The Whiskey Rebellion

Whiskey Rebellion 076: Borders and Missionaries

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

Whiskey Rebellion 075: Midterms Recap and the Lepore Conundrum

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

Whiskey Rebellion 074: Birthright Citizenship and Midterms Predictions

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

Whiskey Rebellion 073: Political Violence

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 

 

Whiskey Rebellion 072: The End of the World as We Know It (or the Great Disappointment)

In light of the recent UN report on climate change, Frank and David discuss how Americans have thought about the end of the world, including:

• Why Millerites thought the world would end in 1844
• How Native Americans used the Ghost Dance to bring about a spiritual rebirth
• How Americans used fallout shelters to deal with possible nuclear holocaust

Last Drops

Frank: Go vote!

David: Honor Sachs' article in Washington Post on Pocohontas

Whiskey Rebellion 071: Voter Suppression

With controversies over voter registration and voter ID in the news, Frank and David discuss the history of voter suppression, including:

• How the introduction of voter registration limited access to the ballot
• How the secret ballot disenfranchised some voters
• How barriers to voting were reduced after 1960

Last Drops

Frank:

New exhibit on Sally Hemings at Monticello

Plaque to Frederick Douglass in Edinburgh

David:

Peter Parish Dissertation Prize

White House Dinner Dash

Congrats to Dr. Catherine Bateson

Whiskey Rebellion 070: Trump's Millions

Two topics this week: Frank and David discuss what the Kavanaugh confirmation means for the Supreme Court and the revelations of a New York Times report on the Trump family fortune. Among the highlights:

• How likely a Kavanaugh impeachment is
• What Kavanaugh means for the Supreme Court decisions down the road
• What the Trump family fortune says about aristocracy, inherited wealth, and politics

Last Drops

Frank: The Staircase on Netflix

David: BrANCH 2019 in Edinburgh, Frederick Douglass exhibit at the NLS, and a conference on Midterms at the NLS and IASH

Whiskey Rebellion 069: Game On!

Video games now rival Hollywood films for their influence on the culture. David and special guests Devin Grier and Miles Stanley talk about how American history is depicted in video games, including:

• How Oregon Trail shaped how a generation understood Western settlement
• How Red Dead Redemption used tropes from Western movies and history
• How the Fallout series blended history and lore

We also discussed some other games worth trying, including: Valient Hearts, LA Noire, Assassin's Creed, Civilization, and Call of Duty.

Whiskey Rebellion 068: Confirmation Hearings

Frank and David discuss the Brett Kavaugh hearings, in light of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's accusations of sexual assault, including:

• How the Kavaugh hearings parallel and differ from the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991
• How the Robert Bork hearings changed the confirmation process
• What could happen in the weeks to come 

Last Drops

Frank: Tom Talks at Monticello

David: Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow exhibit at NYHS

Whiskey Rebellion 067: Back to School Edition

It's back to school season! With new grad students starting their studies this month, Frank and David are joined by two of their advanced doctoral students, Devin Grier and Krysten Blackstone, to give some sage advice on starting the year right, including:

• How to keep organized
• How to get started as a tutor
• How to balance teaching and research
• How to manage life as an international student

Last Drops

Krysten: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Devin: Upcoming release of Red Dead Redemption 2

David: audiobook version of Springsteen's Born to Run

Frank: remembrance of scholar and friend Jan Lewis