly 40-year-old Danish immigrant, Jacob Rees, is walking along Mulberry Street

1:00.3

in New York City.

1:01.9

This is a less affluent neighborhood.

1:04.4

To be blunt, it's a slum.

1:06.8

And it's unique because nearly everyone here isn't only poor, but blind.

1:11.4

Hence it's nickname, Blind Man's Alley.

1:14.5

And Jacob has come here to document these hard-lived lives with his camera.

1:18.8

Now, it's a bit dark out for photos, true, but the photographer has gotten his hands on

...

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