Coffee & Conversation – The Boston Molasses Flood

In January 1919 a molasses storage tank in Boston’s North End collapsed, flooding the neighborhood with approximately 2 million gallons of molasses. The 25-foot-high tidal wave of molasses destroyed buildings, almost knocked over the elevated railroad track, and killed 21 people. In this talk, History Professor Jon Huibregtse explores the reasons for the tank’s collapse and its aftermath.