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Ben Franklin's World

401 EpisodesProduced by Liz CovartWebsite

This is a multiple award-winning podcast about early American history. It’s a show for people who love history and who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features conversations with professional historians who he… read more

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Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

380 The Tory's Wife

March 19th, 2024

1:05:00

The American Revolution was a movement that divided British Americans. Americans did not universally agree on the Revolution’s ideas about governance …

379 Women Healers in Early America

March 5th, 2024

1:00:47

Women make up eight out of every ten healthcare workers in the United States. Yet they lag behind men when it comes to working in the roles of …

378 Everyday Black Living in Early America

February 20th, 2024

49:21

When we study the history of Black Americans, especially in the early American period, we tend to focus on slavery and the slave trades. But focusing …

377 Phillis Wheatley & the Playwright

February 6th, 2024

45:48

2023 marked the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Phillis Wheatley's published book of poetry in the British American colonies.

Phillis Wheatley …

376 Cotton Mather's Spanish Lessons

January 23rd, 2024

1:04:33

Colonial America was born in a world of religious alliances and rivalries. Missionary efforts in the colonial Americas allow us to see how some of …

375 Misinformation Nation: Fake News in Early America

January 9th, 2024

58:30

Over the past decade, we’ve heard a lot about “fake news” and “misinformation.” And as 2024 is an election year, it’s likely we’re going to hear even more about these terms.

So what is the origin of misinformation in …

374 The American Revolutionary War in the West

December 26th, 2023

53:22

The American Revolution and its War for Independence comprised the United States’ founding movement. The War for Independence also served as the …

373 The Gaspee Affair, 1772

December 12th, 2023

54:52

The so-called “March to the American Revolution” comprised many more events than just the Stamp Act Riots, the Boston Massacre, and the Tea Crisis. …

372 A History of the Myaamia

November 28th, 2023

1:09:30

Early America was a diverse place. A significant part of this diversity came from the fact that there were at least 1,000 different Indigenous tribes and nations living in different areas of North America before the …

371 An Archive of Indigenous Slavery

November 14th, 2023

50:54

Long before European arrival in the Americas, Indigenous people and nations practiced enslavement. Their version of enslavement looked different from …

370 The Ruin of All Witches

October 31st, 2023

51:59

Happy Halloween! In honor of the 31st of October and All Hallows Eve, we investigate a historical incident of witches and witchcraft in Springfield, …

369 Livestock and Animal Breeds in Early America

October 24th, 2023

52:12

Establishing colonies in North America took an astonishing amount of work. Colonists had to clear trees, eventually remove stumps from newly cleared …

368 Legacies of the Brafferton Indian School

October 10th, 2023

1:03:34

The Brafferton Indian School has a long and complicated legacy. Chartered with the College of William & Mary in 1693, the Brafferton Indian …

367 The Brafferton Indian School, Part 1

September 26th, 2023

1:20:13

In 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England granted a royal charter for two institutions of higher education in the Colony of Virginia. …

366 James Wilson & the U.S. Constitution

September 12th, 2023

53:39

On September 17, 1787, the members of the Constitutional Convention concluded their work by signing the final draft of their new proposed government. The document they signed was the United States Constitution, which is …

365 Road Trip 2023: Early Settlement at Île Ste. Jean

August 29th, 2023

1:03:50

2020 commemorated the 300th anniversary of French presence on Prince Edward Island. Like much of North America, the Canadian Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island, and Prince Edward …

364 Road Trip 2023: La Pointe-Krebs House & Museum

August 15th, 2023

54:51

The Mississippi Gulf Coast was the home of many different peoples, cultures, and empires during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. According …

363 Road Trip 2023: Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park

August 1st, 2023

1:00:07

About 620 miles north of New Orleans and 62 miles south of St. Louis, sits the town of Ste. Geneviéve, Missouri.

Established in 1750 by the French, Ste. Geneviéve reveals much about what it was like to establish a …

361 The Fourth of July in 2026

July 4th, 2023

1:19:38

July 4, 2023 marks the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States. In three short years, we will be …

360 Slavery and Freedom in Massachusetts

June 20th, 2023

1:06:29

Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. We choose to reflect on the end of slavery in the …

359 Trans-ing Gender in Early America

June 6th, 2023

53:42

“People are complicated” is a truism that holds in the past and the present. Seldom do we find a person where all of their actions and thoughts are …

358 St. Augustine & Early Florida

May 23rd, 2023

1:04:01

For much of the colonial period, Spain claimed almost all of North America as Spanish territory. It displayed this claim on maps and in the …

357, Privateering in the American Revolution

May 9th, 2023

58:37

How did the Continental Congress approach creating military forces that could go toe-to-toe with the British military during the American War for …

356 The Moravian Church in North America

April 25th, 2023

54:49

In 1682, the first Assembly of Pennsylvania and the Delaware counties met in Chester, Pennsylvania, and adopted “the Great Law,” a humanitarian code that guaranteed the people of Pennsylvania liberty of conscience.

“The …

355 The Virginia Venture

April 11th, 2023

54:25

On April 10th, 1606, King James I granted the Virginia Company of London a charter. Just over a year later, on May 14, 1607, this privately-funded, …

354 The Sewing Girl's Tale

March 28th, 2023

1:07:24

History tells us who we are and how we came to be who we are. It also allows us to look back and see how far we’ve come as people and societies. Of course, history also has the power to show us how little has changed …

353 Women and the Making of Catawba Identity

March 14th, 2023

55:50

How did Indigenous people adapt to and survive the onslaught of Indigenous warfare, European diseases, and population loss between the sixteenth and …

352 James Forten and the Making of the United States

February 28th, 2023

47:45

People of African descent have made great contributions to the United States and its history. Think about all of the food, music, dance, medicine, farming and religious practices that people of African descent have …

351 Wealth and Slavery in New Netherland

February 14th, 2023

51:13

African chattel slavery, the predominant type of slavery practiced in colonial North America and the early United States, did not represent one …

350 The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams

January 31st, 2023

1:03:20

Before the American Revolution became a war and a fight for independence, the Revolution was a movement and protest for more local control of …

349 The Women Behind Benjamin Franklin

January 17th, 2023

1:04:53

There are a lot of books about Benjamin Franklin. They tell us about his youth and accomplishments in business, politics, and diplomacy. They tell us …

348 Valley Forge

January 3rd, 2023

1:05:46

On December 19, 1777, George Washington marched his Continental Army into its winter encampment at Valley Forge. In school we learned this was a …

347 African and African American Music

December 20th, 2022

57:16

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of African and African American music to the United States’ musical traditions. Steven Lewis, a Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian, notes that “African …

346 Music and Politics in the Early United States

December 13th, 2022

44:09

How did everyday Americans in the early United States use and enjoy music? How did they create and circulate new songs and musical lyrics?

Our …

345 Amateur Musicians in the Early United States

December 6th, 2022

47:55

Our study of music in Early America continues with this third episode in our five-episode series.

Our last two episodes (Episode 343 and Episode 344) helped us better understand the musical landscapes of Native North …

344 Music in British North America

November 29th, 2022

40:27

Our 5-episode series about music in Early America continues with this second episode that seeks to answer your questions about music in Early America.

343 Music and Song in Native North America

November 22nd, 2022

45:43

What was music like in Early America? How did different early Americans—Native Americans, African Americans, and White Americans—integrate and use music in their daily lives?

Your questions about music inspired this …

342 The Great Power of Small Native Nations

November 8th, 2022

1:12:03

Did you know that small Native American nations had the power to dictate the terms of French colonization in the Gulf South region?

Elizabeth Ellis, …

341 Possession and Exorcism in New France

October 25th, 2022

1:00:53

Prepare for tricks, treats, and time travel! In honor of Halloween, we’re traveling back to the mid-seventeenth century to investigate a case of demonic possession and the practice of exorcism in New France.

Mairi Cowan

340: Prisoners of War and the War of 1812

October 11th, 2022

1:16:34

The War of 1812 is an under-known conflict in United States history. It’s not a war that many Americans think about or dwell upon. And it was not a …

339 Women and the Constitutional Moment of 1787

September 27th, 2022

1:14:29

Between May 25 and September 17, 1787, delegates from each of the United States’ thirteen states assembled in Philadelphia for an event we now call the Constitutional Convention.

What do we know about the moment of the …

338 The Early History of the United States Senate

September 13th, 2022

1:19:28

On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution and submitted it to the states for ratification.

In honor of Constitution Day, we join three historians …

337 Early America's Trade with China

August 30th, 2022

1:00:36

What made trade with China so important to the new United States that one of Americans’ first acts after securing the United States’ independence was to establish a trade with China and other Southeast Asian countries?

336 Surviving the Southampton Rebellion

August 16th, 2022

1:12:38

What did it take to stage a successful slave uprising?

Over the course of the early republic, we see a few violent slave uprisings in the United …

335 The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton

August 2nd, 2022

1:10:10

Alexander Hamilton played important roles in the founding of the United States. He served in the Continental Army, helped frame the United States …

334 Missions & Mission Building in New Spain

July 19th, 2022

1:05:29

Spanish explorers and colonists visited, settled, and claimed territory in 42 of the United States’ 50 states. So what does the history of Early …

333 Experiences of Revolution: Disruptions in Yorktown

July 5th, 2022

59:07

What was everyday life like during the American War for Independence?

Our Fourth of July series continues with an investigation of how the American …

332 Experiences of Revolution: Occupied Philadelphia

June 28th, 2022

1:03:03

What was everyday life like during the American War for Independence?

In honor of the Fourth of July, we’ll investigate answers to this question by …

331 The Discovery of the Williamsburg Bray School

June 21st, 2022

1:26:05

In a town as old as Williamsburg, Virginia, which was established in 1638, it’s often the case that historic buildings with interesting pasts stand …

330 Loyalism in the British Atlantic World

June 7th, 2022

1:10:06

We’ll never know for certain how many Americans supported the American Revolution, remained loyal to the British Crown and Parliament, or tried to …

329 Freemasonry in Early America

May 24th, 2022

1:05:14

This is an episode you’ve been waiting for!

