POLL: Pick the next Extra History series! Disaster!

Actually sometime I would like to see a series on the Uranium Mining in the Navajo nation during WW2 & the Cold War. I'm currently reading the book Yellow Dirt & it seems like a cool story but I'm having a hard time keeping track of all of the characters without any images to go off of eheh.

Marina V Garrow

You know what I find interesting (besides the topics in the poll, of course)? It's interesting that most people who could vote in this poll don't. By my calculation, at least 1436 people can vote (and it might be more than that, depending on how Patreon counts each tier). 1436/4 (for 4 options) = 359 which means that each option should have an average of well over 300, which is nowhere near the current average of votes.

Nathan Black

I love to see the more obscure and "undercovered" historical topics covered by Extra History. That's why I went with the Halifax Explosion for this poll.

Matthew Youngster

Oh my god, you guys are doing Sun Yat Sen! Please tell you guys will briefly talk about georgism! :D

Mortimer

Well so long as you give the topic the accurate and proper detail it deserves. Thank you.

Thomas Alfred Weaver

That is a good point and also not what we’re doing. We’re pointing out that the secondary point you’re making is untrue: that intentions are as (or nearly as) important as results. Also people talk about this (the trail of tears) in terms of Andrew Jackson because he vastly over shadows the political counterparts of his hay day in terms of historical recognition, and non-college history classes rarely have the time to fully cover the maddeningly boring and unimportant history of the early USA.

Pope Urban II

Keep Political Discussions to a minimal here, please.

Martin Verran

What about those who go "Baaaaah?"

Martin Verran

Martin Van Buren was the man who did the policy. An idea is just an idea, it's the action that affected those people and it was Van Buren's administration that did the act. Jackson did indeed play a role, but you can't blame everything on him because doing so makes you ignore the more relevant and important actors. I'm not ignoring genocide, I'm just saying that Jackson was just one of many men involved. People don't mention Martin Van Buren's contributions because he wasn't a popular president compared to the general that crushed the British in 1815. Look at all the guilty parties instead of pointing everything on just one guy.

Thomas Alfred Weaver

I believe it is still the largest non-nuclear explosion humans have ever caused. I learned about it in high school but only the event itself, not the aftermath and recovery. Sixty Symbols on Youtube has a good breakdown of what happened and why - the specific substances on board, the topography of the harbour, etc. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5uTAt_A8BY" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5uTAt_A8BY</a> But again, I'd love to learn more about what happened afterward.

Curtis

I'd vote for this so hard.

Tacey Whittemore

I went with the Halifax explosion due to the fact I have never heard of it, but boy was it a tough vote. This is the hardest poll yet for me, I really want Napoleon v Russia, but the Trails of Tears needs a in depth look, same with the Great Potato Famine. So I needed a all option it sounds like lol.

Tacey Whittemore

Is it possible for the Halifax Explosion to come up in another poll even though it came in last this time? For people like me who voted for the Halifax Explosion and are really interested in it and really want to see it but we don’t have enough people that know about it.

Lewis Farberman

As an American I only discovered it when I did a school project on it which made me learn a whole lot about it. This makes me really wanna see it in the EH format. I hope that even if it loses now it can come back another time.

Lewis Farberman

Im really curious about all these, but what I would love would be an epic series on The Treaty of Versailles and its ramifications.

Anudeep Bulla

Labradors and cats are great.

Katie Hodge

I really want to see the invasion of Russia, but I hadn't even heard of the Halifax explosion before now, and while I have heard of the Irish potato famine, all I have really heard is "Crops failed. People died." so I really want to see all three.

Katie Hodge

Exactly - the potato famine sounds like, "oh, their harvest failed and people died," but a lot of it had to do with government policy, colonialism, prejudice/bias, and just general "to the victors go the spoils."

Katie Hodge

The Halifax Explosion is deadliest disasters to hit Canada, and was so big, that the Hiroshima Bomb in 1945 was described in terms of how powerful the explosion in Halifax was, where today big explosions are described in how powerful Hiroshima was. But outside of Canada it's barely known, and even here it's glossed over a lot. So I know it's not going to win this time (most likely), I do hope you will get a chance to cover it sometime in the future!

Cimmaron Spirit

Wanting to avoid genocide by promoting practices which tossed them off their land and destroyed their culture and, ultimately, lead to genocide isn't morally upstanding. Intentions matter not one bit when the impact is the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives and dozens of unique cultures.

Veteran of the Mushroom Wars

The Irish Halifax Trail of Tears gets my vote.

Antti Björklund

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Thats why Mao Zedong is considered evil and Mahatma Gandhi is considered good, they both helped free and improved their countries but one didn’t kill 70 million people doing it. How you achieve your goal matters more then why.

Pope Urban II

I will also mention that there is evidence that Jackson wanted to avoid war and genocide with the natives. From wikipedia: ---In a speech regarding Indian removal, Jackson said, "It will separate the Indians from immediate contact with settlements of whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the progress of decay, which is lessening their numbers, and perhaps cause them gradually, under the protection of the Government and through the influence of good counsels, to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community." According to Jackson, the move would be nothing but beneficial for all parties.--- Yes this is a bit racist towards native american culture, but nevertheless Jackson did state that his intention was to improve the lives of the Natives.

Thomas Alfred Weaver

Thomas Alfred Weaver

Dimissing one group's suffering over another's on the basis of skin color is quite racist. Also, judging by the comments, there's a lot of Westerners who want to learn more about this episode of history that lead to a diaspora. As an American of Irish descent, I feel extremely disconnected from my heritage. I certainly want to understand the hardships that lead down to me.

Joseph A.

