In 1861, one man and a “gas bag” filled with hydrogen sparked America's obsession with going higher, farther, into the unknown. In this episode, Roman and journalist Jack Hitt tell the story of Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose balloon flight from Cincinnati went wildly off course and straight into the Civil War. Lowe pivoted to create the US military's first aerial reconnaissance unit, a precursor to the Air Force, and today his legacy spans generations— stretching all the way to the dark side of the moon.
<a href="https://99pi.org/100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A History of the United States in 100 Objects</a> is a production of <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">99% Invisible</a> and <a href="https://www.bbcstudios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BBC Studios</a>.
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100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag

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