Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
Historiansplaining is a college-level history podcast hosted by historian Samuel Biagetti, PhD. The show challenges conventional historical narratives, revealing the forgotten forces that have shaped the world. With over 200 episodes, it offers in-depth, long-form lectures and interviews without commercials. Listeners can explore episodes by topic, location, or timeline on the companion website. The podcast aims to provide a thorough, thought-provoking understanding of history.
Episodes
Newfoundland: The Amphibious Province, 1610-1697
A colony built on cod: We follow how the massive seasonal fishing industry of the 1500s, with its intense competition among Spanish, English, French, Basque, & Portuguese mariners in the frigid North Atlantic waters off of Newfoundland, eventually went ashore and began to construct year-round “plantations” around coves on the rugged shoreline, usually without state involvement or approval. We obs
Excerpt: The Bog Bodies -- sec. 2: Sometimes a Garrote is Just a Garrote
Post on patreon for patrons only for 6 months: We tackle the deepest mystery surrounding the ancient bog bodies: why were people ritually killed and deposited in bogs for millennia? Were they targets of murder, execution, or sacrifice? We analyze the long and tense debate over Britain’s most famous bog body, Lindow Man, who met a brutal end in a bog in Northwest England in the 1st century AD, a
Doorways in Time, pt. 11: The Bog Bodies -- sec. 1: Something Isn't Rotten in the State of Denmark
The most exhaustive survey that you will find of the “Bog Bodies” – the highly preserved human remains, often of ancient Iron-Age people whose lives were ended violently, that have been discovered in wetlands all across northern Europe, from Estonia to Ireland, over the past 250 years. We consider how, when, and why these often shockingly intact bodies have been found, what facts can be gleaned a
Unlocked: The Keys of Heaven & Earth: The History of the Papacy -- pt. 2
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only:
We follow the tribulations of the Papacy through the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation, as the Pope's loyal soldiers in the Jesuit order are expelled from Catholic states and empires, the Church comes under attack in the French Reovlution, and Napoleon takes the Pope prisoner. We then follow the Papacy's gradual recovery of prestige -- through the re
French Canada, pt. 2 -- Envisioning a Province, 1648-1688
We examine how French Canada and its indigenous allies weathered the apocalyptic disasters of the mid-1600s, giving shape in the process to a new, distinctly Canadian form of mystical and penitential piety. We trace how in the 1660s, the new absolutist regime under the young Louis XIV and Colbert took the colony under direct royal rule, investing immense resources into the colonizing venture, paci
French Canada, pt. 1 -- Unlocking the Gates of the Continent, 1608-1648
No other American colony projected such extensive power with so few people. We recount how the French explored the vast northern region they called “Canada” for decades in pursuit of furs and the Northwest Passage, but repeatedly failed to plant a lasting colony in the harsh and forbidding land—until they found in Samuel de Champlain a leader with the shrewdness and grit to overcome the severe col
Unlocked: Italy: Nation-Building Struggles & the Entry Into World War I, 1861-1915
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: We reconstruct the complex divisions and conflicts in Italian society as the new state sought to realize the Risorgimento’s unfulfilled promises of national unity and glory. We observe how the struggles among the Papacy, the Crown, and the powerful socialist movement led to Italy’s momentous decision to break with the Triple Alliance and to enter World War
Excerpt: Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 2: Spinning the National Yarn
For patrons only for 1 year: We trace how the notion of the “industrial revolution” – originally a foreign, Continental idea rooted in German dialectical history – entered into British political discourse and then into sacred national mythology, enshrined by the tourism industry and by Thatcherite politics. Then we examine the evolving debate over whether the alleged revolution was a good or a ba
Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 1: Conceiving a Catastrophe
Dictionaries, textbooks, and encyclopedias routinely write in grave and solemn tones about the “industrial revolution” that reportedly “transformed” society, first in Britain and then in the rest of the globe, giving painful birth to the modern world. Everything from mystical poems to demographic statistics have been martialed to support the idea of a catastrophic upheaval which disrupted what ha
Virginia, pt. 2 -- A Dominion on Fire, 1646-1685