Yeah I know. I just want the Halifax Explosion to win the most. Unfortunately it does not seem like the Halifax Explosion will win. Is it possible for it to come up again? Even though it came in last.

Lewis Farberman

I wouldn't call the Spanish Inquisition a popular part of history. Because you would be surprised of the amount of myths that had been taken as truth about it. Well, that could be said about the whole of the Spanish Empire and it's Black Legend, but that's another matter. (I hope one day they make a suggestion post about historical propaganda and myths.) You are right that in general people vote more for the less known matters, because we usually have the idea that we known everything of the most famous ones, even if our knowledge is superficial at best.

JohnnyElRojo

Napoleon NEEDS to be Covered on Extra Credits, so I am Voting for him. I am also going for the Potato Famine for a very simple Reason: I'M HERE. Yep, the Decision of One Nameless Irish Peasant to Migrate to Britain Triggered a Chain of Events that Eventually Lead down to me. Ok, so far my Impact on History is Restricted to the History of a Flock of Sheep, and the Lives of Three Labradors and Three Cats, but who Knows?

Martin Verran

No of course not, because a regressive such as yourself would have to admit how wrong you are and how much of a racist you are by making the deaths of the disasters seem trivial simply because of skin colour. And your shaming tactic hasn't worked.

Xenin

I agree and Xenin is right that it's what the voters decide. That said, I find that a lot of the topics that get chosen are actually the less well-known parts of history which is great. Just look at the South Sea Bubble which was pitted against Julius Caesar and the Spanish Inquisition! Or the new series of Majapahit :)

SparkyDJM1

Oh buddy...check yourself. I'm not gonna waste my energy trying to explain everything wrong there. Just know that the clearly progressive and empathetic people at Extra Credits would be very disappointed in you. You can be a better person if you try.

Travis Ryans

Agreed, Napoleon had such a great impact on history that he does deserve his own large series. But it is at the end of the day, up to the voters to decide if they want this to be. Afterall, the voters did vote for Justinian series both times the option came up for us to do so.

Xenin

Actually the moral choice would be if you ticked all four of those options instead of you trying to place Native Americans Indians above white people simply because you think they suffered more than the other people in the other disasters, when the truth is that they all suffered horribly, so maybe the moral choice is to agree that all the people in all of these disasters deserve to have your sympathy, instead of placing one set of people above the rest and call it "morality."

Xenin

I just recently became a patron earlier this week, I'm extremely excited to participate in my first poll; however I had some concerns with the options. I personally voted for the Halifax Explosion as my first pick followed by the Irish Potato Famine, but I am very concerned that Napoleons invasion of Russia might win, I really feel like just covering that single part of Napoleons life wouldn't do him justice. I know EH is extremely thorough, however I really feel that a man as influential in history should get a series similar if not longer in length to the one devoted to Justinian (still my favorite btw). While I have no doubt in my mind that EH would have no trouble providing proper and adequate context for the covered topic in the form of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the missed opportunity to cover all of his exploits and, to some extent, shenanigans. A story of epic proportions the likes of which EH has yet to produce and of such magnitude surly not a single fan of the histories could ignore. Perhaps the EH team should plan for a massive series around Napoleon far ahead of time and work on smaller projects in the mean time, to give Napoleon the credit he deserves if not for his character and actions, both of which have been called into question lately in historical circles regarding his "genocides" (a whole different barrel of which facts are limited and subjective lenses are turned up to 11), but for his impact left on society, history, and our world as we see it today. Perhaps I could be completely off my rocker and feel that Napoleon should receive a large series, perhaps not, I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on the matter.

Regis Kramer

Vote for the Irish potato famine!! I'm Irish so I really want to see this done.

Hugh Mccabe

I'd love the Potato Famine or the Trail of Tears to have series done, however I have to support Napoleon as it was my suggestion

Aidan Forero

Mine didn't make it, but there are a lot of really interesting choices!

Cindy Franklin

I have to admit, I had never heard of the Halifax Explosion before unlike the other three I have heard of, so I choose this interesting time in Canadian history.

Xenin

I'm happy mine got picked, but these are some good choices

Bumble

I feel, as an American, I want the story of the trail of tears told in the EH formula. Something every American/human should know about. Its ok to have pride in your nation, but pride needs to be tempered with a knowledge and acceptance of reality and the events of the past. Not enough people know this story. Thank you for offering it.

Turlas85

As a Canadian, I want to see the Halifax Explosion. As someone of Irish descent, I wanna see the Potato Famine. But it feels like the only moral choice is to hear more about indigenous peoples, as their voices and stories have been silenced for so long. Thank you so much for making it an option.

Travis Ryans

They all sound so interesting! At least that means that I'll be happy with whatever does win!

Sientir

Turns out I didn't have to worry about missing my window to submit topics, both ideas I considered ended up on the short list.

L Tantivy

As much as I would love the trail of tears....god that sounds soo bad, I really want the potato famine or Napolean. The potato famine is something not talked about nearly enough and Napolean trying and failing to take Russia shows how no one can conquer Russia, wait for it.....Unless you're the Mongols.

BlueFanfictionInc

As a repeat but perhaps unnecessary reminder, you can always vote for multiple topics in our bimonthly polls!

Extra History

Famine for me. A lot of people state side know it but don't really know it. Getting that information spread and seeing the near genocidal actions taken by the English on the Irish.

Kyle Brennan

You can vote for all 3 if you want! (apologies if you knew that already)

Extra History

As a Canadian, I have to vote for this. Tough the famine and invasion would also be interesting.

Eric Desjardins

I like all of them but I want the Halifax Explosion to win.

Lewis Farberman

Go Halifax Explosion!

Lewis Farberman