The Whiskey Rebellion

Whiskey Rebellion 046: 1968 Fifty Years On

2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of 1968, one of the most interesting and consequental years in American history.  Frank and David discuss what made 1968 important and why it still matters, including

• Tet Offensivie
• MLK assassination
• RFK assassination
• Democratic convention in Chicago
• Mexico City Olympics
• Apollo 8

Last Drops

Frank: MLK's 1961 syllabus at Morehouse (h/t to Honor Sachs)

David: Columbia University's livetweeting of 1968 protests and Claire Potter article on free speech on campus

Whiskey Rebellion 045: Fire and Fury

With Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury topping the best-seller lists, Frank and David talk about the history of political exposes, including:

• How the genre of White House evolved from Ted White and Joe McGinnis to Bob Woodward and Joe Klein
• Why political exposes became a popular genre after 1960 and how the changing journalist landscape made these books possible

Last Drops

Frank: US Embassy in London finds a new home

David: The other Fire and Fury

Whiskey Rebellion 044: Star Wars

What do historians have to say about Star Wars? Quite a lot actually! Joined by Edinburgh Teaching Fellow (and Star Wars fan) Tereza Valney, Frank and David examine the series through the historical lens, including:

• What historical analogies did George Lucas intend and audiences see in the Original Trilogy? Are Storm Troopers Space Nazis? Is the Rebellion the Vietcong? Is the Soviet Union the Empire?
• What is the relationship between the Prequel Trilogy and the War on Terror?
• What do the new films tell us about the current political and cultural moment?

Last Drops

David: Call for Papers for the Scottish Association for the Study of America

Frank: New DNA evidence for the populating of the Americas

Whiskey Rebellion 043: Tax Cuts

After the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Frank and David talk about the history of American taxation, including:

• How taxes shaped the revolutionary era
• How Progressives hoped that income and estate taxes would prevent aristocracy
• How the Reagan Revolution shaped the current tax debate

Last Drops

David: NPR Planet Money episode on the tariff and Santa Suits

Frank: Thanks our listeners for a great year

Whiskey Rebellion 042: Party Time

The big news this week was the Alabama senatorial election. Based on a listener question, Frank and David discuss how the party of Lincoln became the party of Roy Moore, including:

• Why the Founding Fathers disliked political parties at the same time that they were creating them
• How the Republican and Democratic parties switched places on Civil Rights 
• Why third parties never seem to last very long

Last Drops

Frank: the origins of Jingle Bells

David: Sister Rosetta Tharp in Rock Hall of Fame and how Constitutional Hall almost got demolished

Whiskey Rebellion 041: Diplomacy of Recognition

This week, President Trump announced that the US embassy in Israel would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Frank and David talk about the history of diplomatic recognition, including:

• How the United States sought international recognition during the American Revolution
• How the US sought to prevent international recognition of the Confederacy
• Why David grew up with a table from the Iranian embassy

Last Drops

Frank: UK opening of Hamilton and Doug Bradburn becoming president of Mount Vernon

David: The John Muir House in Dunbar

Whiskey Rebellion 040: The Regulatory State

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has come out against net neutrality regulations and the CFPB. Frank and David talk about the history of regulatory state, including:

• The origins of the Regulatory State, including the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Pure Food & Drug Act
• The role of the New Deal and the Great Society in expanding the Regulatory State
• Why Republicans seem to hate regulations 

Last Drops

Frank: Slate's new podcast on Watergate: Slow Burn

David: New highway named for historian John Hope Franklin and segregation of NYC rats

Whiskey Rebellion 039: Men Behaving Badly

In light of recent accusations against Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, actor Kevin Spacey, producer Harvey Weinstein, and others, Frank and David discuss the history of sexual violence and harassment, including:

• Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings
• The diaries of William Byrd II and James Henry Hammond
• Sylvester Graham's advice to young men
• Why Rebecca Latimer Felton believed that lynching was the only way to prevent black men from abusing white women
• How Clarence Thomas, Bill Clinton, and Bob Packwood scandals opened a debate on sexual harassment

Last Drops

David: NPR's coverage of sexual harassment and AHA petition on sexual violence

Frank: Age of Revolutions blog

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