The Whiskey Rebellion

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

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

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.

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

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

With lots going on in the the last couple of weeks, Frank and David tackle a hodge podge of news needing historical context, including:

• The removal of Silent Sam at UNC Chapel Hill
• The conviction of Paul Manafort, the guilty plea of Michael Cohen, and what that means for President Trump
• The legacy of Senator John McCain

Last Drops

David: Jesse Lemisch's article "Jack Tar in the Streets"

Frank: Sebastian Barry, Days without End

Frank and David look at the history of lawyers in American politics, including:

• Why so many politicians from the Revolution onward had legal backgrounds
• How the legal profession has changed over time
• How the Reagan Revolution and the Federalist Society changed the legal profession and politics

Last Drops

Frank: Season 2 of Slow Burn

Davd: A12 podcast

Recent headlines that former Trump advisor Carter Page and graduate student Maria Butina have illegally acted as Russian foreign agents have put the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act in the spotlight. Frank and David talk about foreign agents in American history, including:

• How a foreign agent differs from a diplomat and a spy
• How Citizen Genet tried to get Americans to suppor the French Revolution
• How German agents tried to keep Americans out of World War I and II, including inflitrating America First

Last Drops

Frank: Color footage of Ted Williams' last at bat

David: Atlantic article in support of microfilm

President Donald Trump just returned from a week-long European trip, including a contentious NATO summit, tense meetings with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, and a bizarre press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.  Frank and David try to make sense of this trip and place it into some historical context.

Shout outs to listeners Jasmin and Simon.

Last Drops

Frank: #HATM

David: www.womenalsoknowhistory.com

 

Live from the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Frank and David explore the role of paranoia, conspiracy, and politics in American film, including:

• Why this genre became popular after Watergate
• How the genre has evolved since Reagan
• Why these films seem particularly relevant in the age of Trump

Plus Q&A with the audience!