The Whiskey Rebellion

Inspired by a recent Joanne Freemen article in the Atlantic, Frank and David take a step back to look at the panoply of political and cultural crises Americans face and what historians can say about the present.

Last Drops

Frank: new book by Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones

David: WP article on Civil War forts in DC and NYT piece by Martha Jones about her grandmother and voting

 

With the imminent announcement of Joe Biden's choice of running mate, Frank and David talk about the history of VP selection, including thoughts about the best and worst choices.

Last Drops

Frank: Christine Hauser's article on 1918 "mask-slackers" in NYT.

David: Geoguessr

Summer in an election year usually means it's time for party nominating conventions, but COVID-19 has caused both the DNC and RNC to delay and modify their 2020 conventions. Frank and David talk about the history of party conventions, how they've changed over time, and what the future might hold.

 

Last Drops

Frank: It Was Simple podcast

David: new discovery on first humans in the Americas 

Frank and David discuss Daniel Feller's controversial SHEAR (Society for Historians of the Early American Republic) plenary session on the parallels between Donald Trump and Andrew Jackson. They examine the content of Feller's printed and spoken paper, the composition of the panel, the problems with the Q&A, and what this says about the future of SHEAR and scholarly societies more broadly.

 

The text of Feller's paper (password: Jackson2020)

The video of the panel

SHEAR President Doug Egerton's statement

Advisory Council statement

 

Last Drops

David: NPR story on Lincoln's hat

Frank: Age of Jackson podcast

Last 4th of July weekend, Americans seemed to either be watching Trump's speech at Mount Rushmore or watching Hamilton on DisneyPlus. Frank and David discuss different versions of American nationalism and how historians have dealt with nationalism, including some discussion of Jill Lepore's article in Foreign Affairs. (Full disclosure: we were both watching Hamilton.)

Last Drops

Frank: George Washington the toppling of George III statue

David: Megan Kate Nelson's article in the Atlantic

On Independence Day, Frank and David tackle some listener questions, including:

• Is the Electoral College still appropriate?
• Were the Anti-Federalists right?
• Are there any topics that historians won't touch?

Last Drops

Frank: That's the Ticket podcast

David: Backstory finale

 

Picking up on some of the themes from our last episode (with the brilliant Hilary Green), Frank and David discuss how the monument debate has extended beyond Columbus and the Confederacy, including:

Theodore Roosevelt at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC

The Emancipation Memorial

The Shaw Memorial

Jackson in Lafayette Park

Grant, Key, and Serra in San Francisco

Hans Christian Heg in Madison

Last Drops

Frank: Season 4 of Slow Burn about David Duke

David: upcoming podcasts, Seizing Freedom with Kidada Williams and Welcome to Your Fantasy with Natalia Petrzela

 

Frank and David are joined by Hilary Green, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, to discuss the recent removal of Confederate monuments and her work to educate people about the legacies of slavery and the Confederacy on campus. We also discuss how the BLM protests have challenged the monumental landscape around the world, including in the UK. 

Frank and David discuss the police and military response to the ongoing protests over racist police violence.

Last Drops

Frank: American History Workshop at University of Edinburgh

David: HOTCUS seminar on Urgent Past

Frank and David are joined by doctoral student Krysten Blackstone. They discuss her research on morale in the Continental Army.

Last Drops

Krysten: Baldwin's The Fire Next Time and Alexander's The New Jim Crow

David & Frank: The Wind of Change podcast