The Whiskey Rebellion

Whiskey Rebellion 038: Live from David Hume Tower

In front of a standing-room only audience, Frank and David discuss the strange year since Donald Trump's election.

Due to some technical difficulties, we only had useable audio from some of the Q&A session.

Last Drops

Frank: Dirty John podcast

David: Sexing History podcast

Whiskey Rebellion 037: The Ex-Presidents' Club

Last week, the five living former presidents participated in a fundraiser for hurricane relief. George W. Bush and Barack Obama also made speeches criticizing President Trump. In this episode, Frank and David explore the lives of presidents after they leave office, including:

• The lengthy post-presidencies of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
• Why John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, and Andrew Johnson sought elective office after they left the White House
• Which 20th century former president had the most successful career after the White House

Last Drops

Frank: The People vs. OJ Simpson

David: A school in Mississippi that changed its name from Jefferson Davis to Barack Obama

 

Whiskey Rebellion 036: Back to the Future

Inspired by Blade Runner 2049's bleak vision of the future, Frank and David talk about how Americans have envisioned the future, including:

• Edward Bellamy's vision of the year 2000
• Star Trek vs. The Jetsons
• An unpublished short story by WEB DuBois 

 

Last Drops

Frank: Star Trek Discovery

David: Uncivil podcast

Whiskey Rebellion 035: Gun Control

In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Frank and David talk about the history of guns and gun control in the United States, including:

• How Shays' Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion provide meaningful context for the 2nd Amendment
• How the NRA has changed since 1871
• What the Supreme Court has said about the 2nd Amendment

Last Drops

Frank: Blade Runner 2049

David: More Perfect's episode on Dred Scott

Whiskey Rebellion 034: Shining Star of the Caribbean

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and President Trump's recent visit, Frank and David discuss the history of Puerto Rico and its relationship with the rest of the United States, including:

• When Puerto Ricans became American citizens
• The development of Puerto Rico's commonwealth status
• How PR's status has complicated disaster relief

Last Drops

Frank: NYTimes article on the vandalism of a statue of Onate in New Mexico

David: The Travelling Willbury albums in honor of Tom Petty's passing

Whiskey Rebellion 033: Take a Knee

Last week, President Trump attacked NFL players who took a knee during the National Anthem, urging team owners to fire players who he claimed were disresepecting the flag. Players responded by saying they were protesting political violence, not the flag.

Frank and David look at the intersection of sports and politics, including:

• Why the national anthem is played at athletic events
• How Curt Flood's protests paved the way for free agency
• How Muhammad Ali used the heavyweight title to protest the Vietnam War
• How Teddy Roosevelt changed football

Last Drops

David: NYT article about a recently discovered essay by enslaved poet George Moses Horton

Frank: New West End musical based on the life and music of Bob Dylan

Whiskey Rebellion 032: Back to School Edition

With classes starting on Monday, Frank and David discuss how higher education differs between the United States and the UK, including:

• The role of university athletics
• General education requirements
• Democratization of higher education

Last Drops

Frank: Response to Hillary Clinton's new memoir, especially by PodSaveAmerica

David: New Yorker article on "Orange Fool" and NYT article on Michelle Jones

Whiskey Rebellion 031: DACA in Historical Context

Earlier this week, AG Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration would be abandoning DACA, the Obama era program for undocumented immigrant children. Frank and David discuss the history of legal and illegal immigration, including:

• What the first Congress thought about immigration and immigrants
• Why Asian immigrants were treated differently at the end of the 19th century
• How World War I changed US immigration policy
• Why the 1965 Immigration reform didn't turn out as its drafters intended
• The long-term consequences of the Bracero program

Last Drops

Frank: The problem of aging detectives in fiction

David: Ta-Nehisi Coates' article "The First White President" in the Atlantic

Whiskey Rebellion 030: Natural Disasters

In light of Hurricane Harvey, Frank and David look at how natural disasters have influenced American history, including:

• how a hurricane may have saved Jamestown
• how the Johnstown Flood demonstrated class divisions in Gilded Age America
• how the role of the federal government in disaster relief has evolved

Last Drops

Frank: Child of a Civil War soldier still alive and receiving pension

David: James Garfield NHS twitter feed

 

Whiskey Rebellion 029: Never Get Involved in a Land War in Asia

In light of President Trump's recent comments on Afghanistan and North Korea, Frank and David discuss:

• Why Trump learns the wrong lesson about counterinsurgency from Gen. Pershing
• Why a military solution probably won't work in Afganistan
• Why American presidents have practiced patience with North Korea and what might happen if Trump doesn't

Last Drops

Frank recommends Gary Younge's book Another Day in the Death of America

David recommends Backstory's recent episode on Charlottesville and congratulats Liz Covart (Ben Franklin's World) for winning the Academy of Podcasters Best History Podcast Award