Mark Tabbert, the Director of Archives and Exhibits at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association and the author of Almanac of American Freemasonry and A …

328 Free People of Color in Early America

May 10th, 2022

1:08:12

We know from our explorations of early America that not all Americans were treated equally or enjoyed the freedoms and liberties other Americans …

327 Benjamin Franklin: A Film by Ken Burns

April 26th, 2022

57:00

How do we know what we know about Benjamin Franklin? We know historians, museum curators, and archivists rely on historical documents and objects to find and learn information about the past. But how does a documentary …

326 The Greek Revolution in Early America

April 12th, 2022

1:05:04

With Ukrainian sovereignty and democracy under attack, Americans have been wondering: Should our government be doing more than placing economic …

325 Everyday People of the American Revolution

March 29th, 2022

1:17:32

What do we know about the American Revolution? Why is it important that we see the Revolution as a political event, a war, a time of social and …

324 New Netherland and Slavery

March 15th, 2022

1:05:46

After Henry Hudson’s 1609-voyage along the river that now bears his name, Dutch traders began to visit and trade at the area they called New Netherland. In 1614, the Dutch established a trading post near present-day …

323 American Expansion and the Political Economy of Plunder

March 1st, 2022

1:22:47

In the Treaty of Paris, 1783, Great Britain ceded to the United States all lands east of the Mississippi River and between the southern borders of …

322 Running from Bondage in Revolutionary America

February 15th, 2022

54:46
During the War for American Independence, the British Army attempted to create chaos and inflict economic damage to the revolutionaries’ war effort …

321 BFW Team Favorite: Whose Fourth of July?

February 1st, 2022

1:14:45

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech to an anti-slavery society and he famously asked “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

In …

320 Benjamin Franklin's London House

January 18th, 2022

1:12:46

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706, to Abiah Folger and Josiah Franklin. Although Franklin began his life as the youngest son …

319 Cuba: An Early American History

January 4th, 2022

1:06:49

One of the Caribbean islands that Christopher Columbus stopped at during his 1492-voyage was an alligator-shaped island that sits at the mouth of the …

Bonus: Colonial Ste. Geneviéve, Missouri

December 31st, 2021

10:16

What challenges do National Park Service interpretive rangers face when they interpret non-British colonial history? How did the relationships …

318 Ste. Geneviéve National Historical Park

December 21st, 2021

59:29

About 620 miles north of New Orleans and 62 miles south of St. Louis, sits the town of Ste. Geneviéve, Missouri.

Established in 1750 by the French, Ste. Geneviéve reveals much about what it was like to establish a …

317 American Jewish Historical Society, Jews in Early America

December 7th, 2021

1:01:19

The first Jewish colonists in North America arrived in 1654. From that moment, Jews worked to build and contribute to early American society and the …

316 Yellow Fever, Immunity, & Early New Orleans

November 23rd, 2021

47:18

In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. This purchase included the important port city of New Orleans. But the United States did not just acquire the city’s land, peoples, and wealth– …

315 History & American Democracy

November 9th, 2021

1:02:18

What has enabled the American experiment in democracy to endure for nearly 250 years?

What is it about early American history that captivates peoples’ attention and makes them want to support the creation of historical …

Bonus: The Object of History

November 2nd, 2021

41:14

The Massachusetts Historical Society has a podcast!

In this bonus episode of Ben Franklin's World, we'll introduce you to The Object of History, with …

Bonus: Colin Calloway, Native Americans in American Cities

October 29th, 2021

18:30

We rejoin Colin Calloway, Professor of History and Native American Studies at Dartmouth College, in this bonus episode so he can answer more of your …

314 Native Americans in Early American Cities

October 26th, 2021

1:04:45

Have you ever considered early American cities as places where Native Americans lived, worked, and visited?

Native Americans often visited early American cities and port towns, especially the towns and cities that …

OI Reads: Carolyn Eastman, The Strange Genius of Mr. O

October 19th, 2021

14:57

Welcome to OI Reads, an occasional series on Ben Franklin's World where we introduce you to new books that we'll think you love and that are published by the Omohundro Institute.

Using details from her book, The Strange …

313 The Marquis de Lafayette

October 12th, 2021

1:09:50

You know “America’s favorite fighting Frenchman” is the Marquis de Lafayette. But what do you know about Lafayette and his life?

How and why did this …

312 The Domestic Slave Trade

September 28th, 2021

1:04:14

The transatlantic slave trade dominated in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. But by 1808, a different slave trade came to dominate in the young United States, the domestic or internal slave trade.


311 Religion and the American Revolution

September 14th, 2021

56:07

Investigations of the American Revolution often include explorations of politics, ideology, trade and taxation, imperial control, and social strife. …

310 The Blackfeet: A History

August 31st, 2021

1:02:56

To understand early American history, we need to investigate and understand North America as an Indigenous space. A place where Native American …

309 Merchant Ships of the Eighteenth Century

August 17th, 2021

1:03:22

By the eighteenth century, the Atlantic Ocean had become a busy highway of ships crisscrossing its waters.

What do we know about the ships that made these transatlantic voyages and connected the eighteenth-century …

308 Slavery and Freedom in French Louisiana

August 3rd, 2021

1:00:46

The story of freedom in colonial New Orleans and Louisiana pivoted on the choices black women made to retain control of their bodies, families, and …

Bonus: A History of American Revolution Histories

July 30th, 2021

19:51

In Episode 307, Michael Hattem helped us investigate the role history played in the American Revolution and the ways early historians used history as …

307 History & the American Revolution

July 20th, 2021

1:09:50

The story of the founding of the United States is a familiar one. It usually (but not always) begins with the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, describes the founding and development of thirteen British …

306 The Horse's Tail

July 2nd, 2021

1:03:49

The words of the Declaration of Independence are not the only aspect of the American Revolution that carry power. Visual and material objects from …

305 Speaking with the Dead in Early America

June 22nd, 2021

53:51

Death is one of the few universals in life. Everyone who is born, will die.

How do the living make peace with death?

While different cultures make …

304 On Juneteenth

June 8th, 2021

53:50

Juneteenth is a state holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slavery ended in Texas. Over the last decade, a push to make Juneteenth a …

303 An Early History of the Mississippi Gulf Coast

May 25th, 2021

54:43

The Mississippi Gulf Coast was the home of many different peoples, cultures, and empires during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. According …

302 From Inoculation to Vaccination, Part 2

May 11th, 2021

52:54

Before its eradication in 1980, smallpox was the most feared disease in many parts of the world. Known as the “king of terrors” and the “disease of diseases” the search for a way to lessen and avoid smallpox was on!

How …

301 From Inoculation to Vaccination, Part 1

April 27th, 2021

46:46

Smallpox was the most feared disease in North America and in many parts of the world before its eradication in 1980. So how did early Americans live with smallpox and work to prevent it? How did they help eradicate this …

300 Vast Early America

April 13th, 2021

1:05:13

What do historians wish more people better understood about early American history and why do they wish people had that better understanding?

In celebration of the 300th episode of Ben Franklin’s World, we posed these …

299 Colonial Virginia Portraits

April 6th, 2021

41:14

What can a portrait reveal about the history of colonial British America?

Portraits were both deeply personal and yet collaborative artifacts left …

298 Origins of American Manufacturing

March 30th, 2021

1:01:20

Have you ever stopped to think about how the United States became a manufacturing nation? Have you ever wondered how the United States developed not …

297 Indian Removal Act of 1830

March 16th, 2021

1:00:39

The history of Native American land dispossession is as old as the story of colonization. European colonists came to the Americas, and the Caribbean, …

296 The Boston Massacre: A Family History

March 2nd, 2021

56:24

Is there anything more we can know about well-researched and reported events like the Boston Massacre?

Are there new ways of looking at oft-taught events that can help us see new details about them, even 250 years after …

295 Whitney Plantation Museum

February 16th, 2021

1:02:52

What does it take to create a museum? How can a museum help visitors grapple with a very uncomfortable aspect of their nation’s past?

Ibrahima Seck, a member of the History Department at the University Cheikh Anta Diop …

294 1774: The Long Year of Revolution

February 2nd, 2021

56:13

When we think of important years in the history of the American Revolution, we might think of years like 1765 and the Stamp Act Crisis, 1773 and the …

293 Jamaica Ladies: Female Slaveholding in Jamaica

January 19th, 2021

1:05:44

How did Jamaica grow to become the "crown jewel" of the British Atlantic World?

Part of the answer is that Jamaica’s women served as some of the most …

292 Craft in Early America

January 5th, 2021

56:59

What was everyday life like for those who lived in early America?

To understand the everyday lives of early Americans we need to look at the goods they made and how they produced those goods. In essence, nothing …

Bonus: The Plimoth Patuxet and Tomaquag Museums

December 18th, 2020

8:17

This episode is a companion episode to the 2-episode World of the Wampanoag series.

This bonus episode allows us to speak with two guests from the …

291 The World of the Wampanoag, Part 2: 1620 and Beyond

December 15th, 2020

55:25

Before New England was New England, it was the Dawnland. A region that remains the homeland of numerous Native American peoples, including the …

290 The World of the Wampanoag, Part 1: Before 1620

December 8th, 2020

46:53

Before New England was New England, it was the Dawnland. A region that remains the homeland of numerous Native American peoples, including the Wampanoag.

Over the next two episodes, we’ll explore the World of the …

289 Maroonage in the Great Dismal Swamp

November 24th, 2020

1:03:07

The name “Great Dismal Swamp” doesn’t evoke an image of a pleasant or beautiful place, and yet, it was an important place that offered land …

288 Smugglers & Patriots in the 18th-Century Atlantic

November 10th, 2020

1:03:38

In what ways did the Atlantic World contribute to the American Revolution?

Empire, slavery, and constant warfare interacted with each other in the …

Our History Has Always Been Spoken: Trailer for Massachusetts, 1620 Series

November 6th, 2020

3:37

Join the Omohundro Institute and Mass Humanities for a special two-episode series about the World of the Wampanoag before and after 1620. The Wampanoag’s history has always been spoken. Hear it on Ben Franklin’s World …

Bonus. Listener Q&A: The Early History of the United States Congress

October 30th, 2020

18:22

This special bonus episode previews the Ben Franklin's World Subscription program and its monthly bonus episode for program subscribers.