We consider Virginia’s tumultuous rise to wealth and prominence as the so-called “Old Dominion” and one of the largest European settler colonies in the world –from the colony’s dangerous stand in the English Civil War, through the subsequent demographic boom, and the codification of chattel slavery – as all the while, social tensions escalated, with the growing underclass of smallholders and land
Excerpt: Virginia, pt. 1 -- The Successful Failure, 1607-1646
Virginia began from a small, undersupplied wooden fort immersed in a brackish and malarial marsh to become, after 30 years, the largest and most valuable colony in North America, pulling in thousands of indentured workers and African slaves each year and pumping out millions of pounds of tobacco. In achieving this shocking metamorphosis, the colonists had to contend with the Powhatan Confederacy,
Unlocked: History of United States in 100 Objects -- Beaver Fur Hat, 1590-1670
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: A tall “stovepipe” hat, which was made in the 1600s out of felt from beaver fur and likely belonged to a powerful member of the English Parl
A tall “stovepipe” hat, which was made in the 1600s out of felt from beaver fur and likely belonged to a powerful member of the English Parliament, illustrates the extraordinary value of finely made hats, which fueled
The Elizabethan Dream: How England Became a Sea Power
We follow the adventures and the atrocities of the English “sea dogs,” from raiding ports in West Africa and Spanish mule trains in Central America to scrounging for gold in the Canadian tundra, as the Tudor regime exploited England’s expertise in sailing and navigation to undermine the Spanish empire and try to turn the Atlantic into a massive free-trade zone. We uncover why Elizabethan England n
Acadia: First Foothold in the North
We follow the tortuous beginnings of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America -- a string of remote fishing and fur trading outposts, Catholic missions, and French farming villages, which had to withstand a harsh, remote environment, religious and political feuding, a near civil war, and frequent privateer attacks, in order to persist through the seventeenth century and finally begin
History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 25: "Wilkes And Liberty" Cufflink Jewel, 1760s
The riots, protests, and boycotts that broke out in North America in the wake of the Stamp Act were only one part of the mass crisis that beset Great Britain in the 1760s, as the discontented poor and middle classes rallied behind the ideals of liberty and freedom of speech, and around “radical Whig” politicians who challenged the power of the Crown and the London oligarchy – none more so than the
New Mexico: From Prehistory to the Pueblo Revolt
We examine the origins of the first European colony in America north of Florida – New Mexico – from the rise of the Pueblo civilization, which mastered irrigation and “made the desert bloom,” building monumental complexes in arid plains and rocky canyons, through the repeated Spanish incursions in search of seven cities of gold and the construction of a tenuous European colony riven by struggles b
Unlocked -- The Impossible City: The History of Venice -- pt. 3: Metropolis or Museum?
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only:
We trace the struggles of Venice, through conquest, revolution, and depression, to fashion a place for itself in the modern world, to channe
We trace the struggles of Venice, through conquest, revolution, and depression, to fashion a place for itself in the modern world, to channel or keep at bay the new floods -- of rising seas, of diseased canals, and of
Excerpt: The Great Archaeological Discoveries -- Pt. 10: Çatalhöyük
On Patreon for patrons only for 1 year:
It is the only large town that has ever been discovered from the Stone Age, making it one of the most important archaeological finds of all time and a critical prize in the heated debates that have divided the field of archaeology. Its striking artworks have fired the imagination, and its extensive ruins, copious burials, and rich grave goods have filled in
Excerpt: Crucible of the Continent: Central Africa before 1700
Excerpt of a lecture for patrons only for 1 year:
We explore the tumultuous history of Central Africa, embracing the enormous Congo rainforest, the great rift valleys, the Indian Ocean coast, and the gold fields of the Zambezi basin, as formidable kingdoms—Kongo, the Swahili cities, and the mysterious Great Zimbabwe—emerged in the tropical landscape, adapted to the traumatic incursion of the Portu
Cities of Iron & Gold: West Africa Before 1700
We follow the rise of civilization and of powerful empires in West Africa before the slave tade, based upon iron-working and the traffic in gold and salt across the Sahara, followed by the spread of wealth and power southward, towards the gold fields and the tropical forests, and finally the reverberating impacts of the arrival of Portuguese traders on the coast, which paved the way for the rise o
Halloween Reading & Thank you to Patrons
We read ghost-related poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lola Haskins, & Stanley Plumly, as a thank-you to patrons and a meditation on the field of history.
