Ben Franklin's World
Ben Franklin’s World is an award-winning podcast about early American history. It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history. It is produced by Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.
info_outline
420 Creating the U.S. Federal Government
09/09/2025
420 Creating the U.S. Federal Government
When we think about the founding of the United States, we often focus on the Constitution, the Founding Fathers, and those first landmark elections. But how did the United States actually build its federal government, the entire apparatus of state that could collect revenue, manage international diplomacy, provide law and order, and extend its reach across a rapidly expanding nation? Who were the people who made that government work? And how did their service to the nation shape what it meant to be an American citizen? , a Professor of History and American Cultural Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and the Founder of the digital project, joins us to explore the remarkable and often overlooked story of how the United States built its federal government between 1789 and 1829. Peter’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/38064870
info_outline
BFW Revisited: Women & the Constitutional Moment of 1787
09/02/2025
BFW Revisited: Women & the Constitutional Moment of 1787
Each September, Constitution Day marks the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. But beyond celebration, this commemoration invites deeper reflection: Whose voices helped shape this foundational document? And who was imagined as part of the political community it created? In honor of Constitution Day and Constitution Month, we’re revisiting a pivotal conversation from Episode 339 with constitutional historian Mary Sarah Bilder. Drawing from her book, Mary challenges us to reconsider who influenced the Constitution and how women publicly engaged with its political possibilities. Join us as we explore: Eliza Harriot’s advocacy for “female genius” and intellectual equality. Why the Constitution’s gender-neutral language mattered. And, the debates over representation, education, and citizenship in 1787 Mary’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/38024455
info_outline
419 The North Carolina Regulator Movement
08/26/2025
419 The North Carolina Regulator Movement
What happens when the very people meant to uphold justice become the ones exploiting it? In 1760s North Carolina, farmers watched sheriffs pocket their tax payments, judges rule in favor of corrupt land speculators, and government officials literally steal their land all while claiming to represent the Crown’s interests. Nathan Schultz, a public historian and the Site Manager at the in North Carolina, joins us to explore the North Carolina Regulator Movement. Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37879440
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The Tory's Wife
08/19/2025
BFW Revisited: The Tory's Wife
Revolutionary upheaval didn't just reshape governments—it transformed daily life for ordinary families across colonial America. In this revisited episode, historian Cynthia Kierner reveals the remarkable story of Jane Spurgin, a woman navigating loyalty, survival, and family obligations in Revolutionary-era North Carolina. Through Jane's experience as a Loyalist's wife, we discover how political conflicts reached into homes and communities, forcing women to make difficult choices between personal safety and family loyalty. As we prepare to explore the North Carolina Regulator Movement, Jane's story illuminates the human cost of colonial resistance and the often-overlooked voices of women caught in the crossfire of revolution. Guest: Cynthia Kierner, Professor of History at George Mason University and author of Cynthia’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37759240
info_outline
418 The Driver's Story
08/12/2025
418 The Driver's Story
We often learn about slavery in early America through broad economic or political terms—cotton, sugar, markets, revolutions. But what happens when we turn our focus to the lived experiences of enslaved people themselves? What did slavery feel and look like on the ground? What did survival look like day to day? And what do we make of the enslaved people who were forced into positions of authority over others, like the plantation drivers who were tasked with extracting labor from their fellow enslaved workers? , an award-winning historian and Professor of History at Xavier University, joins us to investigate plantation slavery and its driving system with details from his book . Randy’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37673955
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The Business of Slavery
08/05/2025
BFW Revisited: The Business of Slavery
When we think about slavery in early America, we often rightfully focus on the human toll–the violence, the exploitation, the dehumanization that defined the institution. But slavery wasn’t just a system of forced labor; it was also a business. Next week, in Episode 418, we’ll be investigating a different facet of the business of slavery: the story of slave drivers–enslaved people who were forced or took up positions of authority over others. To better understand the system slave drivers operated within, I thought we should revisit Episode 281 with historian Caitlin Rosenthal. Caitlin is an Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley. Her book, , won the Simkins Award from the Southern Historical Association and the Economic Historical Society’s First Book Prize. Caitlin’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37640530
info_outline
417 Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan
07/29/2025
417 Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan
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 co-editors of Reading Roger Williams: Rogue Puritans, Indigenous Nations, and the Founding of America: Linford Fisher, Associate Professor of History at Brown University Sheila McIntyre, Professor of History at SUNY Potsdam Julie Fisher, scholar of Native American history Together, they help us uncover: How Williams challenged both church and colonial authority His relationships with Indigenous communities and his work as a translator And why his ideas still matter for understanding religious freedom in America today. Guests' Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37487595
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The History of Genealogy
07/22/2025
BFW Revisited: The History of Genealogy
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 with us in 2016, so I thought it would be fun to return to her first conversation with us about her research so we can see how her thoughts, ideas, and her book project changed over time as she did more research and thinking on the subject. Karin’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37397965
info_outline
416 Lineage: Genealogy in Early America
07/15/2025
416 Lineage: Genealogy in Early America
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 to explore the ways early Americans were interested in their family histories with details from her book, . Karin’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚 *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37334805
info_outline
BFW Revisited: A Declaration in Draft
07/08/2025
BFW Revisited: A Declaration in Draft
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 distinguished scholars: Danielle Allen, Patrick Spero, and Peter Onuf, Together, these scholars reveal that many hands and minds shaped the Declaration of Independence. They also help us dive into some of the document’s contradictions around slavery and equality. Emily’s Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37249210
info_outline
Lineage Book Preview
07/03/2025
Lineage Book Preview
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 book with our Bookshop.org affiliate link: .
