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History: Beyond the Textbook4.6: His Own Man: Toussaint Louverture, Indispensable Leader of the Haitian RevolutionSend us a textThe struggles of Haiti go back talking hundreds of years, from when French colonization and their participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade reshaped the fabric of the western half of the island on which Haiti is located. The brutality that accompanied this system led to the most successful slave rebellion in human history: the Haitian Revolution. The institution of slavery, let alone any revolts by enslaved individuals, that occurred in the Caribbean are rarely mentioned since they are viewed outside the scope and scale of “U.S. history.” However, this events allows us to unde...
2025-12-0233 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook4.5: Kamehameha The Great and the Unification of the Hawai'ian IslandsSend us a textUnfortunately, in your typical U.S History course, Hawai’i probably enters the narrative during a unit on imperialism, where Queen Lili’uokalani was forced into surrendering the throne and James Dole’s company established a fruit empire. Pearl Harbor was bombed and prompted U.S. entry into World War II…Pearl Harbor is in Hawai’i. Beyond these mentions, I would wager that not much of the rich history of Hawai’i seeps into a majority of American classrooms. However, Hawai'i is an American state, and its story is an American story: competing leade...
2025-11-2531 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook4.4: Little Turtle, the “Mad” General, and the Battle of Fallen TimbersSend us a textConflict between Indigenous tribes and nations and European, and later, American, settlers, is a consistent theme throughout American history, and we’ve certainly covered our fair share on the podcast. The aftermath of St. Clair's defeat is what we are focused on today: the response of the U.S. Army, the proposed follow-up by Indigenous forces, and the battle that led to a treaty ending large-scale Indigenous resistance in the Northwest Territory. Our primary subjects are a Miami leader who fought in St. Clair’s Defeat and came to realize what he was truly...
2025-11-1828 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook4.3: John Trumbull and James Madison: The Artist and Antagonist of Jay’s TreatySend us a textOne was the preeminent politician of his time who helped shape that America we have today, well-versed in history, philosophy, and political theory. The other is mainly known as a painter, but an influential one at that. So what do they have in common, along with their status as Americans? Well, for our purposes, they each played a role in the stage surrounding one of the most controversial pieces of diplomacy of the Federalist Era: Jay’s Treaty. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our last in our arc on “Divisions,” we’ll expl...
2025-11-1132 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook4.2: Marquis de Lafayette and the French RevolutionSend us a textIt was an event that we as a nation helped inspire and was seen as an extension, maybe even a culmination, of the application of Enlightenment ideals to an entire nation. But while the American Revolution centered on a colonial break from their mother country, the French Revolution sought to undue centuries of political, social, and economic entrenchment in a matter of years. From its earliest stages, it became abundantly clear that this Revolution was going to unfold in a much bloodier manner than its sister revolution across the pond. At the center of...
2025-11-0433 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook4.1: Alexander Hamilton: The First Bank of the United States and the Whiskey RebellionSend us a textBorrowing a host of ideas from his elder financier Robert Morris, Alexander Hamilton would accept the position of Secretary of the Treasury and metaphorically hit the ground running. He issued four reports on the state of the American economy with accompanying suggestions on how to fix these issues, with two of these solutions being internal excise taxes, meaning a tax on something specific, and the creation of the First Bank of the United States. One revealed deep dissension between North and South, while the other would reveal fissures between East and West. On thi...
2025-10-2830 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.12: Benjamin Banneker: Unsung Renaissance Man of America’s Crucial YearsSend us a textIt was a decision that came about during a dinner party…allegedly. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson invited Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, along with Congressman James Madison, to his quarters in New York City for an evening of food, drink, and conversation, the end result of which was the decision to place the nation’s capital in the geographic south on the Potomac River. This scenario has become more widely known due to the success of Hamilton! Not so well-known, although probably familiar to a few who have explored the issue, is the...
2024-12-2427 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.11: Sally and James Hemings, and Shifting Dymanics of American SlaverySend us a textThomas Jefferson’s Monticello was his home, his castle, and in a way, his personal fiefdom: he had legal control over the happenings at this place, over the lives of its inhabitants. This included the hundreds of individuals who were held in bondage during Jefferson’s lifetime, although one particular family name stands out as being more prominent than others. Historically, the Hemings family and the Jefferson family are forever intertwined due to the complex relationship between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, but her brother, James, is also noteworthy. In this episode of History...