Please sign on as a patron in order to hear patron-only lectures, and to vote in the current poll on the next archaeological discovery for the series, "Doorways in Time": https://www.patreon.com/posts/announcement-in-142272603
Most of my
"I Do Not Need a Lecture from You About Idealism" -- The Political Ideology of RWRB
Audio track from the new video, "Red, White & Royal Blue: A Historian's Analysis -- pt. 4: The Political Ideology of RWRB"--
Intro: Why the Politics of RWRB? – 0:00:30
Sec. 1: Idealism vs. Realism – 0:16:21
Sec. 2: The Hidden Agenda – what is left out of RWRB – 0:52:29
Sec. 3: The Trade Wars – 1:28:25
Sec. 4: The Elusive Democratic Majority – 1:40:09
Conclusions: Power & Pride – 1:47:45
We
UNLOCKED: Myth of the Month 24: The Epic of Gilgamesh -- pt. 2: Analysis
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only --
We examine the Epic of Gilgamesh as a piece of literature, for its strange dream-like style and form, its points of similarity to Biblical and ancient Greek and European mythology, and finally, its deep levels of psychological and political allegory, ultimately revealing the love between Enkidu and Gilgamesh as a parable of the fraught relationship between
UNLOCKED: Myth of the Month 24: The Epic of Gilgamesh -- pt. 1: The History
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only:
He is the earliest human being whose name and life story are known to history. We examine the origins and contents of the most ancient narrative ever found anywhere on Earth, and trace how it has been rediscovered, re-used, and re-translated in the modern world, becoming a living and evolving text in a time of anxiety over the fate of civilization.
Become
Ireland: From Prehistory to the Protestant Ascendancy
We follow how a remote landmass on the far western fringe of Europe became the home of a lasting Gaelic civilization and a major center of classical and Christian knowledge, before coming under attack by Viking raiders and Anglo-Norman invaders. We examine the English Crown’s shifting and increasingly desperate strategies to control Ireland, and the long battle over control of land and religion b
Myth of the Month 25: Nations
Nations: What are they? Are they defined by language, by “culture,” by blood, or something else? How do you know if you are part of one? —and is everyone in the world a member of one nation or another?
We follow how the rise of medieval kingdoms and universities and the print revolution made it possible for people in the West to imagine themselves as part of extended kinship groups united by
The History of Deportation in America -- pt. 2: Expelling the Twentieth Century
We follow how deportation policy has evolved, expanding massively in the aftermaths of World War One and World War Two, while shifting its main targets -- from political radicals and dissidents, to organized criminals, to "undesirable" racial and ethnic groups including Asians and Mexicans. We examine the changing laws and judicial rulings that have carved out an exception for deportation, allowin
UNLOCKED: The Great Archaeological Discoveries, pt. 8 -- The Dead Sea Scrolls
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: The most massive and momentous manuscript discovery of modern times, the Dead Sea Scrolls blew the lid off of the long-mysterious world of messianic and apocalyptic ferment before the destruction of the Second Temple—yet it took decades of conflict and struggle to bring them to public light. We trace why the scrolls became the object of a long international
The History of Deportation in America -- pt. 1: Banishment By Another Name
We examine the roots of the American practice of "deportation" -- from colonial banishment of heretics, through the political upheaval over Alien & Sedition Acts, to the age of Chinese Exclusion -- which paved the way for the federal government to exercise virtually unlimited & absolute power over aliens, whom they placed outside the protection of the Constitution.
