Shows
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 245: Heiresses with Dr. Miranda KaufmannThis week, Dr. Miranda Kaufmann chats with Mimicofmodes about British heiresses of Caribbean fortunes, and the enslaved people that underwent untold suffering to support their lifestyles. (47 min.) Find Dr. Kaufmann on BlueSky as @drmirandakaufmann or on her website. Heiresses: Marriage, Inheritance, and Slavery in the Caribbean Discussion post on AskHistorians
2025-10-1647 min
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 228 - AskHistorians Aloud with Trevor CulleyWe have a slightly different format for this podcast episode! A little while ago we floated the idea to our flaired users of a podcast episode where various answers were read out by the answerers themselves. This lets our flaired users highlight some of their answers that they think were particularly spectacular, and gives their answers another chance to reacha new audience! On our first episode of this type, user trevor_culley reads off four of his answers on Persian History! 43min.
2024-06-0643 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast April Fools Special 2022 – Tartaria with /u/EnclavedMicrostateIn this special episode of the AskHistorians podcast, /u/hannahstohelit and /u/EnclavedMicrostate talk about one of the more unusual history-related conspiracy theories of recent years: Tartaria. Why are thousands of internet users convinced of the existence of a lost empire in Eurasia? Where does post-Soviet nationalism come into it? And why are they so obsessed with big buildings? All this and more will be revealed in this special. 60 mins. A transcript of this episode can be found here.
2022-04-0158 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 182: The Beginnings of Academic Military History with /u/IphikratesIn this episode, /u/EnclavedMicrostate talks with /u/Iphikrates about the beginnings of academic military history in 19th century Prussia. Why, in a state so strongly associated with its military traditions, was the academic study of military history so heavily opposed both from the academy and from the army? How did the field emerge despite this opposition? Who were the big names? What sorts of controversies were fought over? Find out all this and more on this fortnight's AskHistorians Podcast. 60 mins.
2021-09-1659 min
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 169 - Gaelic Work Songs with Meg HylandIn this episode, Seb Lewin (u/aquatermain) discusses Meg Hyland's (u/Kelpie_Cat) research into work songs sung by itinerant herring gutters from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. Topics include the similarities between herring work songs and the Tango, the surprisingly not-safe-for-work lyrics and why one heritage boat captain refuses to led nuns aboard. In what is perhaps a first for an AskHistorians Podcast episode, we are also treated to a live rendition of one of these songs by Meg.
2021-02-181h 02
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 166 - Vikings and Popular CultureIn this episode, four members of the AskHistorians panel discuss Vikings, their popular culture portrayals and how the legend of the looting, pillaging bearded norsemen is far from an accurate portrayal of these historical figures.
2021-01-091h 07The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 156 - Latin American Classical MusicTyler Alderson interviews Seb Lewin about a region of the world often overlooked when it comes to classical music: Latin America. The interview covers the lives and music of several important composers, discussing how their music is a reflection of musical and societal trends in their countries. 77 minutes
2020-09-031h 16
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 155 - The SS-Officer's ArmchairIn this episode, Johannes Breit interviews historian Daniel Lee about his new book "The SS-Officer's Armchair". In his book Lee, a specialist on the history of Jews in France and North Africa, follows the trail of several documents found sewn into an armchair. Weaving together historical work with his own process of uncovering information about Robert Giesinger, mid-level German bureaucrat and owner of the papers, Lee crafts a gripping account about both the nature of Nazi perpetrators as well as a historian's hunt for answers.
2020-08-2057 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 154 - The Sasanian EmpireIn this episode, u/EnclavedMicrostate interviews Michael Bonner on the subject of the Sasanian Empire, which ruled Iran and its environs from the fall of the Arsacid (Parthian) empire in the early 3rd century AD to the rise of Islam in the 7th century. This covers the politics of the empire, its religious landscape, and the geopolitics of Eurasia in Late Antiquity, with discussion of connections and conflicts with Rome, Armenia, the steppe, and China.
2020-08-062h 05The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 150 - Church, State and Colonialism in Southeast CongoGuest-host Max (/u/Commustar) speaks with Reuben A. Loffman about his book "Church, State and Colonialism in Southeastern Congo; 1890-1962" (2019, Palgrave-MacMillan). This wide-ranging interview covers pre-colonial history of the Kongolo region; the role of White Fathers and Spiritan missionaries; and the experience of decolonization and the Katanga secession. You can find Reuben Loffman on twitter as @ReubenLoffman,
2020-06-112h 14The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 149 - The Opium Wars part2This is the second part of the discussion between myself, /u/Steelcan909, and /u/EnclavedMicrostate, wherein we discuss the Opium Wars themselves, the actual role of opium in the wars, and the fallout that these events had on subsequent Chinese and European history.
2020-05-271h 18The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 148 - The Opium Wars part 1Welcome to the first of our two part series on the Opium Wars! Today I, /u/Steelcan909, am joined by /u/EnclavedMicrostate in a discussion about the development of the opium trade and the tensions between the Qing government and British merchants that erupted into two wars between these Imperial giants.
2020-05-151h 00The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Episode 146 - The Conversion of England to Christianity in the Early Middle AgesIn this episode, Jeremy (/u/EnclavedMicrostate) interviews then-flaired-user (now newly-minted moderator) /u/Steelcan909 on the matter of the Christianisation of England during the Early Middle Ages. What happened to Christianity after the Romans left? How did it come back? Were attempts made to syncretise Christianity with paganism? And where does horse meat come into it all? Find out all this and more on this episode of the AskHistorians Podcast.
2020-04-1656 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians at AHAOn January 4, members of the AskHistorians mod team spoke as a panel at the annual American Historical Association conference in New York City. We recorded that panel, "Historians on the Battleground of Social Media: Lessons from Eight Years of AskHistorians," to share with our listeners at home! (Some audience questions at the end were edited out, as they were too quiet to hear or amplify in post-production. The answers are still in the podcast, though!) You can read our papers here: https://askhistorians.com/conferences/aha2020.html
2020-01-101h 28The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Episode 143 - European Warfare from Frederick to NapoleonFor his debut as an interviewer rather than as a guest on the podcast, Jeremy Salkeld (/u/EnclavedMicrostate) is joined by flaired user /u/dandan_noodles to discuss warfare and its changes and continuities from the mid-eighteenth century and the wars of Frederick the Great up to the early nineteenth century and the wars of Napoleon. Why were wars fought? Who joined the armies? How did they fight? Did the revolution in French politics create a revolution in French warfare? Find out all this and more in this episode. (Total length: 102 minutes) Follow @AskHistorians on Tw...
2019-11-081h 42The AskHistorians PodcastMinisode: Hair Down ThereCassidy Percoco is joined by Lyndsey Craig, MS candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to chat briefly about the study, "Pubic Hair Removal Practices in Cross-Cultural Perspective," of which she was lead author. The study's anthropological in nature, but involves some descriptions of historical practices! You can follow Lyndsey on twitter as @lyndseykcraig. You can follow Cassidy on twitter as @mimicofmodes and at A Most Beguiling Accomplishment. Follow @AskHistorians on Twitter and everywhere else!
2019-10-3109 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Episode 141 - The Sexual (Mis)Education of America and SwedenBrian M. Watson is joined by Saniya Lee Ghanoui, PhD candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in order to examine the intersections of media and technology studies, gender and sexuality, and medicine and public health--which is to say the sexual education film in America and Sweden. Come relive your awkward (or non-existing!) highschool memories of sex-ed class and learn about the history leading up to that cringeworthy film and why it why it takes the form it does today. This is a transnational and transdisciplinary media event however, and we discuss Alfred Kinsey, condoms, and that time Dwight...
2019-10-1952 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Episode 140 - The International Brigades in the Spanish Civil WarToday we're joined by Fraser Raeburn, our very own /u/Crrpit, to talk about the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War with a specific emphasis on Scottish volunteers. Who joined? Why did they join? What were the politics of the International Brigades? Hear about this, and much more, in this episode. You can find him on Twitter as @FraserRaeburn.
2019-09-0751 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 137 -- 'What It Means To Be A Part Of America:' Dr. Eric Rauchway on Politics and Economics of the Depression and the New DealToday we have Dr. Eric Rauchway, a professor at the University of California, Davis. Professor Rauchway has expertise on U.S. policy, social, and economic history from the Civil War through the Second World War. He has consulted for government and private agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and a major Hollywood studio. Professor Rauchway's recent research focuses on the New Deal and the Second World War. He has written several books on how federal policy affects the US economy, and how the economy —international and domestic— influences U.S. policy. His research has bee...
2019-05-2352 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 136 - Clothing, Status, and Race in Colonial LimaOn today's episode we're talking with Professor Tamara Walker (Assistant Professor of History at the University of Toronto), about her book Exquisite Slaves: Race, Clothing and Status in Colonial Lima (Cambridge University Press, 2017). You can find her book here.
2019-05-1248 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 135 -- Historians and their Craft: Truth, Reconciliation and BiasIn another return visit, Doug Priest, /u/TenMinuteHistory stops by! You can last hear him on Episode 95 talking about the revolution before the revolution in Russia and Episode 86 where we talked about what it takes to be a historian, the tools and background you need Doug has his PhD in Soviet History from Michigan State University. Currently, he is the Digital Managing Editor at Townsquare Media and the incoming president of H-Net which is the OTHER largest academic history and social sciences forum online. Today we are going to continue our discussion on methodology. We...
2019-04-271h 11The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 133 -- We Have Met The Enemy and They Are U.S. -- The Militia and the War of 1812Today we are joined by a flaired member of the AskHistorians community, /u/PartyMoses! Better known to his friends and family as Adam Franti, who got his MA at Eastern Michigan University. We will be talking today in general terms about the War of 1812 and focusing on the argument of his masters thesis, which centers around nationalistic historical narratives of the war that unfairly criticize the militia. Adam also used to give tours about the war of 1812 at Fort Mackinac so he has great insight into the interesting stories! Discussion thread. © 2019 Bri...
2019-03-291h 07The AskHistorians PodcastThe Missouri Compromise of 1820 - A tale of slavery, politics and foreshadowing with /u/freedmenspatrolToday on the AskHistorians podcast, we're joined by ante-bellum slavery expert, moderator and contributor extroardinaire Pat (or Freedmenspatrol), to discuss the Missouri Compromise of 1820. In this episode we look at the nature of slavery in the United States in the early 1800s, the explosive tension between pro- and anti-slavery advocates, and the enormous political battle which unfolded over slavery and the statehood of Missouri. You can follow Pat as /u/freemenspatrol on Reddit, or join us in the podcast discussion here! ~96 minutes
2019-03-221h 36The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Sports Corsets - The Why, Where, and WhoToday on AskHistorians Aloud we have a fantastic answer by /u/mimicofmodes, fka /u/chocolatepot, who answers In the late 19th century, what was a "sports corset"?
2019-03-0805 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud: Who was the Black Hand? Who was the Mafia?/u/mikedash, also known literally as Mike Dash, author of a number of books, answers the question In the Godfather part II, the mafia emerged only after a proto-organized crime group, the Black Hand, was superseded. Was there anything that distinguished the mafia from this group, other than who was giving orders? © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2019-02-2210 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 130 -- The Taiping RebellionToday we are joined by /u/EnclavedMicrostate, who is a flaired user on AskHistorians on the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion. Together with guest host Bernardito, we talk about a conflict with many misconceptions: The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864). We explore the myths, the realities and the actual history behind the rebellion to explore this critical moment in 19th century Chinese history. Is it true that over 20 million people were killed in this conflict? Who truly was the leader of the Taiping? This, and much more, in this fascinating episode.
2019-02-1551 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 129 -- AskHistorians Asking Historians Again At the American Historical AssociationToday, we are releasing part two of our two-part series of interviews of historians at the American Historical Association this year. On this episode we have an interview with G Patrick O'Brien (@historia_passim) about his dissertation, tentatively titled "Unknown and Unlamented: Loyalist Women in Exile and Repatriation, 1775-1800," examines loyalist women in Nova Scotia and addresses questions of identity, community formation, and the maintenance of kinship networks in the late-eighteenth century. We also have an interview with Nathan Tye (@Hobo_History), a historian of the nineteenth and twentieth century United St...
2019-02-0159 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Manichaeism and its DiscontentsToday, the always-fantastic lcnielsen combines a number of his previous answers on Manichaeism to give us a fantastic overview of what it is and what it entails! See his answers on the topic here: Manichaeism is the only major world religion I could think of to be completely destroyed across multiple national boundaries as the result of severe persecution. What about Manichaeism was so terrifying to every single polity in late antiquity that caused such persecution? Why did Zoroastrianism stop spreading?, was it because the Persian Empire was conquered? Has there...
2019-01-3012 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 128 -- AskHistorians Asking Historians At the American Historical AssociationToday we are joined by a number of historians at the recent American Historical Society Conference in Chicago. First up, we have our very own Corey Bowen, aka /u/Commodorecoco, a PhD student at UIC and the Field Museum, and an archaeologist in his own right! Then it is Eric G.E. Zuelow is chair of the Department of History and Philosophy and an associate professor of European history. He specializes in modern Britain and Ireland, with a particular emphasis on the histories of tourism and national identity. Zuelow is author of SO MANY BOOKS and editor-in-chief...
2019-01-181h 01The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- How DID Women Begin to Wear the Pants Around Here After All?!/u/mimicofmodes answers the question "How did women get to wear the pants around here?" Link to answer.
2019-01-1110 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 127 -- Hockey Fights/Hockey Nights: The Original Miracle On Ice.Today we are joined by /u/kaisermatias, who is a flaired user on AskHistorians on 20th c. Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Hockey. kaisermatias is better known to his friends and family as Matt Lerner, and he is here today to talk to us about the history of hockey! We talk about the history of hockey--it's rules, equipment, styles. Then we talk about hockey's important role in Canadian culture and history before turning to the 1972 Summit Series between the USSR and Canada--the first Miracle on Ice--and what it meant then and still means today. Finally, we conclude with the strangest a...
2019-01-0550 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Medieval Middle Eastern Lesbians and their LovesToday one the AskHistorians Aloud podcast, cleopatra_philopater discusses the history of lesbianism in the medieval Middle East. Link to answer. © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-12-2817 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- When did it become acceptable for women to smoke too?Today on AskHistorians Aloud -- /u/mimicofmodes answers the question "when did it become acceptable for women to smoke too? Link to answer here.
2018-12-1404 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 126 -- AH Is Uncovering History with Dig - A History PodcastThis week on the AskHistorians Podcast we managed to sit down with three of the wonderful women of @dig_history to talk history podcasting, #twitterstorians, Jill Lepore, What to Expect When You're A History-Loving Highschooler, what #history can learn from #librarylife and so much more! Find Dig - A History Podcast here: https://digpodcast.org/ Historians joining us today: *Averill Earls, PhD* Averill is an historian of modern Ireland and sexuality, and writes about same-sex desiring men, policing, and Dublin's queer urban spaces. She is an Assistant Professor of History at...
2018-12-071h 15The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- How were medieval maps made, measured, and used?Join us today as Terminus-Trantor answers how maps were made in medieval times.
2018-11-3008 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 125 -- How Rome Fell Into Tyranny w/Dr. Edward J. Watts(44:35) Today we talk with Dr. Edward J. Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018) about how Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire, and the politics of economics and social accountability. You can find his book here. The /r/AskHistorians discussion thread for this podcast can be found here
2018-11-2344 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Special Release -- Open Access & The Academy: What it is, where it is, and where it's goingA special release podcast today: interviews that Brian Watson did with Brant Ellsworth of Children's Folklore Review and Willa C. Liburd Tavernier for Open Access week at Indiana University. This podcast episode is licensed under CC-BY.
2018-11-1647 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 124 -- Superman, Super-books: The History and Culture of Comic BookThis week we are joined by Caitlin Smith-Oyekole, a Ph.D. candidate in American literature at the University of Notre Dame, where she focuses on doubt in American literature from the Great Awakening to the Civil War. Previous projects have focused on print culture and musical practice in colonial New England, the incipient crisis of authority in 16th -century radical Protestant rhetoric, and more. She is here today to talk to us about the history of the superhero narrative, from Golden Age Superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Discussion thread here. © 2019 Bria...
2018-11-101h 05The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Electricity in the Ancient WorldToday on AskHistorians aloud, hillsonghoods answers the question "How did people throughout ancient history explain static electricity?" Link to question and answer: here.
2018-11-0211 min
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 123 - Historical Linguistics in the BalkansIn this week's podcast, we talk to AskHistorians flaired user u/rusoved, a historical linguist with a special focus on Slavic and Albanian linguistics. We discuss how historical linguists work backwards from modern language and dialects to work out how things used to be, as well as how the field itself developed and where it may be going on the future.
2018-10-2839 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 122 -- Getting Down and Dirty in the American Civil WarToday we have on askhistorians flaired user /u/nilhaus, better known as James McAllister to his friends and family. He has worked in a variety of fields including journalism, IT and government, but he returned to grad school and got his MA and his PHD (ABD) in American History and public history. He is working on his dissertation with an aim of beginning work in a museum afterwards. He talks to us today about the nature of doing history, what it would have been like to be a soldier in the American Civil War, and t...
2018-10-1847 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Was Queen Victoria Racist Against the Irish?New interview episode on Friday! For now, enjoy an AH Aloud episode! I often hear people say that the Irish Potato Famine was more a genocide than a true famine. How accurate is this claim? Link to answer.
2018-10-1505 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Is Mental Illness a Modern Phenomenon?Today on AskHistorians Aloud, hillsonghoods answers the question : Is the concept of mental ilness a modern phenomenon? Link to question and answer: here.
2018-10-0507 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Conscription and Its Discontents in Ancient GreeceIn this episode of AskHistorians Aloud, we talk about conscription in the Ancient Greek world. Iphikrates answers "I'm a farmer in 500 BC in a typical Greek city-state. How often will I get called to mobilize for a battle?" Link to answer: here. Update: Someone has pointed out that a bit of the outro got recorded over the answer! Terribly sorry about that. Here is the missing text: How much of the time was wartime is an open question. But even during the Peloponnesian War, there were several uneventful ye...
2018-09-2107 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 121 -- The Education of America with EdHistory 101This week we are thrilled to have the host of EdHistory 101 podcast, and great AskHistorians flaired member UrAccountabilityBuddy, who is better known as Jenn Binis! In this episode we literally trace the entire history of education in America, diving deep into some weeds of discussion. I think you will enjoy it greatly. Please do go and subscribe to Ed History 101 wherever you get your podcasts and also please support us on patreon.com/askhistorians as it really does help to keep this show going Join us here for a discussion thread. © 2019 Brian M. Wa...
2018-09-2048 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 120 -Dueling in 19th century AmericaToday we're talking with fellow mod u/Georgy_K_Zhukov about dueling in the 19th century United States.
2018-09-141h 19The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- All About the Humble Little CondomToday, a history of the condom from /u/AnnalsPornographie / @HistoryOf Porn. Link to answer. © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-09-0709 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 119 -- So You Wanna Be A MuseumPro? -- Museums and Public HistoryToday we are joined by AskHistorians user /u/mimicofmodes, flaired in the History of Western Fashion. She is better known to her friends and family as Cassidy Percoco, an independent historian of fashion, textiles and material culture. She is the author of Regency Women's Dress: Techniques and Patterns 1800-1830, the host of A Most Beguiling Accomplishment podcast, and a collections manager at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association and talks to us today about some aspects of history in public life--what it is like to work in a museum and to teach history to the public ...
2018-08-2740 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Aloud -- Women, Discrimination, and the VoteIn this episode of AskHistorians Aloud, sunagainstgold answers "Were women voters subject to vote suppression campaigns in the 1920s like those forced on African-Americans after Reconstruction?" Link to question and answer: here.
2018-08-2015 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 118 - Liberalism and Law in 19th Century Mexico w/Dr. Timo SchaeferToday we talk with Dr. Timo Schaefer, author of Liberalism as Utopia The Rise and Fall of Legal Rule in Post-Colonial Mexico, 1820–1900 (Cambridge University Press, 2017), about how Liberal projects and ideals affected the legal system in 19th century Mexico. You can find him on Twitter as @TimoHSchaefer You can find his book here.
2018-08-181h 092018-08-1707 minThe AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 117 -- Introducing AskHistorians Aloud -- Napalm, Peglegs, Castrati, and Egyptian MarriageToday's episode is a little bit different! Instead of your regularly scheduled episode we are coming out with a preview of a new AskHistorians Podcast feature, AskHistorians Aloud! This feature is meant to bring some of the amazing work being done on the subreddit everyday to your ears here. © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-08-0734 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 116 - Debunking 300's Battle of ThermopylaeToday we talk with Dr. Roel Konijnendijk (@Roelkonijn on Twitter) about the myths surrounding the Battle of Thermopylae in popular culture. In particular, we compare scholarship on the battle with the mid-aughts film 300, Directed by Zack Snyder.
