The Whiskey Rebellion

Whiskey Rebellion 117: Mourning Celebrities

In the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash earlier this week, Frank and David reflect on how Americans mourn the death of celebrities, including:

• the rise of celebrity death culture in the 1950s and 1960s with the deaths of James Dean, Buddy Holly, and Marilyn Monroe
• precursors including Rudolf Valentino, Gen. Tom Thumb, and George Whitefield

Last Drops 

Frank: Historical Marker Database

David: Star Trek Picard

Whiskey Rebellion 116: Impeachment Cast of Characters

As President Donald Trump's impeachment trial proceeds in the Senate, Frank and David look at the actors who defined the two previous trials: the Chief Justice, the House Managers, the defense team, and the senators. 

Last Drops

Frank: National Archives photo controversy

David: end of Lee-Jackson Day in VA

Whiskey Rebellion 115: The Last 20 Years

In their first show of 2020, Frank and David reflect on the past 20 years. They hypothesize what big themes from these two decades future historians will highlight in textbooks and undergrad lectures. 

Last Drops

Frank: Critiques of the 1619 Project

David: NYT article on US history textbooks

Whiskey Rebellion 114: Special Guest Megan Hunt

This week, Frank and David talk with their University of Edinburgh colleague Dr. Megan Hunt, who teaches about the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss how she got interested in American history, how the Civil Rights Movement has been depicted in film, and how British students make sense of the Civil War Rights Movement.

Last Drops

Megan: 75th Anniversary of Korematsu decision

David: mass grave from Tulsa Massacre

Frank: Rise of Skywalker

Whiskey Rebellion 113: Articles of Impeachment

After a brief postmortem on the British General Election, Frank and David discuss the Articles of Impeachment currently under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee and compare them to those from previous impeachments. 

Last Drops

Frank: Global 1776 

David: Heather Cox Richardson's Letter from an American

Whiskey Rebellion 112: Gig Economy

With the UCU on strike, Frank and David talk about casualisation in higher ed and how precariousness became an increasingly serious issue over the past decade. They situate the labor struggles in education within broader changes in the economy: the rise of the gig economy.

Last Drops

David: Knives Out

Frank: The Irishman

Whiskey Rebellion 111: Presidential Health

Last weekend, President Trump made an unscheduled visit to the hospital, prompting some to speculate on the state of his health. Frank and David talk about the history of presidential health, including several previous cases where presidents hid major (and minor) medical issues.

Last Drops

Frank: historians in the impeachment hearings: Fiona Hill and Marie Yovanovitch 

David: new Edinburgh UCU podcast

Whiskey Rebellion 110: Bribery

As impeachment hearings enter a new phase, Democrats are increasingly using the language of bribery to describe President Trump's actions with respect to Ukraine. Frank and David discuss the history of bribery in American politics, including:

• XYZ Affair
• The Whiskey Ring
• The Teapot Dome Scandal

Last Drops

Frank: live podcast at Scotland History Festival

David: Watchmen

Whiskey Rebellion 109: Why Do American Elections Last Forever?

We're a year away from the 2020 Presidential Election, but it seems like this race has already lasted forever. Frank and David talk about why American elections take so long, including:

• How the development of parties and conventions changed the electoral calendar
• How primaries made elections longer
• How the system might be fixed 

Last Drops

David: Dolly Parton's America

Frank: HCA events in NYC

 

Whiskey Rebellion 108: Witch Hunts, Lynchings, and Other Political Metaphors

Frank and David discuss Trump's use of historical metaphor, including:

• the 1692-1693 Salem witch trials and how they took on new meaning during the Second Red Scare
• lynching during the nadir of American racial violence and its metaphorical use by Clarence Thomas and others

We'll be recording a live episode of the Whiskey Rebellion at the Scottish History Festival on November 22 at 7:45pm.

Last Drops

Frank: HCA event in NYC on November 11 celebrating 300 years of history at Edinburgh

David: Without Sanctuary lynching photos