In this bonus episode, Historian of the United States House of Representatives …

287 Elections in Early America: Presidential Elections & the Electoral College

October 27th, 2020

1:01:56

For four months during the summer of 1787, delegates from the thirteen states met in Philadelphia to craft a revised Constitution that would define …

286 Elections in Early America: Native Sovereignty

October 20th, 2020

56:36

Who is American democracy for and who could participate in early American democracy?

Women and African Americans were often barred from voting in …

285 Elections in Early America: Elections & Voting in the Early American Republic

October 13th, 2020

1:10:11

Independence from Great Britain provided the former British American colonists the opportunity to create a new, more democratic government than they …

284 Elections in Early America: Democracy & Voting in British North America

October 6th, 2020

51:43

The British North American colonies formed some of the most democratic governments in the world. But that doesn't mean that all early Americans were …

Bonus: A Brief History of the United States Supreme Court

September 22nd, 2020

10:38

On Friday, September 18, 2020, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, died.

Justice Ginsburg's death has …

283 Acadie 300

September 22nd, 2020

1:02:44

2020 commemorates the 300th anniversary of French presence on Prince Edward Island. Like much of North America, the Canadian Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island, and Prince Edward …

282 Tacky's Revolt

September 8th, 2020

1:00:22

Between 1760 and 1761, Great Britain witnessed one of the largest slave insurrections in the history of its empire. Although the revolt took place on …

281 The Business of Slavery

August 25th, 2020

53:24

We live in an age where big businesses track our shopping habits and in some cases our work habits. But is the age of data new? When did the “age of the spreadsheet” and quantification of habits develop?


Caitlin …

280 The British Are Coming

August 11th, 2020

1:02:30

The American Revolution is embedded in the American character. It’s an event that can tell us who we are, how we came to be who we are, and how we …

279 The Cabinet: Creation of an American Institution

July 28th, 2020

1:12:40

As the first President of the United States, George Washington set many precedents for the new nation. One of the biggest precedents Washington set came in the form of the Cabinet, a body of advisors from across the …

278 Polygamy: An Early American History

July 14th, 2020

54:31

Polygamy is not a practice that often comes to mind when many of us think about early America. But it turns out, polygamy was a ubiquitous practice …

277 Whose Fourth of July?

June 30th, 2020

1:12:06

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech to an anti-slavery society and he famously asked “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

In …

Bonus Listener Q & A: Young Benjamin Franklin

June 26th, 2020

16:01

This special bonus episode introduces the Ben Franklin's World Subscription program and a new monthly Listener Question & Answer feature for subscribers to that program.

In this preview, award-winning historian Nick …

276 Benjamin Rush: Founding Father

June 16th, 2020

1:05:30

Who gets to be a founding father?

“Founding Father” status goes to men who helped found the United States. That means the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, those who led the Continental Army, and the 36 …

275 Pets in Early America

June 2nd, 2020

25:18

What kinds of animals did early Americans keep as pets? How did early Americans acquire pets? What kinds of animals did early Americans keep as pets?

274 Walter Ralegh: Architect of Empire

May 19th, 2020

1:09:12

What do we know about how and why England came to establish its first permanent colony at Jamestown? And what do we know about the English colony …

273 David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Early Republic

May 5th, 2020

1:03:38

How did Americans learn to establish philanthropic institutions?

Victoria Johnson, an Associate Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter …

272 Origins of the 11th Amendment

April 21st, 2020

11:07

What do you know about the Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution?

Caitlin Galante-DeAngelis Hopkins, a Lecturer in the History Department at Harvard University and a former research associate for the

271 BFW Team Favorites: Paul Revere's Ride Through History

December 31st, 2019

1:32:58

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode to Lexington, Massachusetts to spread the alarm that the Regulars were marching. Revere made several important …

270 BFW Team Favorites: Slavery & Freedom in Early Maryland

December 24th, 2019

50:15

How do you uncover the life of an enslaved person who left no paper trail?

What can the everyday life of an enslaved person tell us about slavery, how it was practiced, and how some enslaved people made the transition …

269 BFW Team Favorites: One Colonial Woman's World

December 17th, 2019

46:10

What was everyday life like for average men and women in early America?

Listeners ask this question more than any other question and today we …

268 BFW Team Favorites: Young Benjamin Franklin

December 10th, 2019

1:02:14

What in the first 40 years of his life made Benjamin Franklin the genius he became?

Benjamin Franklin serves as a great window on to the early American past because as a man of “variety” he pursued many interests: …

267 Winter in the Early American Northeast

December 3rd, 2019

1:02:07

How did the people of early America experience and feel about winter?

Thomas Wickman, an Associate Professor of History and American Studies at …

266 Education in Early America

November 26th, 2019

32:13

How did early Americans educate their children? How and when did Americans create a formal system of public education?

You sent me these questions for Episode 200: Everyday Life in Early America. You also said you …

265 An Early History of the White House

November 19th, 2019

1:00:27

On July 1, 1790, Congress passed “An Act for Establishing the temporary and permanent Seat of the Government of the United States.” This act …

264 The Iroquois, United States, and the Treaty of Canandaigua 1794

November 12th, 2019

56:45

The Treaty of Paris 1783 ended the American War for Independence, but it did not bring peace to North America. After 1783, warfare and violence …

263 The Medical Imagination

November 5th, 2019

52:19

Did you know that imagination once played a key role in the way Americans understood and practiced medicine?

Sari Altschuler, an Assistant Professor …

262 Interpreting the Fourth Amendment (Doing History 4)

October 29th, 2019

1:02:46

History is an important tool when it comes to understanding American law.

History is what the justices of the United States Supreme Court use when …

261 Creating the Fourth Amendment (Doing History 4)

October 22nd, 2019

58:36

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution doesn’t always make headlines, but it’s an amendment that undergirds foundational rights. It’s also an amendment that can show us a lot about the intertwined nature …

260 Origins of the Bill of Rights (Doing History 4)

October 15th, 2019

1:01:30

How and why did Congress draft the First Ten Amendments to the Constitution?

In the United States, we use the Constitution and Bill of Rights to …

259 The Bill of Rights & How Legal Historians Work (Doing History 4)

October 8th, 2019

1:11:47

Law is all around us. And the basis of American Law comes not only from our early American past, but from our founding documents.

This episode begins our 4th Doing History series. Over the next four episodes, we’ll …

258 John Dickinson: Life, Religion, and Politics

October 1st, 2019

1:00:52

The Second Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776 with 12 colonies and one abstention. The delegation from New York abstained …

257 Elizabeth Seton: An Early American Life

September 24th, 2019

52:18

What was it like to live as a woman of faith in early republic America? What was it like to live as a Catholic in the early United States?

Catherine …

256 Mapping Empire in the Chesapeake

September 17th, 2019

1:01:12

How do empires come to be? How are empires made and who makes them? What role do maps play in making empires?

Christian Koot is a Professor of …

255 Birthright Citizenship

September 10th, 2019

58:09

Who gets to be a citizen of the United States? How does the United States define who belongs to the nation?

Early Americans asked and grappled with these questions during the earliest days of the early republic.

Martha …

254 The Money Question in Early America

September 3rd, 2019

53:24

We read and hear a lot about money. We read and hear about fluctuations in the value of the Dollar, Pound, and Euro, interest rates and who can and …

253 Life and Revolution in Boston and Grenada

August 27th, 2019

45:11

What can a family history tell us about revolutionary and early republic America?

What can the letters of a wife and mother tell us about life in the …

252 The Highland Soldier in North America

August 20th, 2019

1:00:30

Much of early American history comprises stories of empire and how different Native, European, and Euro-American nations vied for control of North …

251 Frontiers of Science

August 13th, 2019

53:36

What did early Americans think about science? And how did they pursue and develop their knowledge of it?

Cameron Strang, an Assistant Professor of …

250 Virginia, 1619

August 6th, 2019

1:16:42

2019 marks the 400th anniversary of two important events in American History: The creation of the first representative assembly in English North America and the arrival of the first African people in English North …

249 BFW Road Trip: James Monroe's Highland

July 30th, 2019

46:59

Between 1789 and 1825, five men would serve as President of the United States. Four of them hailed from Virginia.

Many of us know details about the …

248 BFW Road Trip: National Museum of African American History and Culture

July 23rd, 2019

33:40

Not all historians publish their findings about history in books and articles. Some historians convey knowledge about history to the public in public spaces and in public ways.

We conclude the “Doing History: How …

247 BFW Road Trip: Schoharie Crossing

July 16th, 2019

40:07

A “little short of madness.” That is how Thomas Jefferson responded when two delegates from New York approached him with the idea to build the Erie Canal in January 1809.

Jefferson’s comment did not discourage New …

246 BFW Road Trip: Château de Ramezay

July 9th, 2019

43:35

Did Canada almost join the American Revolution?

Bruno Paul Stenson, a historian and musicologist with the Château de Ramezay historic site in …

245 Celebrating the Fourth

July 2nd, 2019

1:12:18

It wasn’t always fireworks on the fourth.

John Adams predicted Americans would celebrate the Second of July, the day Congress voted in favor of …

244 Shoe Stories From Early America

June 25th, 2019

1:00:52

There’s a saying that tells us we should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. It’s a reminder we should practice empathy and try to understand people …

243 Revolutionary Print Networks

June 18th, 2019

1:04:46

For the American Revolution to be successful, it needed ideas people could embrace and methods for spreading those ideas. It also needed ways for …

242 An Early History of Delaware

June 11th, 2019

51:02

Delaware may be the second smallest state in the United States, but it has a BIG, rich history that can tell us much about the history of early America.

David Young, the Executive Director of the Delaware Historical …

241 Pearls and the Nature of the Spanish Empire

June 4th, 2019

57:25

Spain became the first European power to use the peoples, resources, and lands of the Americas and Caribbean as the basis for its Atlantic Empire.

