The Whiskey Rebellion

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

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

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

 

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

Frank and David talk with Tyson Reeder (University of Virginia) about his new book, Smugglers, Pirates, and Patriots: Free Trade in Age of Revolution, and about his work editing the papers of James Madison.

Frank and David try to tackle the fast-moving story on Trump and Ukraine, discussing whistle-blowers and foreign intervention in American history.

Last Drops

Frank: Upcoming talk at Edinburgh's Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society on Thomas Jefferson and Religion

David: Edinburgh Caribbean Association walking tours for Black History Month

 

Frank and David are joined by special guest Alexi Garrett, a doctoral student at UVA, who just presented some of her work at Edinburgh's American History Workshop. We discuss her research on women in the Early Republic who managed enslaved laborers, how she got interested in history, and her experience in Charlottesville during the Unite the Right rally. 

With thousands of people marching to demand action on climate change in Edinburgh and around the world, Frank and David discuss the history of environmental activism and Americans' relationship with nature.

Last Drops

Frank: new Highwomen album

David: SASA 2020

After some recently reported deaths, President Trump has authorized a ban on certain flavored e-cigarettes. Frank and David talk about the history of tobacco, its relationship with technology, and government regulation.

Last Drops

Frank: @kerileighmerritt on Twitter, and upcoming appearance at Scotland's History Festival

David: Sarah Milov's forthcoming book, The Cigarette: A Political History

A couple of weeks ago, seemly out of nowhere, President Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark. Frank and David discuss the history of territorial acquisitions by the United States, including the Louisiana Purchase, Alaska, and the Virgin Islands. 

Last Drops

Frank: Dylan, Guthrie, and Roosevelt podcast

David: The Future of America's Past