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/37248945
info_outline
415 The Many Declarations of Independence
07/01/2025
415 The Many Declarations of Independence
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 researching the Declaration’s origins, and its different copies. She’s the former research manager of the at Harvard, a consulting curator for Revolution 250 exhibits at the and the , and I’m proud to say, she’s is one of our former interns here at Ben Franklin’s World. Emily’s Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36976350
info_outline
414 Queerness and Reputation in Revolutionary America
06/24/2025
414 Queerness and Reputation in Revolutionary America
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. John's EMU | Book Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36975895
info_outline
413 Dr. Joseph Warren & the Battle of Bunker Hill
06/17/2025
413 Dr. Joseph Warren & the Battle of Bunker Hill
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 major battle of the Revolutionary War? What drove this physician, political thinker, and revolutionary leader to become the face of the American Revolution in Boston? Christian Di Spigna, Executive Director of the , joins us to explore these questions and commemorate this important anniversary with details from his book, . Christian’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36974690
info_outline
BFW Revisited: On Juneteenth
06/10/2025
BFW Revisited: On Juneteenth
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 identity, and the long arc of emancipation. Annette’s | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36712625
info_outline
412 The Franklin Stove
06/03/2025
412 The Franklin Stove
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 Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36739685
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The Early History of the U.S. Congress
05/27/2025
BFW Revisited: The Early History of the U.S. Congress
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress, this episode revisits the origins of the United States Congress and how early Americans built a representative government from revolutionary ideals. Historians Matt Wasniewski and Terrence Ruckner of the Office of the Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives join us to explore how Congress evolved from its colonial and revolutionary predecessors into the bicameral legislature established by the Constitution. House History Office Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36564915
info_outline
411 Philadelhpia: An Early History
05/20/2025
411 Philadelhpia: An Early History
Two hundred fifty years ago, in May 1775, delegates from thirteen British North American colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Why was Philadelphia chosen as the seat of Congress? What made the city a critical hub for revolutionary ideas, commerce, and culture? And how has Philadelphia’s early history shaped the broader narrative of American Independence? Paul Kahan, a historian of American political, economic, and urban history, joins us to explore Philadelphia’s early American history with details from his book. , the first comprehensive history book about Philadelphia in over 40 years. Paul’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36513975
info_outline
BFW Revisited: Founding Friendships
05/13/2025
BFW Revisited: Founding Friendships
What did friendship between men and women look like in the decades following the American Revolution? Could emotional closeness and intellectual kinship flourish outside of marriage— and without scandal? In this episode, we revisit our earlier conversation with historian , author of . Building on our recent exploration of love and advice in 1690s England, we take a closer look at how early Americans navigated the shifting social norms of gender, intimacy, and platonic relationships. Cassie’s | Show Notes: REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36486610
info_outline
Ben Franklin's World Trailer
05/08/2025
Ben Franklin's World Trailer
This is a 30-second trailer for Ben Franklin's World.