How did this empire function and what wealth was Spain able to extract …

240 Biography and a Biographer's Work

May 28th, 2019

45:05

Have you ever had one of those really conversations where the person was so fascinating that you wished the conversation didn’t have to end?

Flora Fraser joins us for one of those conversations. We’ll talk about …

239 Travel and Post in Early America

May 21st, 2019

37:06

How did the postal system work in Early America? How did people send mail across the North American colonies and the British Empire?

Joseph Adelman, …

238 Benedict Arnold

May 14th, 2019

1:11:55

Benedict Arnold is an intriguing figure. He was both a military hero who greatly impacted and furthered the American War for Independence with his …

237 Motherhood in Early America

May 7th, 2019

54:47

Mother’s Day became a national holiday on May 9, 1914 to honor all of the work mothers do to raise children.

But what precisely is the work that …

236 Mixed-Race Britons and the Atlantic Family

April 30th, 2019

59:17

Who do we count as family?

If a relative was born in a foreign place and one of their parents was of a different race? Would they count as family?

235 A 17th-Century Native American Life

April 23rd, 2019

1:03:18

What does early America look like if we view it through Native American eyes?

Jenny Hale Pulsipher, an Associate Professor of History at Brigham …

234 Farms & Farm Families in Early America

April 16th, 2019

47:28

If we want to understand everyday life in early America we need to understand the everyday life of early American farms and farmers.

Roughly three-quarters of Americans in British North America and the early United …

233 A History of Russian America

April 9th, 2019

48:19

When we think about colonial American history we think about the colonies of the English, the Dutch, the French, and the Spanish. Rarely do we think …

232 The Acadian Diaspora

April 2nd, 2019

1:02:43

Before the English settled in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 or the Dutch settled near Albany, New York in 1615, a group of French-speaking, Catholic …

231 The Religious Lives of the Adams Family

March 26th, 2019

1:02:26

Historians use archives to create the histories we love to read, watch, and listen to. So we’re going into one archive to investigate how historians use them and to discover more about the religious lives of the Adams …

230 First Martyr of Liberty

March 19th, 2019

58:53

Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, Patrick Carr, and Crispus Attucks. These are the five men who died as a result of the shootings on …

229 The Townshend Moment

March 12th, 2019

1:00:57

Within days of the Boston Massacre, Bostonians politicized the event. They circulated a pamphlet about “the Horrid Massacre” and published images …

228 The Boston Massacre

March 5th, 2019

1:03:36

On the evening of March 5, 1770, a crowd gathered in Boston’s King Street and confronted a a sentry and his fellow soldiers in front of the custom …

227 Copyright & Fair Use in Early America

February 26th, 2019

1:15:56

In the 21st century, we are all creators and users of content. We take original photos with our smartphones, generate blog posts, digital videos, and podcasts. Some of us write books and articles. And nearly everyone …

226 Making the State of South Carolina

February 19th, 2019

1:01:07

What do we mean by “the state?”

How is a “state” produced?

Is “the state” something everyone can participate in producing?

Ryan Quintana, an …

225 The Poison Plot: Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport

February 12th, 2019

51:12

In 1738, a cooper named Benedict Arnold petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly for a divorce from his wife Mary Ward Arnold. Benedict claimed …

224 Aquatic Culture in Early America

February 5th, 2019

57:00

The Atlantic World has brought many disparate peoples together, which has caused a lot of ideas and cultures to mix.

How did the Atlantic World bring …

223 A Native American History of the Ohio River Valley & Great Lakes Region

January 29th, 2019

1:07:10

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ohio River Valley proved to be a rich agrarian region. Many different Native American peoples prospered from its land both in terms of the the land’s ability to produce a wide …

222 The Early History of Washington, D.C.

January 22nd, 2019

1:10:08

Have you ever wondered how the capital of the United States came to be situated at Washington D.C.?

The banks of the Potomac River represent an odd …

221 The Culinary Adventures of Benjamin Franklin

January 15th, 2019

54:35

Can food help us better understand the people and events of the past? Can we better understand a person like Benjamin Franklin and who he was by the foods he ate?

Rae Katherine Eighmey, an award-winning food historian, …

220 New England Indians, Colonists, & the Origins of American Slavery

January 8th, 2019

1:14:25

Did you know that one of the earliest practices of slavery by English colonists originated in New England?

In fact, Massachusetts issued the very …

219 Taverns in Early America

January 1st, 2019

51:01

Inns and taverns played prominent roles in early American life. They served the needs of travelers who needed food to eat and places to sleep.They …

218 How the Dutch Brough Us Santa, Presents, & Treats

December 25th, 2018

41:38

Have you ever wondered where the Christmas traditions of stockings, presents, and cookies come from?

What about jolly, old Saint Nicholas? Who was he …

217 Slavery and Freedom in Early Maryland

December 18th, 2018

49:17

How do you uncover the life of an enslaved person who left no paper trail?

What can the everyday life of an enslaved person tell us about slavery, how it was practiced, and how some enslaved people made the transition …

216 A History of Stepfamilies in Early America

December 11th, 2018

43:33

What do George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln have in common?

They all grew-up in blended or stepfamilies.

Lisa Wilson, the …

215 A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America

December 4th, 2018

52:00

We tend to view gay marriage as a cultural and legal development of the 21st century.

But did you know that some early Americans lived openly as …

214 Skpeticism and American Faith

November 27th, 2018

55:59

Was the early United States a “Christian nation?” Did most of its citizenry accept God and the Bible as the moral authority that bound them together …

213 The Pilgrims of Plimoth

November 20th, 2018

58:12

In 1621, the Pilgrims of Plimoth Colony and their Wampanoag neighbors came together to celebrate their first harvest. Today we remember this event as …

212 Researching Biography (Doing History)

November 13th, 2018

1:09:02

How do historians and biographers reconstruct the lives of people from the past?

Good biographies rely on telling the lives of people using practiced historical methods of thorough archival research and the sound …

Bonus: The Washingtons' Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

November 9th, 2018

52:36

As part of the Omohundro Institute's Doing History series on biography, Episode 212 offers us a new conversation with Erica Dunbar, the author of Never Caught: The Washington’s Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave …

211 Considering John Marshall, Part 2 (Doing History)

November 6th, 2018

1:10:46

Can a biography help us explore big historical questions?

Can knowing about the life of John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, help us better understand the Supreme Court and how it …

210 Considering John Marshall, Part 1 (Doing History)

October 30th, 2018

1:15:46

For 34 years, John Marshall presided as the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. During his service, Marshal transformed the nation’s …

209 Considering Biography (Doing History)

October 23rd, 2018

1:35:59

Biography. Since the earliest days of the United States, and even before the thirteen colonies came together to forge a nation, Americans have been …

208 Turning Points of the American Revolution

October 16th, 2018

55:18

2018 marks the 241st anniversary of the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga and the 240th anniversary of the Franco-American Alliance. But was the victory that prompted the French to join the American war effort, …

207 Young Benjamin Franklin

October 9th, 2018

1:02:33

What in the first 40 years of his life made Benjamin Franklin the genius he became?

Benjamin Franklin serves as a great window on to the early American past because as a man of “variety” he pursued many interests: …

206 Christian Slavery: Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World

October 2nd, 2018

57:19

Between 1500 and the 1860s, Europeans and Americans forcibly removed approximately 12 million African people from the African continent, transported them to the Americas, and enslaved them.

Why did Europeans and …

205 First Ladies of the Republic

September 25th, 2018

52:42

La Presidente? The Presidentess? The First Lady of the Land?

The Second Article of the United States Constitution defines the Executive Branch of the …

204 The Burr Conspiracy

September 18th, 2018

1:01:07

Aaron Burr: Revolutionary War hero, talented lawyer, Vice President, and Intriguer of treason?

Between 1805 and 1807, Aaron Burr supposedly intended …

203 Alexander Hamilton

September 11th, 2018

1:01:53

Hamilton the Musical hit Broadway in August 2015 and since that time people all around the world have been learning about a man named Alexander Hamilton. Or, at least they’ve been learning about the musical’s character …

202 The Early History of the United States Congress

September 4th, 2018

1:13:36

On September 17, 1787, a majority of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention approved the new form of government they had spent months drafting and submitted it to the 13 states for their ratification and …

201 Art, Politics, and Everyday Life in Early America

August 28th, 2018

1:04:10

What kind of character should Americans have? Is it possible to create a shared sense of national character and identity that all Americans can …

200 Everyday Life in Early America

August 21st, 2018

1:25:04

What would you like to know about Early American History?

It turns out, you wanted to know about the establishment of schools, how the colonial …

199 Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of the Empire

August 14th, 2018

39:53

When we explore the history of early America, we often look at people who lived in North America. But what about the people who lived and worked in …

198 Saltwater Frontier: Native Americans and the Contest for the Northeastern Coast

August 7th, 2018

54:45

When we think of Native Americans, many of us think of inland dwellers. People adept at navigating forests and rivers and the skilled hunters and horsemen who lived and hunted on the American Plains.

But did you know …

197 Native American Slavery in New France

July 31st, 2018

56:53

When we think about early American slavery, our minds evoke images of plantations where enslaved men and women were forced to labor in agricultural …

196 Information Exchange in the Early Southeast

July 24th, 2018

41:58

We live in an age of information. The internet provides us with 24/7 access to all types of information—news, how-to articles, sports scores, entertainment news, and congressional votes.

But what do we do with all of …

195 Old Newgate Prison and Copper Mine

July 17th, 2018

40:38

In 1705 a group of colonists in Simsbury, Connecticut founded a copper mine, which the Connecticut General Assembly purchased and turned into a …

194 Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site

July 10th, 2018

1:00:26

As part of its mission, the National Park Service seeks to protect and preserve places saved by the American people so that all may experience the heritage of the United States. These places include those with …

Bonus: Behind the Scenes of the Adams-Jefferson Letters

July 6th, 2018

39:33

In 1959, the Omohundro Institute and University of North Carolina Press published Lester J. Cappon’s The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete …

193 Partisans: The Friendship and Rivalry of Adams and Jefferson

July 3rd, 2018

1:23:08

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Two drafters and signers of the Declaration of Independence, two diplomats who served the United States abroad in Europe, and two men who went on to serve as vice president and president …

192 The Secret History of the Jersey Devil

June 26th, 2018

56:44

The Jersey Devil is a monster legend that originated in New Jersey’s early American past.