Suggested further reading: Kans
Excerpt: The Keys of Heaven & Earth: The History of the Papacy -- pt. 2
For Patrons only for 1 year:
We follow the tribulations of the Papacy through the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation, as the Pope's loyal soldiers in the Jesuit order are expelled from Catholic states and empires, the Church comes under attack in the French Reovlution, and Napoleon takes the Pope prisoner. We then follow the Papacy's gradual recovery of prestige -- through the reactionary r
The Keys of Heaven & Earth: The History of the Papacy -- pt. 1
We follow the paths by which the bishops of Rome – leaders of what had been a small church on the fringe of the Christian world – established themselves as the foremost spiritual leaders of Western Christendom and with time, as supreme heads of the global Catholic Church. We follow the dramatic turns in the Papacy’s fortunes, as Popes alternate between pinnacles of power and prestige, commanding
Update & Excerpt -- Italy: Nation-Building & Entry Into World War I
Update for listeners, and happy Father's Day wishes; excerpt from latest patron-only lecture on Italy between unification and the entry into the First World War.
Please sign up on Patreon to hear the latest lecture and all patron-only materials! -- https://www.patreon.com/posts/italy-nation-war-131082248
Podcast website: www.historiansplaining.com
Image: The Paderno D'Adda hydroelectric power p
UNLOCKED: Origins of the First World War, pt. 13 -- The July Crisis & the Outbreak of War
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: We review the diplomatic landscape of Europe on the eve of war in the summer of 1914—and then trace the dizzying cascade of events that followed after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. We get a handle on the ensuing crisis that ricocheted through embassies, banquet halls, and barracks all across Europe, and plun
Italy: Revolution, Risorgimento, & Unification, 1789-1870
We follow the convulsions of Italian society -- foreign invasion, popular revolution, peasant revolt, liberal reform, Romantic pageantry, diplomatic dirty dealings, and patriotic war -- through which the residents of a fragmented, poor, and backwards section of Europe overthrew the puppet regimes of foreign rulers and challenged the internal power of the Church, to seize control of their own desti
Korea, pt. 2 -- The Perfect Kingdom
We follow Korea's thousand-year struggle to maintain its integrity and independence, fending off cataclysmic invasions by the Mongols, the Manchus, and the samurai of Japan, and repeatedly transforming itself -- from a confederation of Buddhist warrior-nobles, to a strictly Confucian surveillance state, to a fledgling modern industrial nation -- before finally falling to Meiji Japan.
Suggested re
Update & Excerpt -- History of the United States in 100 Obects: Beaver-Fur Hat
I give an update on the progress of the podcast, and an important caution on how to sign up as a patron while avoiding Apple's new fees. I give an excerpt from my latest episode for patrons, "History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 24: Beaver-Fur Stovepipe Hat, ca. 1590-1670" --
On this episode: A tall “stovepipe” hat, which was made in the 1600s out of felt from beaver fur and likely be
Korea, pt. 1 -- Dragons from Small Streams
We examine the origins of the Korean people and state – from prehistoric migrations and technological advances, through the formation of warrior confederations, the rise and fall of the Chinese colony, the tumult and intrigue of the “Three Kingdoms” era, and the arrival of Buddhism, and finally to the unification of most of Korea under the Silla kingdom.
Suggested reading: Han Woo-Keun, “The Hist
Doorways in Time: The Great Archaeological Dicoveries -- 9: Troy -- pt. 2: Cutting the Trojan Knot
We journey through the different eras and incarnations of Troy as archaeologists have reconstructed them from the excavations at Hissarlik. We then explore the surviving evidence -- including linguistic theories, newly discovered tablets from the ancient Hittite capital, and the long-lost and rediscovered "Priam's Treasure" that Schliemann unearthed-- to form a picture of who the Trojans were and
UNLOCKED: Origins of the First World War, pt. 10 -- Japan
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only -- We trace the evolution of Japanese society, including the tensions between its peaceable, Buddhist-inspired aspect and its martial aspect; its extraordinary transformation in the Meiji period, from an antiquated hermit kingdom to a dynamic modern power; and its crucial alliance with its European mirror image, Great Britain – which set the stage for its rol
Doorways in Time: The Great Archaeological Discoveries, 9: Troy -- pt. 1: The Odyssey in Reverse
It is one of the foundational achievements of archaeology, and one of the most momentous discoveries ever made in any field --
We follow the long debate over whether and where the remains of the ancient legendary city of Troy could be found, and we see how the mystery was solved by the excavations overseen by the brilliant, ruthless, and indefatigable German businessman, explorer, and serial liar
Thank you to patrons, & Teaser: The History of Venice, pt. 3: Metropolis or Museum?
