BOSTON MOLASSES FLOOD

Song: Monster in the Tank

One of the more bizarre events of 1919 (and in U.S. history), but strangely encapsulates many of the issues prevalent that year. Immigration, prohibition, and the first Red Scare all play parts in it.

Note: This is not a comprehensive list of resources (or even close to one). These are resources that I can vouch for because I’ve read, listened to, or watched them. And they have directly impacted the writing of After the War: 1919 and the Search for Peace. If you have a resource you’d like to share, I want to know! Please send me an email at remember@mobilizethepoets.com. -Ken

Books

Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo

Really the only complete deep dive into this bizarre and tragic disaster that also led to the modern building code.

I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis

A well-researched dramatization of the flood. It’s filed under “juvenile” but it’s historical fiction for any age–especially if you want a quick, entertaining read about the topic.

Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial History, Volume 1, 1856–1931 by Stuart D. Levitan

A big part of the story of the Boston Molasses Flood is the story of Italian immigrants. Stu Levitan’s book has a great section on the creation of the Greenbush Neighborhood in Madison which was populated largely by Italians.

The Boston Italians: A Story of Pride, Perseverance and Paesani, from the Years of the Great Immigration to the Present Day by Stephen Puleo

Another great book by Stephen Puleo. This one delves deep into the background of Italian immigrants, and specifically those who settled in Boston’s North End–and in the path of a flood of two million gallons of molasses.

Podcasts

Send All Available Personnel: The United States and the Great Molasses Flood by Elizabeth Lunday

Elizabeth Lunday mixes in women’s rights with the Great Molasses Flood.