How and why did this legend emerge? And, what can it tell us about New Jersey’s past?

Brian Regal, an Associate Professor of …

191 A New History of King Philip's War

June 19th, 2018

1:04:45

King Philip’s War is an event that appears over and over again in books about colonial America.

So when you have an event that has been as studied as …

190 Origins of the American Middle Class

June 12th, 2018

50:58

As many as 70 percent of Americans consider themselves to be members of the middle class. But if you consider income as a qualifier for membership, only about 50 percent of Americans qualify for membership.

So what does …

189 The Little Ice Age

June 5th, 2018

51:42

We’re living in a period of climate change. Our Earth has been getting warmer since the mid-19th century.

So how will humans adapt to and endure this period of global warming? Will they adapt to it and endure?

It turns …

188 The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

May 29th, 2018

56:37

The Alien and Sedition Acts consisted of four laws enacted by the United States government in 1798. The United States passed these laws during a time of great uncertainty, a time when many Americans feared for the very …

187 Sport in Early America

May 22nd, 2018

50:47

Our present-day American culture is obsessed with sports. To cite just two pieces of evidence of this, on average, more than 67,000 fans attend each …

186 The New Map of the British Empire

May 15th, 2018

1:05:34

As a result of Great Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War, British North America expanded so that it stretched from the Atlantic seaboard west …

185 Early New York City and its Culture

May 8th, 2018

56:29

Who should determine our culture and the morals our society follows?

Culture, or the intellectual achievements, attitudes, and behaviors of our …

184 Thundersticks: Firearms and the Violent Transformation of Native America

May 1st, 2018

56:09

Early North America was a place rife with violent conflict. Between the 17th and 19th centuries we see a lot of conflict between different Native …

183 George Washington's Mount Vernon

April 24th, 2018

1:06:37

George Washington played three very important public roles during his lifetime. He served as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, the …

182 Darkness Falls on the Land of Light: The Great Awakening in New England

April 17th, 2018

59:00

What was it like to live through an extraordinary time?

The 1740s and 1750s proved to be an extraordinary time for many ordinary New Englanders. It was a period when itinerant preachers swept through the region and …

181 The Martyr and the Traitor: Nathan Hale & Moses Dunbar

April 10th, 2018

54:08

Why did early Americans choose to become patriots or loyalists during the American Revolution?

How did they make the decision to either stand with or …

180 Alexander Hamilton and the Making of American Law

April 3rd, 2018

59:40

The legacy of Alexander Hamilton tells us that he was Thomas Jefferson’s political rival, a man who fought to secure strong powers for the national …

179 After the Revolution: Governance During the Critical Period

March 27th, 2018

1:04:41

The Confederation period is one of the most neglected aspects of United States History. And yet, it’s a very important period. Between 1781 and 1789, the Confederation Congress established by the Articles of …

178 Muslims and Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America

March 20th, 2018

49:59

In 1535, Spanish holdings in the Americas proved so great that the Spanish government created the Viceroyalty of New Spain to govern all territory …

177 The Social Life of Maps in America

March 13th, 2018

55:40

Did you know that maps have social lives?

Maps facilitate a lot of different social and political relationships between people and nations. And they …

175 House Divided: The Revolution in Ben Franklin's House

February 27th, 2018

45:47

Just how personal was the American Revolution?

What could the event and war mean for individual people and families?

Daniel Mark Epstein, author of

174 Yellow Fever in the Early American Republic

February 20th, 2018

50:34

It’s February 2018 and doctors have declared this year’s seasonal flu epidemic as one of the worst to hit the United States in over a decade. Yet this flu epidemic is nothing compared to the yellow fever epidemics that …

173 Colonial Port Cities and Slavery

February 13th, 2018

54:22

The histories of early North America and the Caribbean are intimately intertwined. The same European empires we encounter in our study of early …

172 Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War

February 6th, 2018

49:36

Intelligence gathering plays an important role in the foreign policies of many modern-day nation states, including the United States. Which raises …

171 Native Americans, British Colonists, and Trade in North America

January 30th, 2018

1:00:17

History books like to tell us that Native Americans did not fully understand British methods and ideas of trade. Is this really true?

Did Native …

170 New England Bound: Slavery in Early New England

January 23rd, 2018

42:50

New England was a place with no cash crops. It was a place where many of its earliest settlers came to live just so they could worship their Puritan …

169 The Religious Life of Benjamin Franklin

January 16th, 2018

51:12

We remember Benjamin Franklin as an accomplished printer, scientist, and statesman. Someone who came from humble beginnings and made his own way in the world. Rarely do we remember Franklin as a man of faith.

Benjamin …

168 Wild By Nature: Colonists and Animals in North America

January 9th, 2018

50:42

When we study the history of colonial North America, we tend to focus on European colonists and their rivalries with each other and with Native …

167 The Early History of New Orleans

January 2nd, 2018

52:33

The French established New Orleans and the greater colony of Louisiana in 1717. By 1840, New Orleans had become the 3rd largest city in the United …

166 Freedom and the American Revolution

December 26th, 2017

57:09

The Declaration of Independence described “all men” as “created equal” when its authors knew they were not. So was the revolutionary idea of freedom …

165 The Age of Revolutions

December 19th, 2017

1:19:06

Between 1763 and 1848, revolutions took place in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. But why is it that we only seem to …

164 The American Revolution in the Age of Revolutions

December 12th, 2017

1:01:51

The American Revolution took place within a larger period known today as the “Age of Revolutions.”

What does the Revolution look like when we place …

163 The American Revolution in North America

December 5th, 2017

1:04:21

When we think about North America during the American Revolution, most of our brains show us images of eastern Canada and the thirteen British …

162 Dunmore's New World: The Revolution and the British Empire

November 28th, 2017

47:45

What did British imperial officials in London and their North America-based representatives make of the American Revolution?

In this episode, we …

161 Smuggling and the American Revolution

November 21st, 2017

1:21:39

At the end of the French and Indian, or Seven Years’ War in 1763, Great Britain claimed that smuggling was a BIG problem in its North American …

160 The Politics of Tea

November 14th, 2017

1:30:57

How did early Americans go from hosting social tea parties to hosting protests like the Boston Tea Party?

Tea played a central role in the economic, …

159 The Revolutionary Economy

November 7th, 2017

50:49

How much merit do the economic factors behind the cry “No Taxation Without Representation” have when we consider the origins of the American …

158 The Revolutionaries' Army

October 31st, 2017

1:45:03

Between 1775 and 1783, an estimated 230,000 men served in the Continental Army with another approximately 145,000 men serving in state militia units.

Who were the men who served in these military ranks? What motivated …

157 The Revolution's African American Soldiers (Doing History Rev)

October 24th, 2017

53:33

Between 1775 and 1783, an estimated 230,000 men served in the Continental Army with another approximately 145,000 men serving in state militia units.

But who were the men who served in these military ranks? What …

156 Power of the Press in the American Revolution (Doing History Rev)

October 17th, 2017

1:21:52

How did Americans find out about the Revolution?

What effect did printed materials like newspapers, pamphlets, and books have on shaping the debate …

155 Pauline Maier's American Revolution (Doing History Rev)

October 10th, 2017

1:24:48

How much can the work of one historian impact how we view and study the American Revolution?

We investigate the answer to this question by exploring …

154 The Freedoms We Lost (Doing History Rev)

October 3rd, 2017

1:09:25

Declaring independence from Great Britain required the formation of new governments.

But why did Americans want and need new governments? And how did …

153 Committees and Congress: Governments of the American Revolution (Doing History Rev)

September 26th, 2017

1:39:20

How did the American revolutionaries organize and coordinate local, provincial, and intercolonial action?

How did the revolutionaries form …

152 Origins of the American Revolution (Doing History Rev)

September 19th, 2017

51:55

What caused the American Revolution?

Was it the issue of ‘No Taxation without Representation?’ Was it conflict and change in the social order of …

151 Defining the American Revolution (Doing History Rev)

September 12th, 2017

52:05

What do we mean by the American Revolution?

How do we define it? Was it a war? Was it a movement? Was it a series of movements?

The Doing History: To …

150 Abigail Adams: Revolutionary Speculator

September 5th, 2017

1:01:21

Abigail Adams lived through and participated in the American Revolution. As the wife of John Adams, she used her position to famously remind Adams …

149 Benjamin Franklin in London

August 29th, 2017

55:25

Over the course of his long life, Benjamin Franklin traveled to and lived in London on two different occasions. The first time he went as a teenager. …

148 Betsy Ross

August 22nd, 2017

47:33

How did everyday men and women experience life in the colonial America?

How did the American Revolution transform their work and personal lives?

147 British Soldiers, American War

August 15th, 2017

46:30

What about the British Redcoats?

When we discuss the military history of the American War for Independence, we tend to focus on specific battles or details about the men who served in George Washington’s Continental …

146 George Washington's Revolution

August 8th, 2017

51:32

What drove George Washington to become a Patriot during the American Revolution?

How did he overcome the ill-trained and inexperienced troops, …

145 Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution

August 1st, 2017

1:00:40

Mercy Otis Warren wasn’t your typical early American woman. She was a woman with strong political viewpoints, which she wrote about and published for …

144 The Common Cause of the American Revolution

July 25th, 2017

54:50

How do you get people living in thirteen different colonies to come together and fight for independence?

