Ep. 077: John Rankin: The Forgotten Founding Father of the American Abolition Movement
Release Date: 06/18/2024
Ep. 087: Our Liberties We Prize: Life in the Hawkeye State
Forgotten America
Chris Ingstad is the President of Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation and an 8th generation Iowan. He joins the Forgotten America podcast to discuss life in Iowa. Chris explains why he hasn’t seriously considered leaving the state despite its harsh winters, and he talks about the food, culture, economy, and heritage of the Hawkeye state. Additional Resources Follow Chris’s work at Iowans for Taxpayer Relief Foundation: Grant Wood and American Gothic: University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop: Field of Dreams: “Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” - Iowa State...
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Ep. 086: Top Horror Films Set in Rural America
Forgotten America
For this Halloween Special, Lyndsey Quinlan, Digital Marketing Associate for the Cardinal Institute, and Jessica Dobrinsky, Staff Writer for the Cardinal Institute, join Garrett Ballengee to discuss horror films set in rural locations. They share their favorites and explore themes of folklore, rural horror, and hicksploitation. They also take a deep dive into what makes a good horror film and look at literary themes, the power of music and lighting in film, human psychology analyzed through film, and some history behind scary movie genres. If you enjoy horror films, and even if you don’t,...
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Ep. 085: Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Part 2
Forgotten America
Emma Ayers, a native of East Tennessee and Religion & Culture Writer with the Washington Times, joins us today for the second half of our discussion of Hurricane Helene disaster recovery. She shares her perspective on the culture, economy, and people of East Tennessee and how they are responding to the unprecedented natural disaster of Hurricane Helene. She also shares a little about mule trains and other non-traditional ways that Appalachians are helping each other in their time of need. Additional Resources: East Tennessee Hurricane Helene Recovery Resources: Tennessee Disaster Recovery...
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Ep. 084: Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Part 1
Forgotten America
(We had some unusual technical difficulties when recording this episode. So please forgive any choppiness that may result – we did what we could to edit it as smoothly as possible.) Brooke Medina, Vice President of Communications for the John Locke Foundation, joins Garrett Ballengee to discuss the impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina and how these Appalachian communities are responding to this unprecedented disaster. Additional Resources: John Locke Foundation: Samaritan’s Purse: Baptists on Mission: Cajun Navy: Donate to Hurricane Helene Refief: Shop to Support...
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Ep. 083: Are there any Scandinavians Lefse in Minnesota?
Forgotten America
Shawn Peterson, President of Catholic Education Partners and long-time resident of Minnesota, joins this episode of the Forgotten America podcast to weigh in on the selection of Tim Walz as the Democratic VP nominee. He also shares about the political history of Minnesota and its cultural history and shifts. If you’re curious about the Upper Midwest and its Scandinavian roots, Garrett’s discussion with Shawn will be enlightening. Mentioned in this Episode: Red Wing boots from Minnesota Minnesota Iron Range: beautiful old towns up there that have fallen into disrepair, very...
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Ep. 082: Is Values-Based Education Still Relevant Today?
Forgotten America
Dr. Barker is the President of Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina and joins us today to talk about current challenges in higher education and the importance of an education that teaches values and not just skills. Fun Fact: his home state is West Virginia, so Garrett kicks off this discussion by asking Dr. Barker about his hometown of Clarksburg. Dr. Barker shares stories about the Italian heritage of West Virginia, his time as a military chaplain, and how he came to work in higher education. If you care about the future of post-secondary education and wonder how we got to a place...
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Ep. 081: What Makes An Appalachian?
Forgotten America
J.D. Vance’s selection as President Trump’s Vice-Presidential running mate has kicked up a renewed firestorm around Vance’s Appalachian bona fides and his book Hillbilly Elegy. Is he legitimately Appalachian? What does it even mean to be Appalachian? In this episode of Forgotten America, Garrett is joined by Anthony Hennen, journalist and fellow Appalachian, to discuss this Vice-Presidential pick and what it might mean for the region. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s Commentary on J.D. Vance J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Follow Anthony’s Work ...
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Ep. 080: Have Men Been Forgotten?
Forgotten America
Daniel Corcoran joins Forgotten America to discuss men’s issues and why he feels our modern culture is leaving men behind. Statistics across a variety of sectors show that men are struggling with mental health, criminality, friendship, overall well-being, purposelessness, and society’s perception of men. Dan & Garrett discuss these issues, how they affect men, and ways we can improve the lives of boys and men. Keep up with Dan’s work: Overcoming the Divide – YouTube Podcast Men of Tomorrow – podcast @dancorcoran28 on Instagram Some Relevant Statistics Mentioned in...
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Ep. 079: What is a Hoosier?: Two Perspectives on Indiana
Forgotten America
Two Hoosiers join the Forgotten America podcast to discuss the differences between two very different regions of Indiana. Sarah Milligan, Assistant Director of Community Engagement for the Institute for Quality Education, and Cesar Roman, Director of Community Engagement, share about life in Hardinsburg, IN and East Chicago, IN — one a rural, southern community and the other a bustling metropolitan satellite of Illinois. It’s clear that despite very different experiences they both love their state. Join us as we learn about the history of Indiana, the variety of cultures represented, and...
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Ep. 078: A McCoy Abroad
Forgotten America
Jacob McCoy (Jake) is from Man, West Virginia in Logan County and a Contributor to the Cardinal’s Nest Blog. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, son, and daughter. Jacob recently took a month-long trip to Ireland with his family. He and Garrett compare notes about their respective European travels and reflect on their homes in two different parts of West Virginia, changing accents, family history, societal trust, the migrant crisis in Ireland, and more. Man WV Athlone, Ireland Read Jake’s latest contribution to the Cardinal’s Nest Blog. Pigouvian tax: ...
info_outlineOriginally from Ripley, Ohio and currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky, Caleb Franz is the Program Manager for Young Voices and the author of The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father. Caleb grew up in the town where John Rankin eventually died and was surrounded by stories of his role in history. He is now writing the authoritative biography on this forgotten founding father of the American abolition movement. He joins Garrett on the Forgotten America podcast to make sure we all remember this previously Forgotten American Hero.
Caleb Franz’s book, The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father Coming Out October 15th! https://www.amazon.com/Conductor-Rankin-Abolitionisms-Essential-Founding/dp/1637589891
Follow Caleb’s work at Young Voices here: https://www.joinyv.org/staff/caleb-franz
De Tocqueville on Slavery along the Ohio River https://voegelinview.com/noble-savages-and-barbarized-slaves-tocqueville-on-native-americans-and-african-americans-in-democracy-in-america/
Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-River-Untold-Underground-Railroad/dp/0684870665
Read more about John Rankin https://rlo.acton.org/archives/125356-the-letters-that-inspired-the-american-abolition-movement.html
Second Great Awakening: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening
John Rankin House https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/john-rankin-house/
John Rankin’s burial place https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8760833/john-rankin
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center https://freedomcenter.org/
Buffalo Trace Bourbon: https://www.rarebourbonshop.com/products/buffalo-trace-bourbon-1-liter
Elijah Craig Bourbon: https://www.rarebourbonshop.com/products/elijah-craig-small-batch-bourbon
Twitter @CalebFranz