History on Trial

In 1692, a witch hunt began in Salem Village. The hunt soon grew to shocking proportions, with more than 150 people accused. Even Salem's former minister, Reverend George Burroughs, wasn't safe: in April, he was named as a wizard. In the face of a terrified population and a government desperate for control, would Burroughs's ministerial status be enough to save him from the noose?  ***This is the final episode of season 1 of History on Trial! To keep updated on the show, follow our Instagram @historyontrial and subscribe to our newsletter at www.historyontrialpodcast.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's 1932, and Thalia Massie's husband, Tommie, and mother, Grace, are getting frustrated with what they see as the failings of the Hawaiian justice system. Soon they decide to take matters into their own hands. When events take a deadly turn, will Tommie and Grace's connections help them evade punishment? Or will Hawai‘i itself suffer the consequences of these visitors' actions?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1881, the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday faced the Clantons and the McLaurys in the Old West's most famous showdown: the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. When the smoke cleared, three men lay dead. Some called it Western justice. But would Western justice suffice as a defense when one of the survivors took the Earps and Holliday to trial for murder?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1898, two fatal poisonings horrified New Yorkers. When it emerged that both victims were connected to one person, a wealthy young chemist named Roland Molineux, the police thought they had their man. But proving their suspicions was easier said than done, and convicting Molineux would require creativity on the part of the police and the district attorney. Would their legal tricks succeed...or get their case thrown out?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1638, four English indentured servants attacked and robbed Penowanyanquis, a member of the Nipmuc tribe. Once the killers were caught, colonial authorities decided to put the men on trial. The case seemed clear enough. But with tensions rising between colonists and indigenous peoples, not to mention a makeshift court system, could the Plymouth colonists find a path to justice and prevent further violence?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1918, teenager Nina McCall was detained, forcibly examined for an STI, and then imprisoned in a hospital for three months. Nina's story is horrifying, but it is not unique: throughout the 20th century, thousands of women endured similar ordeals, all thanks to an STI prevention program known as "The American Plan." Like many other women, Nina fought back, suing the officials responsible for her treatment. Could her lawsuit stop the Plan -- or at least get her justice?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1972, a grizzly bear killed twenty-five year old Harry Walker in Yellowstone National Park. His family thought it was a tragic, random death. But the Walkers soon learned that Harry's death was part of a larger conversation about how to manage bears in national parks. Could suing the National Park Service for Harry's death change policies and save lives -- both human and bear?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1933, a populist uprising in Jackson County, Oregon, threatened to overthrow the county government. The escalating violence reached its peak when one of the group's leaders, Llewellyn Banks, shot a police officer who had come to arrest him for election interference. Would Banks's murder trial extinguish the burning ember of insurrection in Jackson County…or fan the flames into an inferno? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1949, Iva Toguri D'Aquino's treason trial began. The defendant was accused of collaborating with the Japanese during World War II by working as the legendary propaganda radio host "Tokyo Rose." Iva was confident that a trial would reveal the truth and exonerate her. But what would happen when it became clear that the prosecution wasn't interested in playing by the rules...or following the law?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1874, the father of motion pictures stood trial for murder. Most people know Eadweard Muybridge as a pioneering photographer and inventor whose work sparked the birth of movies. But Muybridge had a dark side: he was once accused on murdering his wife's lover. Would a Western jury, comfortable with the idea of taking justice into one's own hands, let Muybridge get away with it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1911, a devastating fire raged through the Triangle Waist Company, killing 146. It was one of the worst workplace disasters in American history. Many people blamed the factory's owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, and wanted them to pay. But at Blanck and Harris's manslaughter trial, a shrewd defense attorney and weak worker protection laws ensured that the prosecutors were in for the fight of their life...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1881, President James Garfield was assassinated by a man named Charles Guiteau. The American public, understandably, wanted vengeance. But as the government began to prepare for Guiteau’s trial, a problem emerged: Guiteau, some experts believed, was insane, and might not have been responsible for his actions. Could justice be achieved in a case like this? Guiteau's dramatic trial put that question to the test...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1874, the most famous preacher in America, Henry Ward Beecher, was publicly accused of adultery. The story became one of the greatest sex scandals of the 19th century, and led to a shocking trial, in which Beecher’s accuser, Theodore Tilton, sued Beecher for ruining his marriage. The trial would reveal just how hard it can be to find answers in a courtroom, especially when a celebrity is involved… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.