A sample from a lecture on Patreon for patrons only for one year:
We trace the strugles of Venice, through conquest, revolution, and depression, to fashion a place for itself in the modern world, to channel or keep at bay the new floods -- of rising seas, of diseased canals, and of tourist hordes -- and most of all, to somehow square the circle of preservation and modernity.
Sign up as a patron a
Life in the House of Cards: 2024 in Historical Context
We use a recent controversial murder case as a way to reconsider recent world events--such as war in Europe and the return of Trump--from the perspective of the epistemological crisis and the decline of trust in Truth, Facts, and Reality.
CHAPTERS:
0:00:20 – Intro & Disclaimers
0:11:45 – The Great Witch Hunt: overview
0:28:25 – The Great Witch Hunt: midwives & caregivers
0:45:10 – The Lucy Letby
The Impossible City: The History of Venice -- pt. 2: Seasons of Power & Pleasure
We trace Venice's remarkable flowering between the 1300s and 1500s, in which it astonished Europe as a center of commercial and imperial power, learning, and art, as well as its repeated struggles -- with the bubonic plague, the Ottoman Turks, the rival Italian states, and the Catholic Church -- that forced Venice to give up its empire, and to transform into a pleasure-ground of music, theater, se
The Impossible City: The History of Venice -- pt. 1: From Asylum to Empire
We trace the tortuous path by which a scattering of villages in a marshy lagoon, founded by refugees from violence and political breakdown, forged their own stable and cohesive independent republic which would last for a thousand years, and with it a splendrous city where East and West mingled, a sprawling trade network linking Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and finally a waterborne empire tha
Teaser: Myth of the Month 24: The Epic of Gilgamesh -- pt. 2: Analysis
A randomly-chosen sample from the deepest most thorough analysis that you can find anywhere of the profoundly ancient Epic of Gilgamesh, on patreon for patrons only for one year:
We examine the Epic of Gilgamesh as a piece of literature, for its strange dream-like style and form, its points of similarity to Biblical and ancient Greek and European mythology, and finally, its deep levels of psycholo
Teaser: Myth of the Month 24: The Epic of Gilgamesh -- pt. 1: The History
Two randomly selected excerpts from Myth of the Month 24, on the Epic of Gilgamesh:
He is the earliest human being whose name and life story are known to history. We examine the origins and contents of the most ancient narrative ever found anywhere on Earth, and trace how it has been rediscovered, re-used, and re-translated in the modern world, becoming a living and evolving text in a time of anxi
UNLOCKED: Origins of the First World War, pt. 6: Germany
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only:
We consider the turbulent history and politics of the country most often blamed for the outbreak of the First World War -- Germany. The youngest of all the combatant nations in World War I, The German Reich's deep class, regional, and religious divides drove Kaiser Wilhelm and his inner circle to seek national aggrandizement abroad as a source of unity at h
Creating the Caribbean: The Colonial West Indies -- pt. 2: The High Plantation Period, 1697-1791
We examine the complex and tumultuous history of the lands around the Caribbean basin, including the rise of the massive sugar-plantation colonies of Jamaica and Saint Domingue, which depended upon an enormous traffic in enslaved African workers, the emergence of distinctive creole languages and spiritual practices, the flourishing of piracy amidst inter-imperial wars, and the long struggle of res
History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 23: The Touro Synagogue Torah Finials
We examine the tumultuous history--from the Portuguese Inquisition to the American Revolution to modern-day multi-million-dollar legal fights--surrounding a pair of rare colonial Jewish ceremonial artworks called "rimonim" or Torah finials. We consider the unique life and career of the Jewish silversmith who made them, and the symbolism that they encode, centering on life, hope, and regeneration.
Teaser: Doorways in Time, pt. 8 -- The Dead Sea Scrolls
Sign up as a patron at any level to hear this full lecture on the Dead Sea Scrolls, on patreon for patrons only: https://www.patreon.com/posts/doorways-in-time-109054869
The most massive and momentous manuscript discovery of modern times, the Dead Sea Scrolls blew the lid off of the long-mysterious world of messianic and apocalyptic ferment before the destruction of the Second Temple—yet it took
Origins of the First World War, pt. 14 -- Conclusions: Was the Great War Inevitable?
