RPTM Podcast Episode 60: Calamity Jane, Little Big Horn, and the Compromise 0f 1877

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All I ever wanted to do was be the Anthony Bourdain of history. What he did for food, I wanted to do for history. Part journalist, part critic, and all renegade, he roamed the earth, illuminating a myriad of cultures and the food they consumed. His shows like No Reservation or Parts Unknown took food and made it informative and sexy. His aura was cool and respected as he dissected dishes across the globe. He, indeed, was a global phenomenon. His passing in 2018 left a giant hole in my heart, as it did to many. Of all things I miss dearly is how he wrote (Seriously, Kitchen Confidential should be required reading). He was indeed the maestro of the page, and his words chewed through me and left a considerable impression. I selfishly and almost hear Satan laugh joyfully at all the musings that never got from pen to page.

Anthony's passion for food seemed to beam out in interviews from food to travel. In the 2019 article from Eatthis.com, "51 Anthony Bourdain Quotes and Life Lessons We'll Never Stop Loving,"  writer Sarah Weingarten compiled a healthy amount of quotes from Anthony Bourdain over his life. While I can't be certain of these quotes' authenticity, I know that a Bourdain is within their DNA. No one seemed to have a certified fervor quite as he did, so I am taken the liberty of transcribing these quotes with one caveat: I've replaced the word "food" with the word "history." This is my funeral dirge to him, written by the man himself. The following is a pseudo-plagiarized and ham-fisted homage to Bourdain and my love for history:

"Anyone who's a (HISTORIAN), who loves (HISTORY), ultimately knows that all that matters is: 'Is it good? Does it give pleasure? I, personally, think there is a real danger of taking (HISTORY) too seriously. (HISTORY) should be part of the bigger picture. People are generally proud of their (HISTORY). For me, the (LEARNING OF HISTORY) has been a long love affair, with moments both sublime and ridiculous. But like a love affair, looking back, you remember the happy times best. (HISTORY) may not be the answer to world peace, but it's a start. I think (HISTORY), culture, people, and landscape are all inseparable. (HISTORY) is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling (YOU PERSONALLY), your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go. 

(HISTORY) is a craft, I like to think, and a good (HISTORIAN) is a craftsman—not an artist. There's nothing wrong with that: The great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen—though not designed by them. Expertly practicing your craft is noble, honorable, and satisfying. Bad (HISTORY) is made without pride by (PROFESSORS) who have no pride and no love. Bad (HISTORY) is made by (PROFESSORS) who are indifferent, or trying to be everything to everybody, trying to please everyone… Bad (HISTORY) is fake (HISTORY)… (HISTORY) that shows fear and lack of confidence in people's ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives."

So lift your negroni to toast Tony. He still draws breath within our minds.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Calamity Jane is one of the most notorious figures of the Old West. A skilled sharpshooter equally adept in the art of profanity, she was the embodiment of what many on the frontier considered "unladylike."
• Catch wrestling, is considered the ancestor of modern professional wrestling and mixed martial arts competitions.
• The Battle of the Little Bighorn fought on June 25, 1876, near the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, pitted federal troops led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer against a band of Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors.  Custer was unaware of the number of Indians fighting under the command of Sitting Bull at Little Bighorn, and his forces were outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed in what became known as Custer's Last Stand.
• Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was lauded as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced.
• Alexander Graham Bell, best known for his invention of the telephone, revolutionized communication as we know it. While there’s some controversy over whether Bell was the true pioneer of the phone, he secured exclusive rights to the technology and launched the Bell Telephone Company in 1877. 
• In October 5, 1877, Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph formally surrendered his forces to General Nelson A. Miles and General Oliver Otis Howard at Bear Paw Mountain, Montana Territory. This virtually ended the Nez Perce War of 1877.
• The Compromise of 1877 was an unwritten deal informally arranged among United States Congressmen that settled the intensely disputed 1876 presidential election. It resulted in the United States federal government pulling the last troops out of the Southern United States and ending the Reconstruction Era. 

CHAPTERS
0:00 Start
0:37 Intro
 4:24  Calamity Jane
8:45 Catch Wrestling
12:18 Battle of the Little Big Horn
19:11 Mark Twain
23:17 Alexander Graham Bell
27:52 Compromise of 1877
34:25 Outro

RESOURCES
Calamity Jane
Catch Wrestling – Original No Holds Barred Fighting
Battle of the Little Bighorn
Mark Twain
Alexander Graham Bell
Chief Joseph Surrenders
Compromise of 1877