2024-12-1731 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.10: Charles Willson Peale and William Hill Brown: the Curator and the Novelist of America’s Crucial YearsSend us a text“Culture.” It’s a word that means something different depending on who you ask; to some, it means an element that is “popular” and can serve as a common frame of reference for a large group of people. To others, “culture” refers to how an individual lives their life based on a specific belief system that is similar to a larger group. Both are correct, and both get to the heart of today’s episode as we explore the emergence of a new "American" culture. On this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we’ll focus on Char...
2024-12-1031 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.9: Mercy Otis Warren and Patrick Henry: Anti-Federalist Antagonists of Constitutional RatificationSend us a textIt’s tough to say what most history classrooms emphasize when they cover Constitutional ratification, but our focus will be on its opponents...those individuals who heard about, and often read the results, of what happened in Philadelphia in summer 1787 and were displeased with what they saw. Keep in mind that the document that emerged from Philadelphia still needed the blessing of the states, hence the process of ratification, so this is what our focus will be today. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our last in our arc on transition duri...
2024-12-0327 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.8: Roger Sherman and George Mason: Self-Educated Sages of the Constitutional ConventionSend us a textThe first formal meeting to reassess the Articles of Confederation was held in Annapolis, Maryland in September 1786, at about the same time as Shays’ Rebellion. Only five states bothered to send any delegates, and there was really only one thing that was accomplished: they decided to try again the following May in Philadelphia. That one would enjoy better attendance, and produce a much different result: the U.S. Constitution. Many famous names were counted as attendees, but we intend to focus on the name most closely associated with this deal...and one who favore...
2024-11-2626 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.7: The Farmer and the Fighter: Daniel Shays, Benjamin Lincoln, and the Importance of Shays' RebellionSend us a textWhat became known as “Shays' Rebellion” was put down by force, but it opened the eyes of many to the reality that the current government was not working, and it has been used as an anecdote for why the Articles of Confederation were such an inadequate government. Our task will be to unmask the man behind the protest, as well as the general tasked with putting it down, and ascertain what the true legacy of the movement should be. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our first that focuses on transition during...
2024-11-1926 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.6: Contrasting Tales of Settlement: Blue Jacket and Rufus Putnam in the Northwest TerritorySend us a textWe’ll focus on the American Midwest with this episode: specifically, the areas affected by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These fertile lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River were considered ripe for American settlement…unless you and your kin were already living there and had done so for generations. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our last in our arc of looking at “The West” during these Crucial Years, we’ll explore the Northwest Territory using the experiences of Shawnee leader Blue Jacket and Army Engineer Rufus Putnam...
2024-11-1230 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.5: Alexander McGillivray and the U.S.-Creek Treaty of 1790Send us a textThe Peace of Paris would certainly anger and frustrate the many nations who held the lands that were supposedly now in American possession, and one of the most prominent was the Creek. The Creek stand out due to the efforts of their de facto leader, Alexander McGillivray, to negotiate a treaty with the young U.S. government, and his successes, and failures, set the tone moving forward for official U.S. government policy regarding Native Americans. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, the second in our mini-series on “The West,” we’ll explo...
2024-11-0528 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.4: Franciscan Father-President: Fray Junipero Serra and Alta CaliforniaSend us a textIts 1769, and Spain is renewing their efforts to colonize what they called “Alta California” on the Pacific Coast. Leading the push was Fray Junipero Serra, a Franciscan whose efforts to spread the Catholic faith would earn him the title “Apostle of California.” His actions would also lead to a re-examination of the role of Europeans in colonizing and Christianizing the Indigenous peoples of the lands in which they arrived, so his legacy isn’t without controversy. Today's episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, the first of three episodes on "The West," focuses on Fray Junipero...
2024-10-2927 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.3: John Jay, and the failure of American Foreign PolicySend us a textJohn Jay was a member of both Continental Congresses, served as ambassador to Spain during the later years of the American Revolution, helped negotiate the Peace of Paris that ended that war, authored a series of essays that became collectively known as The Federalist Papers, was appointed the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and resigned upon his election as Governor of New York…but not before negotiating an economic treaty with our former foes, Great Britain. The man led an accomplished life, but why isn’t his name mentioned with...
2024-10-2226 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.2: The First Financier: Robert Morris and the Bank of North AmericaSend us a textHe was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies, so by extension, the United States of America. Foreign-born to unwed parents, he had the reputation of being a financial wizard who understood commerce, markets, and how to maximize profit. Victory at Yorktown would not have occurred were it not for the efforts of this man, who was Superintendent of Finance as the American Revolution drew to a close. Robert Morris sought to place the finances of America on sound footing with the creation of the Bank of North America, an institution that was...
2024-10-1525 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook3.1: John Dickinson, Architect of the Articles of ConfederationSend us a text It's 1783, and military mutinies are intermittently breaking out across the United States. This, and other, issues stem from problems with the first official “national” government of the United States: the Articles of Confederation, of which today's key figure wrote the first draft. He served as foil for John Adams during the fight to declare independence…but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a believer in the United States, and he would be well-positioned to address the simmering tensions among the military that almost led to the destruction of the new federal government. In today’s epi...
2024-10-0826 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.12: King George III, Enlightened Monarch of the American RevolutionSend us a textHe’s the man responsible for the loss of Britain’s North American colonies, and a cruel, despotic monarch at that…these are both perceptions of King George III, and it’s realistically how many Americans learn about Britain’s king at the time of American independence. But he reigned for 60 years…and the Revolution lasted for 8, so clearly there must be more to this man than just “losing a war,” right? In our final episode of Season 2 of History: beyond the Textbook, we’ll explore the reign of King George III, Enlightened King of the American...
2024-05-0728 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.11: The Officer and the Commoner: Lord Cornwallis and Joseph Plumb Martin at the Battle of YorktownSend us a textIt was the last significant battle of the American Revolution, although this couldn’t have been predicted at the time. The Americans, British, and the French felt that 1781 was a "now or never" year for the Revolution, and that something big had to happen. Many forces coalesced to turn the Battle of Yorktown into the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War, and we’ll examine two individuals serving on opposing sides, and from very different backgrounds. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we’ll conclude the fighting of the American Revolution at Yorktown...
2024-04-3031 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.10: Banastre Tarleton and England's "Southern Strategy"Send us a textMuch of the history of the American Revolution focuses on actions in what was called the “Northern” theater, and to a degree, this makes sense: given the outsized role Massachusetts played in the pre-war years and the early years of combat. Yet while the Southern colonies were not exactly “inactive” during the early years of the war, many narratives don’t necessarily focus on this region in great detail until the pivotal Battle of Yorktown in fall 1781. As Britain concentrated more resources on this region in the second half of the war, stories began to spre...
2024-04-2330 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.9: Martha Washington, the Oneidas, and the Winter at Valley ForgeSend us a text Those present at the winter at Valley Forge in 1777-1778 included a veritable “who’s who” of future American political leadership, such as George Washington, Henry Knox, and Alexander Hamilton. Prominent names are usually associated with this critical transition period, and rightfully so…but there were women who accompanied the army to this camp, and Indigenous allies also arrived as winter turned into spring to help the Continental Army with their war effort. These last two categories of individuals are the ones we shall focus on in this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook: M...
2024-04-1629 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.8: Dueling Bens: Arnold, Franklin, and the Turning Point at SaratogaSend us a textOne man was all-in for independence dating back to the years before the first shots at Lexington and Concord, while the other held out hope for a moderate solution and was even accused of holding sympathies to the British cause. One is Benjamin Franklin, and the other is Benedict Arnold, and both will play a role in the Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York, one as a soldier, the other as a politician attempting to win allies to the American cause. It’s this critical turning point that forms the basis of toda...
2024-04-0930 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.7: Joseph Brant: Mohawk Loyalist of New York's FrontierSend us a textHe sided with the British in the American Revolution, and successfully convinced many of his countrymen to do so. The education he received at the hands of Eleazar Wheelock allowed him to understand colonial culture, while his upbringing as a Mohawk immersed him in a way of life little understood by colonial Americans. His unique background brought him into contact with prominent movers and shakers on the frontier, and also led him down the path of fighting for King George III in the American Revolution. His experiences also provide an insight into how Ind...
2024-04-0229 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.6: A Most Radical Writer: Thomas Paine, and the stunning victory at TrentonSend us a textHe arrived in North American in December 1774 with a fever so devastating that he needed to be carried ashore. This man also carried with him letters of introduction from none other than Dr. Benjamin Franklin, so there must have been something special about this individual. The succeeding years would bear this out, for once Englishman Thomas Paine picked up his pen, flourishing oratory and dramatic inspiration were the results. Using the remarkable Battle of Trenton as a framing device, this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook highlights the radical writer Thomas Paine and the...
2024-03-2629 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.5: Revolutionary Power Couple: John and Abigail Adams and the Declaration of IndependenceSend us a textHe was a lawyer who would devote his life to public service; she was an independent woman who would devote her life to her family and supporting her husband's political efforts, both in spirit and in practice. Both of them would come to support the principles that were espoused in the Declaration of Independence, and the story of one is never told without understanding the story of the other. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook shines a light on John and Abigail Adams and their efforts to support the Declaration and the co...
2024-03-1929 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.4: Patriot Physician: Dr. Joseph Warren and the Battle of Bunker HillSend us a textHe was a local man who became a well-respected physician, treating all members of Boston society, Patriot and Loyalist alike. However, his personal sympathies lay with the growing movement that would push towards full independence from Great Britain. Dr. Joseph Warren would unfortunately not live to see this come to fruition, although he was a key player in orchestrating events that would lead to this break, culminating in his indirect participation in Lexington and Concord, and his all-too-direct participation in the Battle of Bunker Hill. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on...
2024-03-1228 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.3: Poet of the Revolution: Phillis Wheatly and American FreedomSend us a textShe arrived in Boston in the 1760's, was purchased by the wealthy Wheatly family, and went on to become a published, not to mention, accomplished, poet. She enjoyed an up-close view of the key events leading up to the American Revolution, commemorated many of these events in memorable prose, and traveled to London to secure a publisher for her work. Amidst it all, she dealt with the scrutiny and doubt of a potential audience who found it hard to believe that a woman who was enslaved could use the English language so eloquently...bu...
2024-03-0528 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.2: The Guiding Hand: Samuel Adams and the Boston Tea PartySend us a textA name most likely associated with a beer company, what role did Samuel Adams really play in fermenting opposition to British policies prior to the American Revolution? His role is usually relegated to the shadows, but he became such an infamous individual that others of his generation were compared to him, and he became Public Enemy Number One in the eyes of the British Crown due to his role in ensuring that a certain beverage never made it out of Boston Harbor. In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, we look at Sam...
2024-02-2728 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook2.1: The Prominent Pre-Revolution Loyalist: Thomas Hutchinson and the Stamp ActSend us a textNow known as the prototypical Loyalist, it wasn't always this way...Thomas Hutchinson was one of the most well-known men in Boston when the French and Indian War ended. He had a successful career as a merchant and a public servant, with a keen eye towards further advancement in the political climate in pre-Revolutionary North America. Yet, Hutchinson wasn't necessarily a fan of the "Acts" that Britain passed following the war...so how did he become associated with those who stood firm in their loyalty to Britain at all costs? In the season open...
2024-02-2734 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.12: Pontiac and the war against British ImperialismSend us a textHe led his forces against the mighty British military, captured their forts, forced them to surrender...and ultimately lost the war that bears his name. Odawa Chief Pontiac, an Anishinaabeg of the western Great Lakes, fought a war against the British after the latter presumed that the North American theater of the Seven Years' War had drawn to a close. The events, and results, of Pontiac's actions caused British officials to reconsider their perceptions of this portion of their growing empire that they often took for granted...and would set in motion a ser...
2023-12-1934 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.11: George Washington, and the start of the French and Indian WarSend us a textAs a man given the nickname "First in the Hearts of his Countrymen," among many others, what could we possibly explore about the life of the famous George Washington that hasn't already been written? He led America's Continental Army in the War for Independence against the British, agreed to attend the pivotal Philadelphia Convention in May 1787, and served two terms as the first President of the United States. However, before all of this, Washington had aspirations of elevating his social status to that of Virginia's elite planter gentry...and he dreamt of military gl...
2023-12-1943 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.10: Alice, Ayuba, and Louis: Experiences of American SlaverySend us a textSlavery has existed for as long as humans have lived in settled society, but it was taken to another level in colonial America, and eventually, the United States. Humans were legally classified as property and treated with intense brutality, while their stories mostly went unrecorded. This episode seeks to shine a light on three individuals whose experiences were noted for various reasons: Alice of Dunks Ferry, Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, and Louis Congo. Each lived in a different region of colonial North America and has a different skill set, but the spotlight on their liv...
2023-12-1236 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.9: Po'Pay: Architect of the Great Southwest RebellionSend us a textHe lead a full-scale rebellion against Spanish rule in the American Southwest. This rebellion was so successful that it expelled the Spaniards from the region and allowed the Pueblo to return to their traditional ways...for a time. Although the Spanish would return about one decade later, the Great Southwest Rebellion, as history has come to call this 1680 event, stands out for the ruthlessness with which it was carried out, and the tenacity of the leader who planned it. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on this leader, who spent years plann...