What ideas and experiences would even unite …

143 The Making of the United States Constitution

July 18th, 2017

1:07:38

How did the framers draft the Constitution of 1787? What powers does the Constitution provide the federal government? Why do we elect the President …

142 A History of Abolition

July 11th, 2017

57:41

Most histories of American abolitionism begin just before the Civil War, during the Antebellum period. But the movement to end chattel slavery in …

141 A Declaration in Draft (Doing History Rev)

July 4th, 2017

1:17:17

The Declaration of Independence stands first in a series of documents that founded the United States. It also stands as an early step in the long process of establishing a free, independent, and self-governing nation. …

140 Nathaniel Bowditch: 19th-Century Man of Business, Science, and the Sea

June 27th, 2017

53:24

Nathaniel Bowditch worked as a navigator, mathematician, astronomer, and business innovator. Over the course of his lifetime, his fellow Americans …

139 The Other Slavery: Indian Enslavement in the Americas

June 20th, 2017

47:49

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He also played a central role in the European adoption of Indian or Native American slavery.

When we think …

138 Frontier Politics in Early America

June 13th, 2017

47:51

Did you know that Connecticut and Virginia once invaded Pennsylvania?

During the 1760s, Connecticut invaded and captured the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania just as Virginia invaded and captured parts of western …

137 The Washingtons' Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

June 6th, 2017

51:52

George Washington was an accomplished man. He served as a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, first President of the United States, and on top of all that …

136 Material Culture and the Making of America

May 30th, 2017

54:14

What do the objects we purchase and use say about us?

If we take the time to think about the material objects and clothing in our lives, we’ll find that we can actually learn a lot about ourselves and other people. The …

135 Moral Commerce: The Transatlantic Boycott of the Slave Labor Economy

May 23rd, 2017

41:38

If early Americans desired slaves mostly to produce sugarcane, cotton, rice, indigo, and tobacco, what would happen if Europeans and early Americans …

134 Pulpit and Nation: Clergymen and the Politics of Revolutionary America

May 16th, 2017

51:10

In Colonial America, clergymen stood as thought leaders in their local communities. They stood at the head of their congregations and many community …

133 The Nat Turner Revolt

May 9th, 2017

59:01

The institution of African slavery in North America began in late August 1619 and persisted until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in December 1865.

Over those 246 years, …

132 Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of the Empire

May 2nd, 2017

37:00

When we explore the history of early America, we often look at people who lived and the events that took place in North America. But what about the …

131 Thomas Jefferson's Empire of Liberty

April 25th, 2017

50:44

The United States has a complicated history when it comes to ideas of empire and imperialism. Since it’s earliest days, the United States has wanted the power that came with being an empire even while declaring its …

130 Paul Revere's Ride Through History (Doing History Rev)

April 18th, 2017

1:31:41

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode to Lexington, Massachusetts to spread the alarm that the Regulars were marching. Revere made several important …

129 The Road to Concord, 1775

April 11th, 2017

54:38

How did the colonists of Massachusetts go from public protests meant to shame government officials and destroy offending property, to armed conflict …

128 American Revolutions: A Continental History

April 4th, 2017

48:25

Historians often portray the American Revolution as an orderly, if violent, event that moved from British colonists’ high-minded ideas about freedom …

127 American Enlightenments

March 28th, 2017

56:27

In many ways, the Enlightenment gave birth to the United States. Enlightened ideas informed protests over imperial governance and taxation and over …

126 The Reintegration of American Loyalists

March 21st, 2017

47:02

What happened to the loyalists who stayed in the United States after the War for Independence?

After the war, 60,000 loyalists and 15,000 slaves evacuated the United States. But thousands more opted to remain in the new …

125 Death, Suicide, and Slavery in British North America

March 14th, 2017

38:08

Early America was a diverse place. It contained many different people who had many different traditions that informed how they lived…and died.

How did early Americans understand death? What did they think about suicide?

124 Making the Haitian Revolution in Early America

March 7th, 2017

54:02

What did the American Revolution mean and achieve? What sort of liberty and freedom did independence grant Americans and which Americans should …

123: Revolutionary Allegiances (Doing History Rev)

February 28th, 2017

1:34:07

In December 1773, the Cape Cod Tea Crisis revealed that the people of “radical” Massachusetts were far from united in their support for the American …

122 The Men Who Lost America

February 21st, 2017

47:20

Did the Americans win the War for Independence? Or did the British simply lose the war?

The history of the American War for Independence is complicated. And history books tell many different versions of the event, which …

121 The Dutch Moment in the 17th-Century Atlantic World

February 14th, 2017

39:38

The Spanish, French, and English played large roles in the origins of colonial America. But so too did the Dutch. During the 17th century, they had a …

120 A History of Mail Order Brides in Early America

February 7th, 2017

51:54

How do you build colonies without women?

Most of the colonial adventurers from England and France who set out for Jamestown, New France, and colonial …

119 The Heart of the Declaration

January 31st, 2017

54:27

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved that the Second Continental Congress resolve “that these United Colonies are, and of right out …

118 The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island

January 24th, 2017

55:59

How did the smallest colony and smallest state in the union became the largest American participant in the slave trade?

Christy Clark-Pujara, an …

117 The Life and Ideas of Thomas Jefferson

January 17th, 2017

46:18

Thomas Jefferson wrote about liberty and freedom and yet owned over six hundred slaves during his lifetime.

He’s a founder who many of us have a hard time understanding.

This why we need an expert to lead us through his …

116 Disease & The Seven Years' War

January 10th, 2017

45:37

When we think of the French and Indian, or Seven Years’ War, we often think of battles: The Monongahela, Ticonderoga, Québec. Yet, wars aren’t just about battles. They’re about people and governments too.

In this …

115 The Early American History of Texas

January 3rd, 2017

53:48

Like many states in the south and west, Texas has an interesting early American past that begins with Native American settlement followed by Spanish …

Bonus: History & Historians in the Public (Doing History)

December 30th, 2016

35:25

Throughout the “Doing History: How Historians Work” series we’ve explored how historians find and research historical topics, how they identify and read historical sources for information, and how they publish their …

114 The History of Genealogy (Doing History)

December 27th, 2016

48:46

History has a history and genealogy has a history. And the histories of both affect how and why we study the past and how we understand and view it.

Today, we explore why it’s important for us to understand that the …

113 Building the Empire State

December 20th, 2016

46:47

After seven, long years of occupation, Americans found New York City in shambles after the British evacuation on November 25, 1783.

Ten to twenty-five percent of the city had burned in 1776. The British used just about …

112 The Tea Crisis of 1773 (Doing History Revolution)

December 13th, 2016

45:53

On December 16, 1773, the colonists of Boston threw 342 chests of English East India Company tea into Boston Harbor, an act we remember as the …

111 India in the Making of Britain and America, 1700-1830

December 6th, 2016

51:23

Neither colonial North America nor the United States developed apart from the rest of the world. Since their founding, both the colonies and the …

110 How Genealogists Research (Doing History)

November 29th, 2016

45:05

History tells us who we are and how we came to be who we are.

Like history, genealogy studies people. It’s a field of study that can tell us who we are in a more exact sense by showing us how our ancestral lines connect …

109 The American Enlightenment & Cadwallader Colden

November 22nd, 2016

54:11

We’ve heard that the American Revolution took place during a period called “the Enlightenment.” But what was the Enlightenment?

Was it an …

108 The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright

November 15th, 2016

48:49

Colonial America comprised many different cultural and political worlds. Most colonial Americans inhabited just one world, but today, we’re going to …

107 Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention

November 8th, 2016

51:00

When politicians, lawyers, and historians discuss the Constitutional Convention of 1787, they often rely on two sources: The promotional tracts …

106 The World of John Singleton Copley

November 1st, 2016

50:39

What can the life of an artist reveal about the American Revolution and how most American men and women experienced it?

Today, we explore the life …

105 How Historians Publish History (Doing History)

October 25th, 2016

54:26

What do historians do with their research once they finish writing about it?

How do historians publish the books and articles we love to read?

This episode of our “Doing History: How Historians Work” series, takes us …

104 The Saltwater Frontier

October 18th, 2016

52:11

When we think of Native Americans, many of us think of inland dwellers. People adept at navigating forests and rivers and the skilled hunters and horsemen who lived and hunted on the American Plains.

But did you know …

103 James Monroe & His Estate Highland

October 11th, 2016

46:51

On April 30, 1789, George Washington became the first President of the United States. Between 1789 and 1825, five men would serve as president. Four …

102 George Rogers Clark

October 4th, 2016

41:04

In the Treaty of Paris, 1783, Great Britain offered the new United States generous terms that included lands in between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River.

Why did the biggest empire with the greatest …

101 How Historians Write About History (Doing History)

September 27th, 2016

44:49

How do historians write about the people, places, and events they’ve studied in historical sources?

We continue our “Doing History: How Historians Work” series by investigating how historians write about history. Our …

100 Behind-the-Scenes with Liz Covart & Ben Franklin's World

September 20th, 2016

38:02

Wow! Ben Franklin’s World has made it to episode 100.

How do we celebrate and mark this special occasion?

By your request, host Liz Covart answers your questions about history, podcasting, and time travel.

Show Notes:

099 Pirates & Pirate Nests in the British Atlantic World

September 13th, 2016

44:24

Pirates are alive and well in our popular culture. Thanks to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and television shows like Black Sails, we see …

098 Birth of the American Tax Man

September 6th, 2016

48:16

Could customs collectors, the tax men of early America, be the unsung founders of the early United States?

Today, we explore the creation of the …

097 How to Organize Your Research (Doing History)

August 30th, 2016

46:31

What do historians do with all of the information they collect when they research?

How do they access their research in a way that allows them to …

096 The Origins of Racial Segregation in the United States

August 23rd, 2016

1:02:56

Ever wonder how the United States’ problem with race developed and why early American reformers didn’t find a way to fix it during the earliest days …

095 A Tale of Two Bostons

August 16th, 2016

38:48

The City Upon a Hill. The Athens of America. The Cradle of Liberty.

Boston has many names because it has played important roles in the history of …

094 Founding Friendships

August 9th, 2016

42:36

Who are you friends with?

Why are you friends with your friends?

In the early American republic, men and women formed and maintained friendships for many of the same reasons we make friends today: companionship, shared …

093 Harvard University & Colonial North America

August 2nd, 2016

43:54

What can the collections of the Harvard University Libraries teach us about our early American past?

It turns out, quite a lot.

