BFW Revisited: Running from Bondage in Revolutionary America
Release Date: 02/04/2025
Ben Franklin's World
This month, we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the βshot heard round the worldβ that ignited the Revolutionary War. But before those battles, and before the Revolution became a war for independence, it was a movementβa fight to secure more local control over government. And no one worked harder to transform that movement into a revolution than Samuel Adams. To help us investigate, weβre revisiting our conversation from Episode 350 with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams. Stacy's | Show...
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Patrick Henry is one of the most famous voices of the American Revolution. He was known in his own time for his powerful speeches and his unwavering commitment to liberty. But did you know that later in life, Patrick Henry opposed the United States Constitution? Did you know that during the political crisis of 1798/99, George Washington wrote to Patrick Henry and asked him to save the nation? In honor of the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henryβs most famous speech, βGive Me Liberty, or Give Me Death,β award-winning historian joins us to investigate the life and work of Patrick Henry....
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What precisely is the work that mothers do to raise children? Has the nature of mothers, motherhood, and the work mothers do changed over time? , an Associate Professor of History at Western Carolina University, has combed through the historical record to find answers to these questions. Specifically, sheβs sought to better understand the lived and imagined experiences of mothers and motherhood between the 1750s and 1850s. Noraβs | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ REQUEST A TOPIC π¨ π« WHEN YOU'RE READY π©βπ» ...
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Historians use a lot of different sources when they research the past. Many rely on primary source documents, documents that were written by official government bodies or those written by the people who witnessed the events or changes historians are studying. But how do you uncover the voices and stories of people who didnβt know how to write or whose families didnβt preserve much of their writing? , an Associate Professor of History at the University at Albany and author of , ran into this very problem as she sought to recover the lives of Haudenosaunee women. Maeve overcame this...
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In 1738, a cooper named Benedict Arnold petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly for a divorce from his wife Mary Ward Arnold. Benedict claimed that Mary had taken a lover and together they had attempted to murder him with poison. How did this story of love, divorce, and attempted murder unfold? What does it reveal about the larger world of colonial America and the experiences of colonial American men and women? , a Distinguished Professor of History at Fordham University, takes us through the Arnoldsβ story with details from her book, . Elaine's | Show Notes: ...
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When we think of slavery in Early America, we often think about the plantations and economies of the South. But did you know that slavery was also deeply entrenched in New York City? Did you know that Africans and African Americans helped New York City confront slavery, freedom, and racism in the Early American Republic and Antebellum periods? , a professor at Northwestern University and author of , joins us to explore the history of Africans and African Americans in early New York City. Leslieβs | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ REQUEST A...
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What does freedom mean when the deck is stacked against you? In commemoration of Black History Month, weβre revisiting a story that is too often overlooked, but critical to our understanding of Early America. Join , an Associate Professor of History at George Washington University, as we uncover the lives of free people of color in Early America. Warrenβs | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ REQUEST A TOPIC π¨ π« WHEN YOU'RE READY π©βπ» LISTEN π§ π π πΆ CONNECT π¦ π©βπ» π ...
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Did you know that many of the food traditions that define cuisine in the United States today have roots in African culinary traditions and history? Diane Spviey, a culinary historian and author of three culinary history books, joins us to uncover the rich and complex legacy of African and African American foodways and how those foodways helped establish the United States. Dianeβs | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ REQUEST A TOPIC π¨ π« WHEN YOU'RE READY π©βπ» LISTEN π§ π π πΆ CONNECT ...
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What would you risk for freedom? Would you risk your safety? You family? Your life? During the American Revolution, enslaved women faced these impossible choices when the British Army promised freedom to those who dared to escape. In honor of Black History Month, weβre revisiting an extraordinary chapter of resilience and bravery: the stories of enslaved women who seized the chance to chart their own destinies amid the chaos of war. Join for an exploration of enslaved women who self-emancipated during the American Revolution. Karen's | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES ...
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Did you know that John Adams, not George Washington, solidified the precedents of the executive branch and the presidency? an award-winning presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, has written a book . She joins us to investigate the presidency of the United Statesβ second president, John Adams. Lindsayβs | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ π§ REQUEST A TOPIC π¨ π« WHEN YOU'RE READY π©βπ» LISTEN π§ π π πΆ CONNECT π¦ π©βπ» ...
info_outlineWhat would you risk for freedom?
Would you risk your safety? You family? Your life?
During the American Revolution, enslaved women faced these impossible choices when the British Army promised freedom to those who dared to escape. In honor of Black History Month, weβre revisiting an extraordinary chapter of resilience and bravery: the stories of enslaved women who seized the chance to chart their own destinies amid the chaos of war.
Join Karen Cook-Bell for an exploration of enslaved women who self-emancipated during the American Revolution.
Karen's Website | Book |
Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/322
RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES
π§ Episode 137: The Washingtons' Runaway Slave, Ona Judge
π§ Episode 142: A History of Abolition
π§ Episode 157: The Revolution's African American Soldiers
π§ Episode 162: Dunmore's New World
π§ Episode 352: James Forten and the Making of the United States
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