Episodes

Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Whiskey Rebellion 083: Haunted by the Yearbook
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Frank and David discuss the recent controversy over Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook. The discussion focuses on the history of blackface, with tangents on the history and cultural significance of yearbooks and Frank's hatred of Halloween. Plus Bugs Bunny in Southern Fried Rabbit.
Last Drops
Frank: Patriots victory in the Superbowl and upcoming Fennell Lecture with Joanne Freeman
David: fundraising at Bennett Colllege and SASA registration

Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
Whiskey Rebellion 082: Brexit for Americans
Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
With the Brexit deadline looming and no clear political solution in sight, Frank and David discuss how the UK got itself into this situation and try to provide some historical context. British listeners should forgive our (okay, mostly David's) limited understanding of the nuances of UK politics.
Last Drops
Frank: Burns Suppers

Tuesday Jan 22, 2019
Whiskey Rebellion 081: Rashomon on the Lincoln Memorial
Tuesday Jan 22, 2019
Tuesday Jan 22, 2019
In our 2nd anniversary episode, Frank and David discuss the incident last weekend at the Lincoln Memorial in which students from Covington Catholic High School came face-to-face with Native American activists. They tease out how this episode links to both contemporary politics and deep historical roots.
Last Drops
Frank: murals at Notre Dame
David: NPR Planet Money episode on 1879 shutdown, Backstory's 10th Anniversary, David & Ida's 23rd Anniversary.

Monday Jan 14, 2019
Whiskey Rebellion 080: Promises Kept
Monday Jan 14, 2019
Monday Jan 14, 2019
With the federal government still in shutdown over Trump's border wall and with the 2020 campaign already underway, Frank and David look at the history of campaign promises. Including:
- How James K. Polk kept all his promises in 1844
- GHW Bush's 1992 "No new taxes"
- LBJ's 1964 pledge not to expand the war in Vietnam
- Obama's pledge to close Gitmo
Last Drops
Frank: Apology to Andy Murray and endorsement of Declan O'Rourke
David: Michelle Obama's Becoming

Monday Dec 31, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 079: 2018 Year in Review
Monday Dec 31, 2018
Monday Dec 31, 2018
Recording on New Year's Eve, Frank and David discuss some of their favorites from 2018 and what they're excited for in 2019.
The show begins with a discussion of Erin Bartram's essay from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the job market in history. Frank and David discuss how the job market has changed over the years and what (if anything) can be done about it.
Final Recommendations/Memories from 2018:
Frank:
- 25th anniversary of "Getting Word" project at Monticello
- Red Sox' World Series victory
- Sarah Churchwell's Behold, America: The Entangled History of America First and the American Dream
- Colin Calloway's The Indian World of George Washington
- Joanne Freeman's Field of Blood
- Brian Palmer & Seth Freed Wessler, "The Costs of the Confederacy"
David:
- Slate Standoff podcast
- Slow Burn (season 2)
- 200 birthday of Fredrick Douglass
- Martha Jones' Birthright Citizens
- Continuing struggle over Silent Sam
- Historians at the Movies
Looking forward to in 2019
Frank:
- Mueller Report
- Returning to teaching
David
- Pete Carmichael's War for the Common Soldier
- Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer's Fault Lines
- Kevin Levin's Searching for Black Confederates

Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 078: War on Christmas
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Back after a short hiatus, Frank and David discuss the "War on Christmas" -- looking at how Americans have celebrated (or not celebrated) Christmas, including:
- Why the Puritans didn't celebrate Christmas
- How Christmas became redefined during the Civil War era
- How conservatives have felt that Christmas was under siege throughout the 20th century
Last Drops
Frank: Museum of Memory and Human Rights
David: Homecoming on Amazon Prime

Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 076: Borders and Missionaries
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Drawing upon the headlines, Frank and David discuss the role of missionaries and borders in American history, including:
- How colonial charters lead to messy borders
- How the Second Great Awakening prompted Americans to become missionaries overseas
- How the Mormons saw missionary activity as central to their religious identity
- How the border has changed during the 20th century
Last Drops
Frank: new Americanist position at the University of Edinburgh
David: SASA CFP

Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 075: Midterms Recap and the Lepore Conundrum
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Back after a short hiatus, Frank and David discuss the results of the midterm elections and an interview with historian Jill Lepore.
Last Drops
Frank: Japanese illustrated history of America
David: Heather Ann Thompson, Blood in the Water and Civil War Photo Sleuth

Monday Nov 05, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 074: Birthright Citizenship and Midterms Predictions
Monday Nov 05, 2018
Monday Nov 05, 2018
In the lead up to Tuesday's midterm elections, President Trump claimed that he was planning on overturning the "policy" of birthright citizenship. Frank and David discuss the origins of birthright citizenship, the 14th Amendment, and offer predictions for the midterms.
For more on birthright citizenship, see Martha Jones' excellent new book.
Last Drops
Frank: SHEAR CFP
David: Send Back the Money play

Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
Whiskey Rebellion 073: Political Violence
Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
After a horrifying week of news in which pipe bombs were sent to Trump critics, 11 people were killed in a synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, and two African Americans were killed in a racially-motivated killing in Kentucky, Frank and David examine the history of political violence in an effort to find context and parallels, including:
- The Wilmington coup and the Colfax Massacre
- The 1919 and 1920 anarchist bombings
- The bombings of abortion clinics in the 1980s and 1990s
Last Drops
Frank: American Academy of Diplomacy
David: Midterms and Mandates