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36486915
info_outline
410 The World's First Personal Advice Column
05/06/2025
410 The World's First Personal Advice Column
When did people begin seeking anonymous advice for their most profound personal dilemmas? What can the answers to their early questions tell us about the emotional lives of people in the past? We’re traveling back in time to 1690s England to explore the world’s first personal advice column, The Athenian Mercury. This two-sided broadsheet publication invited readers to send in questions about anything–from science and religion to love and marriage– and its creators, a small group of Londoners who dubbed themselves the “Athenian Society,” answered these queries with a surprising blend of wit, morality, and insight. Joining us for this investigation is , the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita at Cornell University and award-winning historian who is a trailblazer in the field of early American women's history. Mary Beth's | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36356355
info_outline
BFW Revisited: Paul Revere's Ride Through History
04/29/2025
BFW Revisited: Paul Revere's Ride Through History
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride is one of the most famous events in American history. On the night of April 18, 1775, Revere set out to warn the Massachusetts countryside that British regulars were marching to seize rebel supplies in Concord. Revere’s name has become legendary, immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. But how much do we really know about Paul Revere beyond that single night? In this revisited episode, we’ll explore the history and memory of Paul Revere. Why has he endured as a national icon, while other revolutionary couriers and figures have faded from public consciousness? How does the story of Revere’s ride illustrate the power of historical memory? And what does Revere’s real life—beyond that one night—tell us about the American Revolution and the ways we remember it? Show Notes: REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35959770
info_outline
409 The Battles of Lexington & Concord, 1775
04/22/2025
409 The Battles of Lexington & Concord, 1775
April 19, 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the moment the American Revolution turned from protest to war. What do we really know about that fateful day? How did the people of Concord prepare for what they faced in April 1775? David Wood, the longtime curator of the Concord Museum and the author of Eyewitness to Revolution: The American Revolution in the Concord Museum, joins us to explore answers to these questions. Concord Museum | | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/36219040
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The Road to Concord
04/15/2025
BFW Revisited: The Road to Concord
April 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. One of the lesser-known catalysts for these battles was the hunt for artillery. The British military, under General Thomas Gage, sought to seize weapons stockpiled by colonial militias, while Massachusetts Patriots scrambled to secure and hide weapons. This tug-of-war over firepower played a crucial role in pushing Massachusetts from political resistance to armed conflict. To better understand how Massachusetts got to this point, we’re revisiting Episode 129: The Road to Concord, with historian J.L. Bell. John is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and the prolific blogger behind Boston 1775.net. John’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35844025
info_outline
408 The Memory of 1776
04/08/2025
408 The Memory of 1776
The American Revolution was more than just a series of events that unfolded between 1763 and 1783, the American Revolution is our national origin story–one we’ve passed down, shaped, and reshaped for the last 250 years. But what do we really mean when we talk about “the Revolution?” Whose Revolution are we remembering? And how has the meaning of 1776 shifted from generation to generation? , a scholar of the American Revolution and historical memory, joins us to discuss the American Revolution and its memory, drawing on details from his new book, . Michael’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 145: Mercy Otis Warren 🎧 Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship & Rivalry of Adams and Jefferson 🎧 Episode 259: American Legal History & the Bill of Rights 🎧 Episode 261: Creating the Fourth Amendment 🎧 Episode 307: History and the American Revolution 🎧 Episode 313: Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette 🎧 Episode 401: Tea, Boycotts, and Revolution REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35959665
info_outline
BFW Revisited: Samuel Adams
04/01/2025
BFW Revisited: Samuel Adams
This month, we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the “shot heard round the world” that ignited the Revolutionary War. But before those battles, and before the Revolution became a war for independence, it was a movement—a 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, we’re revisiting our conversation from Episode 350 with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams. Stacy's | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 E 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35843735
info_outline
407 Patrick Henry
03/25/2025
407 Patrick Henry
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 Henry’s most famous speech, “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death,” award-winning historian joins us to investigate the life and work of Patrick Henry. John's | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35749625
info_outline
BFW Revisited: Motherhood in Early America
03/18/2025
BFW Revisited: Motherhood in Early America
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, she’s sought to better understand the lived and imagined experiences of mothers and motherhood between the 1750s and 1850s. Nora’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35424375
info_outline
406 How Haudenosaunee Women & Fashion Shaped History
03/11/2025
406 How Haudenosaunee Women & Fashion Shaped History
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 didn’t know how to write or whose families didn’t 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 challenge by researching a different type of historical source—the cloth Haudenosaunee women traded for and the clothing they made and wore. Maeve’s | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35544785
info_outline
BFW Revisited: The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder in Colonial Newport
03/04/2025
BFW Revisited: The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder in Colonial Newport
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 Arnolds’ story with details from her book, . Elaine's | Show Notes: RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 📫 WHEN YOU'RE READY 👩💻 LISTEN 🎧 🍎 💚 🎶 CONNECT 🦋 👩💻 🛜 SPONSORS 💼 SAY THANKS 💜 💚
/episode/index/show/benfranklinsworld/id/35424270