To conclude our series on the origins of World War I, we trace how combat broke out on three different continents in the late summer and fall of 1914, and then examine the various real and imagined causes of the Great War, from the Anglo-German naval rivalry to French revanchism, and finally consider the deeper transformation in the idea of sovereignty in the West that gave a feud between an old e
UNLOCKED: Origins of the First World War, pt. 4 -- Bosnia & the Assassination
We consider the rich, often mysterious, and fraught history of Bosnia -- a longtime borderland of East and West, disputed between rival empires, religions, and civilizations -- and trace how the politics of this small, mountainous Slavic country set the stage for the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, and in turn, the outbreak of a global war.
Image: interior of the "Painted M
Myth of the Month 22: Culture
Unlocked after one year on Patreon for patrons only:
What is "culture"? And how did a metaphor from gardening invade social-science discourse in 19th-century Germany and America and then take the world by storm? We consider the myriad, often contradictory, ways that "culture" is deployed in current rhetoric, usually to sneak in hidden value judgments; then we trace how an ancient Latin term for
Audio from video -- "Red White and Royal Blue" pt. 1 -- The Historical Context of RWRB
This is the audio track of my latest video:
"Red, White & Royal Blue: A Historian's Analysis, pt. 1: "We Really Need to Get You a Book on English History" -- The Historical Context of RW&RB"
We start our detailed analysis of the recent gay romcom, Red White & Royal Blue, by considering the expansive historical background that gives meaning to the fictitious love affair between a British prince an
Origins of the First World War, pt. 12 -- War Planning & Strategy
We examine the prophetic warnings from scholars and bureaucrats that a great-power war in the twentieth century would lead to bloody stalemate, mass destruction, and a wave of revolutions; and we trace how war strategists and generals reacted to the prophets of doom, formulating new war plans, from Russia’s blundering steamroll, to Germany’s precarious and ill-fated Schlieffen plan, to Britain's d
Origins of the First World War, pt. 11 -- The 19th-Century Revolution in Warfare
The scale and horror of the First World War were possible only after the Nineteenth Century's double revolution in the nature of war. Warfare -- including weaponry, strategy, and command -- had remained mostly unchanged for three centuries, from the early integration of firearms in the 1400s until the French Revolution; the campaigns of Napoleon unleashed a new era of mass mobilization and nationa
Article: "In the American Tempest: Democracy, Conspiracy, & Machine"
In 2022, I was asked to contribute to a symposium at Yale Law School on the question, "How can the humanities inform tech policy and design to promote 'healthier' discourse and democracy online?" The ultimate result was this article, published in the 2023 symposium issue of the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities.
A scanned pdf of the article can be found as an attachment here: https://www.
Teaser: "Origins of the First World War -- pt. 10: Japan"
A sample from, "Origins of the First World, pt. 10 -- Japan"
To hear the entire lecture, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/origins-of-first-99483180
We trace the evolution of Japanese society -- including the tensions between its peaceable, Buddhist-inspired aspect and its martial aspect; its extraordinary transformation in the Meiji period, from an antiquated hermit kingdom to a dynam
Audio track from video -- Red White & Royal Blue: A Historian's Analysis -- Intro
Audio track from my recent video -- "Red, White & Royal Blue: A Historian's Analysis -- Introduction: 'I Know I Owe You an Explanation'" --
We consider the political, literary, and artistic dimensions of the recent movie, "Red, White and Royal Blue" -- a gay romance on the international theme -- beginning with an overview of its origins as an escapist novel in the Trump and pandemic period, its
UNLOCKED: The Great Archaeological Discoveries, pt. 6 -- Early Audio Recordings
Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only:
In the second half of the nineteenth century, many of the most brilliant and ambitious minds in both Europe and America were bent upon solving the problem of capturing sound waves from the air and playing them back. Most of their efforts, including the earliest "phonautograms" from more than a decade before Edison's invention of the phonograph, were either
Origins of the First World War, pt. 9 -- Great Britain
We consider the efforts of the British state, in the Victorian era and in the early 20th century, to maintain its position as the premier naval and imperial power on Earth, and to contain the political and military challenges from the borderlands of the empire, the German challenge from Europe, and the series of internal threats to the British social system -- including the radicalized labour and
2023 in Historical Context: Dividing the Harvest
In keeping with a Historiansplaining holiday tradition, we try to make sense of the various struggles and conflicts of this yearby uncovering their deeper historical contexts, including:
--the roots of the Israel/Palestine conflict in the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire;
--the precedents for the bitter House Speakership struggle;
--the gradual realignment in the international balance of power,
Origins of the First World War, pt. 8 -- France
In the age of absolutism, France had towered over European life and politics -- the only nation that was a major land power on the Continent and a colonial metropole with an overseas empire at the same time. Yet by 1900, tossed about by repeated revolutions and coups and torn asunder by often petty internal culture wars, France was falling behind its rivals to become almost a second-rate power.
