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412 The Franklin Stove

Ben Franklin's World

Release Date: 06/03/2025

417 Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan show art 417 Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan

Ben Franklin's World

When we think of early American champions of religious liberty, one name often rises above the rest: Roger Williams. Best known as the founder of Rhode Island and a fierce advocate for the separation of church and state, Williams was a man who defied convention at every turn. He turned down a prestigious post in Boston, challenged Puritan orthodoxy, and was ultimately banished—only to build a new colony rooted in his radical ideas of liberty of conscience and religious toleration. In this episode, we explore the life and legacy of this “nonconformist among nonconformists” with the...

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BFW Revisited: The History of Genealogy show art BFW Revisited: The History of Genealogy

Ben Franklin's World

Why do we trace our family histories? What drives our desire to know who our ancestors were and how we’re connected to past people and events? Genealogy is often seen as a modern pursuit, spurred by DNA tests and online records–but in reality, early Americans were deeply invested in understanding and documenting their familial ties. Their desire to understand these ties, however, extended far beyond sheer curiosity. Last week, in we were joined by Karin Wulf, who shared with us her now-finished project on genealogy and family history in . Karin’s book is built on the research she shared...

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416 Lineage: Genealogy in Early America show art 416 Lineage: Genealogy in Early America

Ben Franklin's World

Have you ever wondered why genealogy captivates so many people? Whether it’s tracing a family tree back generations or holding on to stories told around the dinner table, genealogy offers a powerful sense of connection—a connection that can shape identities, claims of property, and even arguments for freedom. But genealogy isn’t just a modern-day hobby. In early America, genealogy was a deeply consequential practice with social, political, and legal implications. , a Professor of History and the Eighth Director and Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, joins us...

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BFW Revisited: A Declaration in Draft show art BFW Revisited: A Declaration in Draft

Ben Franklin's World

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most iconic documents in United States history. But what do we really know about how it came to be? In our most , historian Emily Sneff helped us explore the Declaration through your questions–questions that revealed just how complex, living, and contested this document still is. So in today’s Revisited episode, we take a listen to the podcast that Emily helped to produce back in 2017: Episode 141: A Declaration in Draft. Originally part of the Omohundro Institute’s Doing History: To the Revolution! Series, this episode features three...

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Lineage Book Preview show art Lineage Book Preview

Ben Franklin's World

Preview of Karin Wulf’s book, In eighteenth-century America, genealogy was more than a simple record of family ties--it was a powerful force that shaped society. Lineage delves into an era where individuals, families, and institutions meticulously documented their connections. Whether driven by personal passion or mandated by churches, local governments, and courts, these records appeared in diverse forms-from handwritten notes and account books to intricate silk threads and enduring stone carvings. You can support Ben Franklin's World and support independent bookstores by purchasing your...

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415 The Many Declarations of Independence show art 415 The Many Declarations of Independence

Ben Franklin's World

When you picture the Declaration of Independence, what comes to mind? Most people envision a single, iconic document–parchment, signatures, maybe even a scene from National Treasure. But what if I told you, the Declaration of Independence isn’t just one document, but many documents? And that each version of the Declaration tells a different story–a story not just about American independence, but about the people who printed, read, preserved, and even re-wrote the Declaration? is one of the leading experts on the Declaration of Independence. She has spent more than a decade...

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414 Queerness and Reputation in Revolutionary America show art 414 Queerness and Reputation in Revolutionary America

Ben Franklin's World

How do we uncover queer lives from the distant past, especially in an era when language and records often erased or obscured them? What did queerness look like in early America, and how might it have intersected with power, religion, and empire on the eve of the American Revolution?  John McCurdy, a Professor of History and Philosophy at Eastern Michigan University and the author of Vicious and Immoral: Homosexuality, the American Revolution, and the Trials of Robert Newburgh, joins us to explore these questions through the remarkable story of British Army Chaplain Robert Newburgh. ...

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413 Dr. Joseph Warren & the Battle of Bunker Hill show art 413 Dr. Joseph Warren & the Battle of Bunker Hill

Ben Franklin's World

June 17, 2025, marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first full-scale battle of what would become the American War for Independence. Although technically a British victory, Bunker Hill proved that colonial soldiers could hold their own against the might of the British Empire. New England militiamen inflicted 1,054 casualties on the British, 50 percent of the British force. The New Englanders sustained 411 casualties that day, including the man who stood at the heart of this battle: Dr. Joseph Warren. Who was Dr. Joseph Warren, and why did he risk his life in the first...

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BFW Revisited: On Juneteenth show art BFW Revisited: On Juneteenth

Ben Franklin's World

Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is nearly upon us, and it offers us the perfect moment for reflection. What do we know about Juneteenth? Where did this holiday begin? And how has it grown from a regional commemoration into a national conversation about freedom, equality, and memory? In this episode, we return to our conversation with in Episode 304. A native Texan and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Annette brings both personal insight and deep historical knowledge to her book which is a rich meditation on Texas history, African American...

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412 The Franklin Stove show art 412 The Franklin Stove

Ben Franklin's World

It might surprise you, but in the 18th century, people across the globe were reckoning with colder-than-usual weather brought on by the Little Ice Age—a centuries-long chill that made heating homes more urgent than ever. At the same time, early Americans were cutting down trees at an unsustainable pace to stay warm. Enter Benjamin Franklin. In this episode, Harvard historian joins us to explore how Franklin tackled this problem by designing five different stove models, and what these innovations reveal about early American science, sustainability, and life with fire. Joyce’s | | Show...

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It might surprise you, but in the 18th century, people across the globe were reckoning with colder-than-usual weather brought on by the Little Ice Age—a centuries-long chill that made heating homes more urgent than ever.

At the same time, early Americans were cutting down trees at an unsustainable pace to stay warm. Enter Benjamin Franklin.

In this episode, Harvard historian Joyce Chaplin joins us to explore how Franklin tackled this problem by designing five different stove models, and what these innovations reveal about early American science, sustainability, and life with fire.

Joyce’s Website | Book |

Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/412
 

RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES

🎧 Episode 015: Round About the Earth: Circumnavigation from Magellan to Orbit
🎧 Episode 086: Benjamin Franklin in London
🎧 Episode 169: The Religious Life of Benjamin Franklin
🎧 Episode 189: The Little Ice Age
🎧 Episode 207: Young Benjamin Franklin
🎧 Episode 397: Native Nations


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