207.2 - The Great Molasses Flood of 1919

2026-03-04 · 27 min · episode 207 · 12 entities

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Entities found in this episode

concepts 8

mentioned Society & Culture concept

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Feed category: Society & Culture
mentioned Education concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
mentioned Language Learning concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Language Learning
mentioned Places & Travel concept

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Feed category: Places & Travel
discusses Society & Culture concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Education concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
discusses Language Learning concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Language Learning
discusses Places & Travel concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Places & Travel

persons 2

mentioned Shana Thompson person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Shana Thompson
hosted by Shana Thompson person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Shana Thompson

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mentioned History website

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Feed category: History
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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: History

Episode description as stored

In this episode, we explore the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, one of the strangest and most tragic disasters in U.S. history. On a cold January afternoon in Boston’s North End, a massive steel tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst, sending a deadly wave of syrup through the streets. You’ll learn what molasses was being used for, why shipments kept arriving after World War I, and how Prohibition played a surprising role in the story. We’ll walk step by step through what caused the tank to fail, and how this disaster helped shape modern building inspections and safety codes. Along the way, I explain key vocabulary like seep, debris, dense, rivets, bootleg, and up to code — so you’ll build your English while learning about U.S. history and culture. ⭐ Get the full transcript, vocabulary list, quiz, and bonus lesson on the third conditional inside the Academy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices