The Whiskey Rebellion

Horrifying accounts of immigrant children separated from their parents have dominated the news over the past several weeks. Frank and David look at the history of child separation, including:

• How slavery frequently separated parents from children and how black families sought to find lost family members after emancipation
• How Native American boarding schools created a kind of cultural genocide in removing Indian children from their families and communities
• How the orphan train relocated poor children from New York to rural communities

Last Drops

Frank: Trump on Canadians, the War of 1812, and the burning of the White House

David: Pittsburgh highlights: Wigle Distillery and Heinz History Center

In our series of historians go the movies, Frank and David discuss the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including:

• Why Marvel movies have done so well recently, while DC's have missed the mark
• How the Civil Rights era provides an important context for many Marvel characters' origins
• Predictions post-Infinity War

Last Drops

Frank: Slate's Upon Further Review podcast

David: Lou Ferrigno on Mr. Rogers

Last Saturday, millions of people around the world (including many Americans) watched the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Frank and David discuss why Americans seem so enamoured with British royality, including:

• How Americans during the Revolutionary era thought about monarchy
• How Americans responded to a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1860
• Why Frank has been boycotting Royal weddings since 1982

Last Drops

David: Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg

Frank: Thomas Mullen's Darktown

In less than a year and a half, President Trump has radically reoriented American foreign policy, including: exiting the Iran deal, opening up negotiation with North Korea, backing out of the Paris climate agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and imposing steel tariffs. Frank and David try to put this shift into context, including:

• How Jefferson, Polk, and Carter changed the US foreign policy stance after taking office
• Why most presidents tend to maintain the status quo with regards to foreign policy
• What Trump's posture means for the future of foreign relations

Last Drops

Frank: Resistance genealogist Jennifer Mendelsohn

David: Zora Neale Hurston's Barracoon

Recent comments by historians Joseph Ellis and Gordon Wood has prompted a contentuous debate about how academic historians engage with the public. Frank and David discuss, including:

• Whether academic historians used to write better/more accessibly than they do now
• Why some kinds of historical writing tend to generate a larger popular audience
• Whether academic historians don't celebrate patriotic narratives enough
• How academic historians can and should engage with the public in 2018

Plus! David addresses feedback on our last episode from a loyal listener in Edinburgh.

Last Drops

David: John Dickerson's article on the presidency in the Atlantic

Frank: Kanye West's comments about Trump and slavery

Last weekend, Americans remembered the life of Barbara Bush.  Frank and David (under duress) discuss the role of the First Lady, including:

• A rant by David about why Americans pay too much attention to First Ladies
• Which First Ladies had the most significant political impact
• What will happen to the role when Americans elect the first female president

In addition, Frank and David discuss how a tweet about Barbara Bush caused a debate over free speech and tenure.

Last Drops

Frank: Mindhunter on Netflix

David: Removal of J. Marion Sims statue in NYC

News of the Cambridge Analytica data breach at Facebook and debates over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census have raised questions about who has control over Americans' data. Frank and David discuss the history of data collection, including:

• The origin and evolution of the Census
• How the census data has been used and misused
• How private corporations have collected data on Americans

Last Drops

Frank: New York Public Library exhibit on the 1960s

David: Demise of the Necco wafer

Frank's in NYC this week as part of the University of Edinburgh contingent for the Tartan Day parade.  Frank and David discuss the origin of Tartan Day and other ethno-nationlist holidays, including:

• Why Tartan Day is celebrated in the US, but not in Scotland
• How St. Patrick's Day set the template for these holidays
• Why Cinco de Mayo became a national celebration after 1980

Last Drops

Frank: our listeners

David: the novel of Ready Player One

This week, Frank and David are joined by Dr. Joe Stoltz, Digital Historian at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. We discuss his recent book on the Battle of New Orleans, how he got involved in public history, and Mount Vernon's new digitial experience, Be Washington!

Straight from the picket lines: As a million American school children walk out to protest gun violence and hundreds of British university students occupy campus buildings to support the UCU strike, Frank and David discuss the history of youth activism, including:

• The role that youth played in the American Revolution
• How the Wide Awakes helped to create a new political party
• How young people were the backbone the Civil Rights movement

Last Drops

David: Bunk History

Frank: Be Washington