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.
Barely Historical
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36 episodes
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Podcast Overview
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.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/24/2025
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Recent Episodes
July 1, 2026
Presidents Behaving Badly: Duels, Dirty Letters, and Stolen Corpses
<p>Forget the eagles and the Boston Tea Party. This 4th of July we're chasing the stories hiding next to the story.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Plus games, gossip, and way too many exhumed presidents.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow Barely Historical</strong></p><p>Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda</p><p>Produced by Barely Historical</p><p>Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical">https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical</a></p><p>Contact: <a href="">oops@barelyhistorical.com</a></p><p>Tagline: Let’s ruin the past. </p><p><br></p>
June 25, 2026
The Whittakers of West Virginia | When the Family Tree Folded Back on Itself
<p>What happens when one family tree becomes less of a tree… and more of a wreath?</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>Along the way we cover:<br>• Why identical twins made the genetics even more complicated<br>• What “double first cousins” actually means<br>• Coal camps, company stores, and why so many families never left the hollers<br>• The Battle of Blair Mountain and the brutal realities of Appalachian mining life<br>• Why this story is ultimately about isolation and lack of opportunity, not just genetics</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>Sources referenced in this episode:</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@SoftWhiteUnderbelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Soft White Underbelly<br></a></p><p><a href="https://wvminewars.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">West Virginia Mine Wars Museum</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://coalheritage.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">National Coal Heritage Area</a><br></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Flowers-in-the-Attic/V-C-Andrews/Dollanganger/9781982114380" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396227/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia<br></a></p><p>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.</p>
June 17, 2026
Juneteenth | Why Freedom Was Delayed in Texas
<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Recommended Reading & Resources</strong></p><p>📚 On Juneteenth — Annette Gordon-Reed</p><p>📚 How the Word Is Passed — Clint Smith</p><p>📚 Help Me to Find My People — Heather Andrea Williams</p><p>📚 Juneteenth: A Children's Story — Opal Lee</p><p>🏛 National Museum of African American History and Culture</p><p>🏛 Emancipation Park Conservancy</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow Barely Historical</strong></p><p>Hosts: JoLynne & Amanda</p><p>Produced by Barely Historical</p><p>Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical">https://www.patreon.com/cw/BarelyHistorical</a></p><p>Contact: <a href="">oops@barelyhistorical.com</a></p><p>Tagline: Let’s ruin the past. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
36 total episodes available
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- What is Barely Historical?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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