Myth of the Month 23: UFOs
The UFO has been called a "technological angel" and the central mythic symbol of the modern age; we examine some of the extraordinary stories, from throughout history, of strange lights and objects seen flying through the sky, from medieval Italy to modern New Mexico, and consider carefully the problems that they present -- for historians, as well as for government, and for ordinary people who wan
Unlocked: History of US in 100 Objects #20 -- Silver Beaker with Devil and Pope Figures
Unlocked after one year for patrons only:
A silver beaker engraved with figures of Satan, the Pope, and the "Young Pretender" (also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie") shows how French, Dutch, German, and English colonists in colonial New York united around fear of Catholicism and the Jacobite menace.
Special thanks to the Collections Team at Museum of the City of New York.
Sign on as a patron to
Origins of the First World War, pt. 7 -- Belgium & Luxembourg
Although more often remembered only as a bloody battleground, Belgium -- along with its smaller neighbor, Luxembourg -- was critical to the strategic landscape of Europe, and played a pivotal role in spreading the war in 1914 beyond the European Continent, making it into a true World War. Both created as independent states in the nineteenth century, Belgium and Luxembourg were linchpins in the d
TEASER: Origins of the First World War, pt. 6 -- Germany
In an extended lecture for patrons -- We consider the turbulent history and politics of the country most often blamed for the outbreak of the First World War -- Germany. The youngest of all the combatant nations in World War I, The German Reich's deep class, regional, and religious divides drove Kaiser Wilhelm and his inner circle to seek national aggrandizement abroad as a source of unity at hom
Survey of Western Architecture, pt. 3 -- audio track
In the third installment of our Survey of Western Architecture, we will follow the rise of Renaissance geniuses like Alberti, Bramante, & Michelangelo, their efforts to recover Roman grandeur and dignity in the basilica, the church, and the urban palazzo, followed by the outbreak of baroque extravagance from the streets of Palermo to the halls of Versailles, and then the gradual return to classica
History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 22: The Makauwahi Stone Mirror / Kilo Pohaku
We examine the significance of a kilo pohaku, or "stone mirror" -- a small volcanic stone disk used for viewing reflections -- discovered deep inside the ancient Makauwahi Cave on the island of Kaua'i. This extremely rare specimen encapsulates the great mystery of Hawaiian archaeology, which relies on reconstruction from rare stone, bone, and shell objects, and also the threats facing the histori
Origins of the First World War, pt. 5 -- Russia
We examine the geography and history of Russia, from the origins of the Kievan Rus in the Early Middle Ages, to the tumultuous time of industrialization, emancipation, and radical subversion at the start of the Twentieth Century. We try reconstruct the circumstances and mindsets that led the Russian state to back up their allies in Serbia, in order to maintain their tenuous foothold in the Balkan
UNLOCKED -- Myth of the Month 20: Conspiracy Theories
Where do conspiracy theories come from? Why do people believe them? What do they mean? Did the CIA drug people with LSD against their will? Is Queen Elizabeth a reptilian? We consider the merits and pitfalls of conspiracy theories, trace the history and evolution of the conspiratorial tradition from rumors about lepers in the 1300s to Alex Jones and Q-Anon, and examine the biases and double s
Doorways in Time: The Great Archaeological Finds -- 7: The Antikythera Mechanism
A stunningly complex piece of mathematical craftsmanship, the world's earliest known analogue computer, and the so-called "scientific wonder of the ancient world" -- the Antikythera mechanism was discovered by chance in 1900, by Greek sponge divers who stumbled upon the wreckage of an ancient ship that foundered on its way from Greece to Rome. An object of bafflement, controversy, and misrepresen
Teaser: Origins of the 1st World War -- Bosnia & the Assassination