2023-12-0534 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.8: Mary Rowlandson, Chronicler of King Philip's WarSend us a textAmidst the deadliest per capita conflict in the colonial era, Mary Rowlandson, wife of a prominent minister, was captured by enemy forces in what history has recorded as King Philip's War. She was moved constantly during her 12-weeks as a prisoner, but her experiences, and strong faith, formed the basis of the book she wrote about her ordeal. This book even formed the basis of a new literary genre, one in which contrasting cultures were highlighted, but not always understood. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook uses Mary's experiences as the context of...
2023-11-2835 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.7: Chief Canaqueese, Fighter and Orator of the HaudenosauneeSend us a textTheir homelands stood at a crucial chokepoint between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, placing them in a unique position to either negotiate for what they wanted...or take it by force. These options of diplomacy or violence best describes the subject of this episode: Chief Canaqueese, a man of Mohawk and Dutch lineage who engaged in plenty of each during his lifetime. His life of warfare, mixed with a desire to attempt to end this continual way of life, provides a vantage point through which to explore the Haudenosaunee and the power th...
2023-11-2132 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.6: Uncas, Mohegan of the Connecticut River ValleySend us a textConflict between Indigenous tribes and European settlers is a consistent theme in America's colonial era. Such conflicts often centered around the land: who lived there, who used it, and how it was used. The Pequot War, centered in New England's Connecticut River Valley during the mid-1600's, was no exception. However, like other conflicts, and often to the surprise of modern observers, it did not solely pit Indigenous fighters against their European counterparts as tribes were willing to ally with the English for a variety of reasons. Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegan, consistently aligned his p...
2023-11-1435 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.5: Anne Hutchinson, Rhode Island RebelSend us a textFree speech is a hallmark of American life enshrined in the Bill of Rights. However, speaking one's mind wasn't always a viable option in the early Puritan communities that dotted New England in the first half of the 1600's. This possibility diminished even further when a woman was the one doing the speaking, and in most instances, challenging the status quo. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook continues the religious dynamic of our previous episode, and once again explores English settlement of New England, but does so through the lens of Anne Hut...
2023-11-0731 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.4: Stephen Hopkins, Peacemaker of PlymouthSend us a textThe Mayflower left England in 1620 bound for North America with a passenger list that has been categorized as made up of "Saints" and "Strangers." Some were completing this crossing in an effort to separate themselves from what was, in their minds, was a corrupt Church of England, while others made the journey for reasons that weren't explicitly religious. However, one passenger had already made this crossing one decade earlier; this individual previously made his way to Jamestown by way of an unexpected detour of the Caribbean, all the while acquiring skills that would ma...
2023-10-3135 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.3: Jean Nicolet, the Negotiator of New FranceSend us a textJean Nicolet is generally not the first name that comes to mind as a key player with regard to the topic of French colonization of North America; that honor generally belongs to Samuel de Champlain. However, Nicolet lived among numerous Indigenous nations, learned their languages and customs, and travelled with his Huron companions on the Great Lakes, landing west of Lake Michigan. However, the details of Nicolet's adventure, along with the motivations for this journey, have been misinterpreted for centuries, leading to a misunderstanding as to its true significance. To explore French designs on N...
2023-10-2429 minHistory: Beyond the Textbook1.2: Opechancanough, Jamestown's "Pamunkey Prince"Send us a textJohn Smith, Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas...Opechancanough? The second episode of "History: Beyond the Textbook" shifts the focus to England's colonial efforts in North America, and Jamestown is certainly familiar ground. However, the experiences of Opechancanough, war chief of the Powhatan Confederacy upon English arrival in 1607, provide a glimpse into Indigenous perspectives on these newcomers and allow listeners to examine the origins of what would prove to be numerous conflicts between the two sides. And there's much more to Opechancanough's life than what occurred in Jamestown...Key PeopleOpechancanough, Pow...
2023-10-1728 minHistory: Beyond the TextbookEpisode 1.1: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the Father of FloridaSend us a textThe phrase "conquistador" is often associated with men like Cortes and Pizarro...men who conquered the great civilizations south of the Rio Grande. But what about the conquistadors who made a name for themselves in what became the United States? In the first episode of "History: Beyond the Textbook," we explore the man who is credited with founding St. Augustine Florida, the oldest European city in the contiguous United States: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.Key People Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Spanish...
2023-10-1730 min