Taylor Stoermer, a …

092 How to Research History Online (Doing History)

July 26th, 2016

53:37

How do historians conduct research online? This is your second-most asked question after how did everyday people live their day-to-day lives in early America.

As the “Doing History” series explores how historians work, …

091 Rumors, Legends, & Hoaxes in Early America

July 19th, 2016

42:23

Did you know that George Washington’s favorite drink was whiskey?

Actually, it wasn’t.

Washington preferred Madeira, a fortified Portuguese wine from the island of Madeira. Why the false start to today’s exploration of …

090 Age of American Revolutions

July 12th, 2016

44:34

The American Revolution inspired revolutions in France, the Caribbean, and in Latin and South America between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries.

089 Slavery & Freedom in Early Maryland

July 5th, 2016

48:51

How do you uncover the life of a slave who left no paper trail?

What can her everyday life tell us about slavery, how it was practiced, and how some slaves made the transition from slavery to freedom?

Today, we explore …

088 The History of History Writing (Doing History)

June 28th, 2016

48:40

Historians rely on secondary historical sources almost as much as they rely on primary historical sources.

But what are secondary historical sources and how do they help historians know what they know about the past?

087 Shays' Rebellion

June 21st, 2016

44:13

After achieving independence from Great Britain, the new United States and its member states had to pay war debts. As the national government lacked the power to tax its citizens, the problem of paying war debts fell to …

086 Benjamin Franklin in London

June 14th, 2016

51:07

Over the course of his long life, Benjamin Franklin traveled to and lived in London twice. The first time he went as a teenager. The second as a man …

085 American Loyalists in Canada

June 7th, 2016

42:46

The War for Independence was a conflict between Great Britain and her 13 North American colonies. It was also a civil war.

Not only did the war pit …

084 How Historians Read Historical Sources (Doing History)

May 31st, 2016

49:31

What do historians do with historical sources once they find them?

How do they read them for information about the past?

Today, Zara Anishanslin, an …

083 Unfreedom: Slavery in Colonial Boston

May 24th, 2016

40:11

Colonial Bostonians practiced slavery. But slavery in Boston looked very different than slavery in the American south or in the Caribbean.

Today,

082 Information & Communication in the Early American South

May 17th, 2016

40:18

We live in an age of information. The internet provides us with 24/7 access to all types of information—news, how-to articles, sports scores, entertainment news, and congressional votes.

But what do we do with all of …

081 After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence

May 10th, 2016

37:04

When did the fighting of the American War for Independence end?

In school we learn that the war came to an end at Yorktown. But, this lesson omits …

080 Liberty's Prisoners: Prisons & Prison Life in Early America

May 3rd, 2016

35:24

American prisons are overcrowded. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and nearly 2.5 million Americans are serving …

079 What is a Historical Source? (Doing History)

April 26th, 2016

49:41

Historians research the past through historical sources.

But what are the materials that tell historians about past peoples, places, and events?

Today, James Horn, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the …

078 Washington Brotherhood: Politics, Social Life, and the Coming of the Civil War

April 19th, 2016

44:22

The United States is in midst of a political and cultural divide.

The last time the United States faced this deep of a division, the nation descended …

077 The Oregon Trail

April 12th, 2016

45:14

Do you have what it takes to be a pioneer?

If offered the opportunity, would you undertake a journey across the Oregon Trail in a mule-pulled covered …

076 Citizen Sailors: Becoming American in the Age of Revolution

April 5th, 2016

46:13

What did it mean to be a citizen during the late-18th and early-19th centuries?

Why and how did early American sailors seem intent on proving their citizenship to the United States?

In this episode, we explore …

075 How Archives Work (Doing History)

March 29th, 2016

54:17

Historians research history in archives.

But how do you gain access to one? And how do you use an archive once you find that it likely contains the information you seek?

In this third episode of our “Doing History: How …

074 Martha Washington

March 22nd, 2016

34:55

George Washington stands as one of the most famous Americans in history, but what do we know of his helpmeet and partner, Martha?

Who was the woman who stood beside and encouraged Washington?

How did she assist him as …

073 The Bible in Early America

March 15th, 2016

50:56

What role did the Bible play in the development of British North America and the early United States?

How did the settlement of numerous religious …

072 The American Civil War

March 8th, 2016

45:17

The American Civil War took place over 150 years ago.

The war claimed over 600,000 American lives and its legacy affects the way present-day Americans view civil rights and race relations.

The Civil War stands as an …

071 Saratoga and Hubbardton, 1777

March 1st, 2016

56:23

Historians refer to the Battle of Saratoga as the “turning point” of the American Revolution.

They argue the Patriot Army’s defeat of British General …

070 How Historians Research (Doing History)

February 23rd, 2016

43:32

How did enslaved African and African American women experience slavery?

What were their daily lives like?

And how do historians know as much as they do about enslaved women?

Today, we explore the answers to these …

069 Law, Order, and Sexual Misconduct in Colonial New England

February 16th, 2016

49:06

Law and order stood as a sign of civilization for many 17th-century Europeans, which is why some of the first European settlers in North America created systems of law and order in their new homeland.

Today, we explore …

068 Founders' Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln

February 9th, 2016

47:54

Abraham Lincoln grew up as the son of a poor farmer. Yet, he became the 16th President of the United States.

How did the son of a poor farmer achieve …

067 An Environmental History of Early California & Hawaii

February 2nd, 2016

48:09

Aside from nice weather, what do California and Hawaii have in common?

Spanish longhorn cattle.

Today, we explore how Spanish longhorn cattle influenced the early American and environmental histories of California and …

066 How Historians Find Their Research Topics (Doing History)

January 26th, 2016

43:34

How did average, poor, and enslaved men and women live their day-to-day lives in the early United States?

Today, we explore the answers to that …

Bonus: Why Historians Study History (Doing History)

January 22nd, 2016

26:01

History is about people, but what do we know about the people behind history’s scenes?

Who are the people who tell us what we know about our past?

How do they come to know what they know?

Today, we begin our year-long …

065 Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Network

January 19th, 2016

41:11

Today, we explore espionage during the American Revolution and the origins and operations of the Culper Spy Ring with Alexander Rose, author of

064 Native American Slavery in New France

January 12th, 2016

56:53

Most early Americans practiced chattel slavery: the practice of treating slaves as property that people could buy, sell, trade, and use as they would …

063 Ruin Nation: Destruction and the American Civil War

January 5th, 2016

55:46

The American Civil War claimed more than 620,000 American lives.

Did you know that it also cost American forests, landscapes, cities, and institutions?

Today, we explore the different types of ruination wrought by the …

062 The Bill of Rights

December 29th, 2015

48:09

Did you know that when James Madison originally proposed the Bill of Rights, it consisted of 36 amendments and that the House of Representatives did not want to consider or debate Madison’s proposed amendments to the …

061 George Washington in Retirement

December 22nd, 2015

54:24

If you had only six years to enjoy retirement what would you do?

Would you improve your plantation? Build canals? Or work behind-the-scenes to unite …

060 Braddock's Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution

December 15th, 2015

56:12

Did Washington really start the French and Indian War?

Why should we remember a battle that took place over 260 years ago?

In this episode, we …

059 Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad

December 8th, 2015

42:12

Between the 1830s and 1860s, a clandestine communications and transportation network called the “Underground Railroad” helped thousands of slaves escape to freedom.

Today, we will investigate and explore this secret …

058 Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution

December 1st, 2015

33:14

Why do we refer to the men who founded the United States as the “founding fathers?”

Why do we choose to remember the American Revolution as a …

057 War, Money, and the American State, 1783-1867

November 24th, 2015

48:33

Do you know what we have in common with our early American forebears?

Taxes.

As Benjamin Franklin stated in 1789, “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Given the certainty of taxes it seems important that we …

056 The Anglo-Cherokee War, 1759-1761

November 17th, 2015

43:28

Between 1754 and 1763, North Americans participated in the French and Indian War; a world war Europeans call the Seven Years’ War.

As this world war …

055 John Jay: Forgotten Founder

November 10th, 2015

42:30

Who was John Jay?

Jay played important and prominent roles during the founding of the United States and yet, his name isn’t one that many would list …

054 American Exceptionalism: The History of an Idea

November 3rd, 2015

52:24

The United States is a diverse nation of immigrants and their ancestors. With such diversity, and no one origination point for its people, how do we describe what the United States is and what its people stand for?

What …

053 The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

October 27th, 2015

44:36

Do you believe in the supernatural? In ghosts, zombies, or perhaps witches?

Today we celebrate All Hallows Eve with an exploration of the specters and witches that haunted 17th-century Massachusetts.

Our guide for this …

052 Diplomacy in Black and White: Early United States-Haitian Relations

October 20th, 2015

48:51

Much like the United States, the colonists of Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti) sought their independence from France by fighting a war and waging a …

051 Frontier Seaport: A History of Early Detroit

October 13th, 2015

53:33

Located 600 miles inland from Philadelphia and over 700 miles from Québec City, early Detroit could have been a backwater, a frontier post that …

050 Betsy Ross and the Making of America

October 6th, 2015

44:04

How did every day men and women experience life in colonial America?

How did the American Revolution transform their work and personal lives?

Today, …

049 How the English Became American

September 29th, 2015

40:49

Why did England want to establish colonies in North America and how did Englishmen go about establishing them?

We explore the early days of English …

048 Dangerous Guests; Enemy Captives During the War for Independence

September 22nd, 2015

40:51

When we think about the War for American Independence many of us conjure images of Washington crossing the Delaware, Cornwallis’ surrender at …

047 Christian Imperialism: Converting the World in the Early American Republic

September 15th, 2015

48:27

Where did the United States fit within the world between 1810 and 1847?

After the United States secured its independence from Great Britain, many Americans looked at the world and wondered about their place within it.

046 Whirlwind: The American Revolution & the War That Won It

September 8th, 2015

56:27

What caused the American Revolution?

Can we use the term “American Revolution” to describe both the revolution and the War for Independence?

What was …

045 Joseph Smith and the Founding of Mormonism

September 1st, 2015

43:46

Many Americans associate the state of Utah with Mormons.

