Hello, I’m Elliot, and today we’re going to explore some common misconceptions about history. Let’s dive into these fascinating topics and uncover the truth behind them!
Many people believe that the Spanish Inquisition was a massive and brutal event. However, historians like Thomas Madden suggest that it was more humane than often portrayed. Most people accused of heresy were either found not guilty or their cases were dropped. Interestingly, some even preferred the Inquisition’s prisons over state ones. Before 1530, it was considered one of the best-run courts in Europe, but later, English Protestants exaggerated its cruelty.
There’s a popular belief that the Maya civilization disappeared suddenly. In reality, the Maya were the last kingdom in the New World to fall to the Spanish in 1697. Their decline wasn’t as mysterious as often thought.
You’ve probably heard the story of Lady Godiva riding naked through Coventry to protest high taxes. However, this tale likely isn’t true. It only appeared in records over 100 years after her death, and the first account came from a monk known for embellishing stories. The “Peeping Tom” part of the story was added even later, in the 16th century.
It’s a common belief that slaves built the pyramids, but evidence suggests otherwise. In 2010, archaeologists found tombs of pyramid builders, indicating they were paid workers from across Egypt. These workers were respected, as shown by their burial in tombs, something unlikely for slaves.
The Emancipation Proclamation is often thought to have freed all slaves, but it only targeted states in rebellion during the Civil War. It didn’t apply to slave states loyal to the Union or areas already under Union control. Therefore, it didn’t immediately free any slaves.
While Benjamin Franklin is famous for his kite experiment, he didn’t discover electricity. English astronomer William Gilbert studied it in the 1600s, long before Franklin. The kite story was only briefly mentioned by Franklin and fully published 15 years later by his friend Joseph Priestley. We can’t be sure if the experiment happened as described.
We often hear that early humans had a low life expectancy, suggesting they died around age 40. This misconception arises from including infant mortality rates in life expectancy calculations. The maximum human lifespan has remained stable over thousands of years.
The story goes that Emperor Nero played the fiddle as Rome burned in 64 CE. However, the violin wasn’t invented until the 11th century, and Nero was actually 35 miles away when the fire started, making this tale unlikely.
After the 1871 Chicago Fire, a story emerged that a cow knocked over a lantern, starting the blaze. However, the reporter who wrote this story admitted 40 years later that he made it up.
Many believe that a thumbs-down gesture meant death for a losing gladiator, but scholars aren’t sure what the gesture actually was. Also, not all gladiators were men; female gladiators, known as gladiatrices, existed too. Surprisingly, many gladiators survived their battles. In the first century CE, a gladiator had a 90% chance of surviving a fight, although this decreased over time.
Thank you for exploring these historical misconceptions with me. If you have any topics you’d like to see in future episodes, feel free to share them. See you next time!
Research the Spanish Inquisition and form two groups. One group will argue that it was extremely cruel, while the other will argue that it was more humane than often portrayed. Present your arguments and evidence to the class, and engage in a respectful debate.
Work in pairs to create a timeline of the Maya civilization, highlighting key events and debunking the myth of their mysterious disappearance. Use online resources and present your timeline to the class.
Research the story of Lady Godiva and identify which parts are fact and which are fiction. Create a visual presentation or a short skit to illustrate the differences and present it to the class.
In small groups, research the construction of the Egyptian pyramids and create a model using materials like cardboard or clay. Explain the role of paid workers in the construction process and present your model to the class.
Choose one of the other misconceptions discussed in the article and create a short video or podcast episode explaining the misconception and the truth behind it. Share your creation with the class.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hello, I’m Elliot, and this is MentalFloss on YouTube. Today, I’m going to discuss some misconceptions about history.
**Misconception number one:** The Spanish Inquisition was a huge and cruel historical event. Actually, experts now believe that the Inquisition was more humane than originally thought. According to historian Thomas Madden, most people accused of heresy by the Inquisition were either acquitted or their cases were suspended. In fact, there are instances of individuals deliberately blaspheming to enter Inquisition prisons instead of state prisons. Madden also notes that before 1530, the Spanish Inquisition was widely regarded as one of the best-run and most humane courts in Europe. Later, English Protestants exaggerated stories about the Inquisition.
**Misconception number two:** The Maya civilization suddenly disappeared. This might not be the big mystery that people think it is. According to a book from Stanford University, the Maya were the last kingdom in the New World to fall to the Spanish in 1697.