A special edition for patrons:
We examine the unique and complex history of Bosnia, at once a borderland and a world unto itself, and the only Slavic country in which Islam has ever been the majority faith. With the help of readings from the classic novel, "The Bridge on the Drina," we trace how Bosnians' confused search for a national identity and a national destiny led ultimately to the fatef
Origins of the First World War, pt. 3 -- Austria-Hungary
At the height of their power in the Baroque Age, the Habsburgs aspired to rule the entire world; by the end of the ninetheenth century, they strove merely to maintain control over the volatile lands of the upper Danube valley. We trace how the Habsburgs' domains evolved from a messy collection of local duchies into an absolutist empire, and finally into a complex military-industrial state, the ho
Survey of Western Architecture, pt. 2 -- audio track
We continue the epic history of Western architecture by tracing how medieval builders and their patrons revived the art of building in stone once more, and used it to craft monumental edifices into intimate, atmospheric spaces in the Romanesque age, before reaching for the heavens with soaring Gothic vaults and spires, and then returning once more to earth with the simple, balanced dignity of the
Interpreting Solomon's Temple
The center of every sacred mystery, the Temple at Jerusalem is the most famous building on earth, even though it has not existed for almost 2000 years and no one knows precisely what it looked like. We join with Michael of “Xai, How Are You” to discuss Solomon’s Temple – both the real historical building as it can be reconstructed from ancient texts and archaeology, and the symbol that has been e
UNLOCKED: The Great Archaeological Discoveries, pt. 4 -- The Library of Ashurbanipal
Unlocked after one year for patrons only:
One moonlit night in 1853, an Iraqi excavator named Hormuzd Rassam and his team snuck into the hills outside of Mosul and began to uncover the massive palace of the last ancient Assyrian emperor, Ashurbanipal. Inside the palace was the largest trove of surviving documents from the ancient world that has ever been found. The massive library of over 30,000
Origins of the First World War, pt. 2 -- Serbia
We consider the history and explosive politics of the often-forgotten Eastern European nation that set the events of the First World War in motion: Serbia. We examine the country’s emergence and brief flowering as an Eastern Orthodox kingdom in the high Middle Ages, its fall to the Ottoman advance, its many years of quiet resistance in religion and song, its re-emergence amidst the Napoleonic wa
Teaser -- Myth of the Month 22: Culture
What is "culture"? And how did a metaphor from gardening invade social-science discourse in 19th-century Germany and America and then take the world by storm? Am I doing "podcast culture" right now?
However you define it, I make the case that it is the defining myth of our time, and that we should get rid of it.
Image: "Old New York" diorama, Museum of Natural History, New York
Suggested rea
Origins of the First World War, pt. 1 -- The Ottoman Empire
For over a century, scholars, politicians, and pundits have debated the supposed causes of the First World War, from German naval provocations to the rising global tide of nationalism. All of these explanations tend to ignore the simple fact that the war began in eastern Europe, triggered by regional feuding and violence in what had previously been the Ottoman provinces.
We begin our exploration
Recommended
Skin Deep MDs with Dr. Mamina Turegano, Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky and Dr. Jenny Liu
girl talk 🎧🫧
Booked, Blonde & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton
LOVE SOMEONE with Delilah
Classical Christian Education
Veritas Vox - The Voice of Classical Christian Education
Enjoy Teaching Again | Elementary, Teacher Burnout, Student Behavior, SEL, Classroom Management
Entrepreneur Kids Legacy Show - Family Motivation, Business Boss Babies, Inspirational Speakers and Healthy fun food
McKinsey on Consumer and Retail
megahired.com
Telli Talks with Telli Swift
Harmonize Your Life: Conversation on Self-Care for Women of Color