But did you know the Mormons almost settled in Texas?

Spencer McBride, an editor with the Joseph Smith Papers Documentary Editing Project, joins us to explore the …

044 The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement

August 25th, 2015

48:11

Do you know which early American reform movement pushed for abolition, women’s rights, pacifism, and economic growth?

Today, Adam Shprintzen, …

043 Rum Maniacs: Alcoholic Insanity in the Early Republic

August 18th, 2015

52:30

How and when did doctors become respected professionals in American society?

The answer lies in early Americans’ fascination with delirium tremens, …

Bonus: The Boston Stamp Act Riots

August 14th, 2015

46:31

“No Taxation Without Representation!”

August 14, 2015 marks the 250th anniversary of the first Boston Stamp Act riot.

Today’s bonus episode commemorates the anniversary with a conversation about the Stamp Act, the …

042 A History of the Republican Party

August 11th, 2015

1:07:50

Is the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln?

The United States has entered presidential primary season, which means it won’t be long before …

041 Canada and the American Revolution

August 4th, 2015

45:03

Did Canada almost join the American Revolution?

In September 1775, Major-General Philip Schuyler launched the Patriot’s invasion into Canada. The …

040 For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington & the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789

July 28th, 2015

43:49

Today we address the President of the United States as “Mr. President.” But did you know that the proper title for the office was almost “His …

039 The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding

July 21st, 2015

51:06

The American Revolution was a revolution against Parliament not a king.

This is the idea offered by Eric Nelson in his new book The Royalist …

038 Magna Carta & Its Gifts to North America

July 14th, 2015

50:33

Are you ready to time travel?

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a document created to limit the powers of King John of England and his successors in 1215.

Today, Magna Carta and its four key principles …

037 Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution

July 7th, 2015

45:02

What battle proved to be the turning point of the American War for Independence?

If you answered Saratoga, you are in general agreement with most …

036 Competing Visions of Empire

June 30th, 2015

51:23

How and where did the colonies of North America and the Caribbean fit within the British Empire?

The answer to this question depends on whether you …

Bonus: Lafayette & the Hermione

June 26th, 2015

29:01

Who was the Marquis de Lafayette? How did he make the Patriots’ success in the American Revolution possible? And why did a group known as the Friends …

035 Historic Hudson Valley and Washington Irving

June 23rd, 2015

37:40

Washington Irving was an historian and writer. Some historians and biographers have called him the first great American author. 

Today, Michael Lord, Director of Education at Historic Hudson Valley, joins us to explore …

034 Andrew Jackson, Southerner

June 16th, 2015

50:07

The Hero of New Orleans. Old Hickory. General. President of the United States. Andrew Jackson held and embodied all of these titles and nicknames. 

033 George Washington and His Library

June 9th, 2015

58:29

When you think about George Washington, what image comes to mind?

Washington the general?

Washington the president?

Perhaps, Washington the gentleman farmer of Mount Vernon?

But did you know that George Washington loved …

032 One Colonial Woman's World

June 2nd, 2015

51:05

What was everyday life like for average men and women in early America?

Listeners ask this question more than any other question and today we …

031 Benjamin Franklin and the Papers of Benjamin Franklin Editorial Project

May 26th, 2015

50:23

Benjamin Franklin’s life spanned almost the entire 18th century. 

Between his birth on January 17, 1706 and his death on April 17, 1790, Franklin lived well-traveled and accomplished life.

Michael D. Hattem, research …

030 Rally the Scattered Believers: Northern New England's Religious Geography

May 19th, 2015

1:01:37

You may know the stereotype of the “busibody New Englander,” the person who knows all about their neighbors’ private affairs. 

This stereotype comes from the New England town-church ideal: The idea that ministers and …

029 The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army

May 12th, 2015

54:47

Can you name the battle that took place between the United States Army and the Miami Confederacy on November 4, 1791?

It's a trick question. You …

Bonus: We Are One: Mapping America's Road from Revolution to Independence

May 8th, 2015

40:55

What can maps tell us about the past? 

How do maps affect the way we view events such as the American Revolution?

The Norman B. Leventhal Map …

028 Building the Erie Canal

May 5th, 2015

42:45

A “little short of madness.” That is how Thomas Jefferson responded when two delegates from New York approached him with the idea to build the Erie Canal in January 1809. 

Jefferson’s comment did not discourage New …

027 A History of Stepfamilies in Early America

April 28th, 2015

42:52

What do George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln have in common?

They all grew-up in blended or stepfamilies. 

Lisa Wilson, the …

026 Washington's Revolution

April 21st, 2015

48:24

What drove George Washington to become a Patriot during the American Revolution?

How did he overcome the ill-trained and inexperienced troops, …

025 Inventing George Whitefield

April 14th, 2015

45:33

Do you know who George Whitefield was?

George Whitefield stood as one of the most visible figures in British North America between the 1740s and 1770. He was a central figure in the trans-Atlantic revivalist movement …

Bonus: Longfellow's Wayside Inn

April 10th, 2015

27:01

In this bonus episode, we explore a listener requested topic of colonial inns and taverns by investigating the history of the oldest inn still in …

024 18th-Century Fashion and Material Culture

April 7th, 2015

57:46

What can John Hancock’s suit tell you about the man who wore it?

The clothing a person wears tells you a lot about them: Whether they are rich or …

023 Early American History with the JuntoCast

March 31st, 2015

1:03:44

Have you ever wondered what happens when four historians get together to talk about early American history?

In this episode, we chat with three young and promising historians of early America: Michael Hattem, Roy Rogers

022 Deborah Read Franklin & Sally Franklin Bache: Benjamin Franklin's Women

March 24th, 2015

49:39

Have you heard the saying that behind every great man stands a great woman?

Vivian Bruce Conger, the Robert Ryan Professor in the Humanities at …

021 Smuggling in Colonial America & Living History

March 17th, 2015

59:46

Do you know that John Hancock was a smuggler?

Smuggling presented a large problem for the imperial governments of Great Britain and France during the …

020 Four Steeples Over the City Streets

March 10th, 2015

49:42

Have you ever wondered about how early American men, women, and slaves worshipped?

Religion played a large role in why some Europeans settled in …

019 The Colonial Boston Marketplace

March 3rd, 2015

47:05

Have you ever wondered where colonial Americans purchased their food?

Although many colonial Americans lived in rural areas or on farms where they …

018 Our Declaration

February 24th, 2015

46:33

Do you know who authored the Declaration of Independence?

If you answered “Thomas Jefferson,” you would be wrong. Jefferson merely wrote the first …

017 When the United States Spoke French

February 17th, 2015

52:06

Parlez-vous Français? 

Do you speak French?

Believe it or not in the 1790s many Americans spoke French. They may not have spoken the French language, …

016 The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832

February 10th, 2015

42:20

The United States claimed victory in the War of 1812, but did you know that the British nearly won the war by promising freedom to escaped slaves in …

015 Round About the Earth: Circumnavigation from Magellan to Orbit

February 3rd, 2015

42:53

In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue as part of the great European quest to find new routes and shortcuts to the spice islands and …

014 West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776

January 27th, 2015

41:11

Did you know that Russian activities in North America caused the Spanish to colonize California?

When we think of North America in 1776, our minds …

013 Charity & Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America

January 20th, 2015

54:03

We tend to view gay marriage as a cultural and legal development of the 21st century. 

But did you know that some early Americans lived openly in …

012 True Yankees: The South Seas and the Discovery of American Identity

January 13th, 2015

47:39

Did you know that Americans undertook their first trade mission to China in February 1784?

In fact, a mercantile partnership led by Robert Morris sent the Empress of China, a 360 ton ship to Canton, China one month and …

011 The Woodlands Historic Site of Philadelphia

January 6th, 2015

42:11

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plays host to many historic sites associated with our early American history: Carpenters Hall, Independence Hall, and the …

010 British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution

December 30th, 2014

43:09

What about the British Redcoats?

When we discuss the military history of the American War for Independence, we tend to focus on specific battles or details about the men who served in George Washington’s Continental …

009 Delicious December

December 16th, 2014

41:02

 “’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house/ Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse./ The stockings were hung by the …

008 Final Passages: The Intercolonial Slave Trade of British America, 1619-1807

December 2nd, 2014

45:17

The Middle Passage forced millions of African men, women, and children to migrate across the Atlantic Ocean, but did you know that there existed an even more deadly voyage for slaves?

For many Africans the journey into …

007 John Adams & The Adams Papers Editorial Project

November 18th, 2014

54:59

The United States declared independence from Great Britain in July 1776, but the King and Parliament of Great Britain did not recognize this …

006 At the Point of a Cutlass

November 4th, 2014

38:20

Arrr, so ye like pirates do ye?

Did ye know that as much as 33% of pirate crews were made up of captured seamen, not pirates?

We’ll be talking about …

005 Revolutionary Medicine

October 21st, 2014

36:40

You likely know the names of George and Martha Washington, John and Abigail Adams, and James and Dolley Madison, as the names of a few of the …

004 Sex and the Founding Fathers

September 30th, 2014

31:38

Did you know that most biographies about the founders of the United States reveal more about the Americans who wrote the biographies than about the true character of the founders themselves?

Thomas A. Foster, …

003 Future of the Library Company of Philadelphia

September 28th, 2014

37:32

Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731. Today, you can visit his library and its amazing collections, which begs the …

002 Exhibitions at the Library Company of Philadelphia

September 28th, 2014

22:44

Have you ever walked through a museum and wondered why its staff chose to feature the artifacts you saw?

Cornelia King, Chief of Reference at the Library Company of Philadelphia discusses “That’s So Gay: Outing Early …

001 History of the Library Company of Philadelphia

September 27th, 2014

40:42

Dd you know that Ben Franklin founded the first successful lending library in North America?

With James N. Green, Librarian at the Library Company of …

000 Ben Franklin's World with Liz Covart

September 27th, 2014

7:16

Host Liz Covart welcomes you to Ben Franklin's World: A Podcast About Early American History. Liz describes the show and reveals what what you can expect to discover in future episodes. 

Show Notes: 

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