**Misconception number three:** The story of Lady Godiva’s naked ride. You may have heard this one, so here’s a quick refresher: In the 11th century, Lady Godiva was frustrated with her husband, who had imposed heavy taxes on the people of Coventry. He told her that if she rode through the streets on horseback naked, he would lower the taxes. She did so after proclaiming that everyone in town must stay indoors with their windows shut. One man named Tom didn’t listen, which is how we get the expression “peeping Tom.” However, this story is likely not true; there is no evidence of it existing any earlier than 100 years after Godiva’s death, and the first known source was an English monk named Roger of Wendover, who had a reputation for embellishing stories. The “Tom” part of the story emerged even later, in the 16th century.
**Misconception number four:** Slaves built the Egyptian pyramids. This cannot be confirmed until we build a time machine, but there is evidence that the people who built the pyramids were paid workers. In 2010, archaeologists in Egypt uncovered tombs from 4,000 years ago belonging to the pyramid builders. Evidence shows they were poor workers from various regions of Egypt but were respected for their work, as indicated by their burial in tombs. Slaves would not have been buried there, according to experts.
**Misconception number five:** The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. The Proclamation was only directed towards the states that were rebelling. Abraham Lincoln aimed to hurt those states, so it did not affect the slave states that remained loyal to the Union, such as Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. It also didn’t impact parts of the Confederacy that had already been recaptured by the Union. Essentially, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slaves because it was only directed at places that were not complying with the federal government.
**Misconception number six:** Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. In fact, the English astronomer William Gilbert studied electricity in the 1600s, well before Franklin was born. As for the story about Franklin and his kite, he only described it briefly four months after it supposedly happened, and the full tale wasn’t published until 15 years later by one of his friends, Joseph Priestley. We don’t know for sure whether he experimented with a kite at all.
**Misconception number seven:** Early humans died really young. We often hear that life expectancy from the Stone Age through the early 1900s was much lower than it is now, leading people to assume that individuals died around age 40. The issue lies in how we calculate life expectancy, which includes infant mortality rates. Therefore, we should differentiate between life expectancy and maximum human lifespan, which has remained stable over thousands of years.
**Misconception number eight:** Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned. The Great Fire of Rome occurred in 64 CE, and while the story goes that Emperor Nero played the fiddle while watching the city burn, this is unlikely for a couple of reasons. First, the violin family of instruments wasn’t invented until the 11th century, and second, Nero was about 35 miles away when the fire started, so it wouldn’t have affected him.
**Misconception number nine:** The Great Chicago Fire happened because of a cow. After the fire in 1871, the Chicago Tribune published that it was caused by a cow knocking over a lantern while being milked. However, 40 years later, Michael Ahern, the reporter who wrote the story, confessed that he made it up.
**Misconception number ten:** A lot about gladiators is misunderstood. Many believe that when an emperor put his thumb down, the losing gladiator would be killed. While there was a hand gesture indicating this, scholars aren’t sure whether it was thumbs up, thumbs down, or a different gesture altogether. Additionally, people often think that only men were gladiators, but that is not true; female gladiators were known as gladiatrices. Interestingly, not as many gladiators died as one might think. According to historian George Ve, at the start of a fight in the first century CE, a gladiator had a 90% chance of surviving, although this number decreased over time, with a 3-to-1 chance of living by the 3rd century CE.
Thank you for watching Misconceptions on Mental Floss on YouTube, made with the help of all these wonderful people. If you have a topic for an upcoming misconceptions episode that you would like to see, leave it in the comments. See you next week!
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This version maintains the original content while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
Misconception – A view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding. – Many people have the misconception that the Middle Ages were a time of constant warfare and ignorance.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – In history class, we learned about the causes and effects of the American Revolution.
Civilization – A complex society characterized by urban development, social stratification, and cultural achievements. – The ancient Egyptian civilization is known for its remarkable achievements in architecture and art.
Slavery – The practice of owning people as property and forcing them to work without pay. – Slavery was a significant issue that led to the American Civil War in the 19th century.
Emancipation – The act of freeing someone from slavery or oppression. – The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln to free slaves in Confederate states.
Electricity – A form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles, used for power and lighting. – The invention of electricity transformed industries and daily life during the Industrial Revolution.
Mortality – The state of being subject to death; death rate. – The mortality rate during the Black Plague was extremely high, leading to a significant population decline in Europe.
Gladiators – Trained fighters in ancient Rome who entertained audiences by engaging in combat. – Gladiators often fought in large arenas, such as the Colosseum, to entertain Roman citizens.
Inquisition – A period of prolonged and intensive questioning or investigation, often associated with the Catholic Church’s efforts to combat heresy. – The Spanish Inquisition was notorious for its harsh methods of interrogating suspected heretics.
Pyramids – Massive monumental structures built in ancient Egypt as tombs for pharaohs and their consorts. – The pyramids of Giza are among the most famous and enduring symbols of ancient Egyptian civilization.