2018-07-201h 08The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 115 - The Friends They Loathed - Quaker Religion and Persecution in the American RevolutionToday we talk with /u/UncoveredHistory, better known as Jason Aglietti. He is a public librarian in Baltimore and he just finished his Master's thesis from University of Maryland Baltimore County, where he wrote and defended his thesis The Friends They Loathed: The Persecution of Maryland Quakers During the Revolutionary War. Jason will tell us all about the lives of the Quakers in the American colonies from their founding to their persecution in the revolutionary war. This is NOT the history you usually hear about the revolutionary war, and Jason gives us a lot of new things...
2018-07-0653 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 114 - Tribes, Tribalism, and Nationality in Africa w/CommustarToday we talk with Max (AKA u/Commustar on Reddit) about tribes, tribalism, and nationality in Africa. You can find the discussion thread here.
2018-06-2346 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 113 - The History of Medicine, Diagnosis, and the Body with Dr. Adam Rodman of Bedside RoundsToday on the AskHistorians Podcast we are joined by Dr Adam Rodman of the BedsideRounds Podcast! Prepare for the ultimate crossover episode as we discuss the history of the body, of medicine, and of physicians. This is a great episode and please enjoy it, love it, rate and review it! You can find Adam @AdamRodmanMD and his podcast at http://bedside-rounds.org/. Discussion thread is here. © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-06-081h 04The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 112 - Eye of the TsarToday we're talking about the ways in which 17th and 18th century Russia gathered intelligence on the Far East with Professor Gregory Afinogenov, who is currently Assistant Professor of Russian Imperial History at the University of Georgetown. He's on Twitter as @athenogenes.
2018-05-2551 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 111 -- Speak Ill of the Dead -- Early Modern English Death Culture and the EpitaphToday we are joined by /u/amandycat, who is flaired on AskHistorians as Early Modern English Death Culture, which has to be one of the more stark and interesting flairs we have on the subreddit. She is better known to her friends and family as Amanda Brunton, a PhD student at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. Today we discuss all sorts of interesting and morbid things, like deaths, funerals, and how people liked to talk shade about the dead. An hour on the culture and history surrounding death and death culture in Early Modern England and it's not e...
2018-05-111h 11The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 110 - Marxist Historiography and Contemporary Academia with w/CommieSpaceInvaderIn today's episode we talk with u/CommieSpaceInvader about Marxist historiography and contemporary academia. This episode isn't a systematic analysis of the Marxist school within History so much as it is a broader reflection on the evolution of Marxist historiography and the ways it is perceived in contemporary academia and beyond.
2018-04-2858 minThe AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 109 - Dunkirk - The Dawn of the Second World WarToday we are joined by a member from the AskHistorians Community, /u/Coinsinmyrocket, flaired as Mid-20th Century Military | Naval History . He is joining us today to talk about the Phoney War, which touches on Dunkirk but also surrounds several of the events around it. Also included: discussion about the recent *Dunkirk* movie! Discussion thread here © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-04-1347 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 108 - Poor Whites in the Antebellum American SouthToday we chat with Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt about the topic of her new book, Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South (Cambridge University Press, 2017). Dr. Merritt is on Twitter as @KeriLeighMerrit and her professional website is https://kerileighmerritt.com. You can join the discussion on the subreddit here.
2018-03-3146 minThe AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 107 - The Bigfoot Story - Origins, Legends, and SpeculationToday we are lucky to be joined by /u/depanneur, who is flaired on AskHistorians as Pre-Norman Ireland & European Fascism until 1945. He is better known to his friends and family as Pat Reed, and he is a Masters Student at the National University of Ireland, Galway, in Medieval Studies. Today's episode is a superb micro history of a macro topic-Bigfoot. Where does he come from? Where does he go? The world has questions but our guest today has answers. Discussion thread is here. © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2018-03-1641 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 106 - Marijuana in the USA: Between Legalization and CriminalizationToday we talk with Dr. Emily Dufton, author of Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America. We talk about the decades long struggle between proponents of legalizing marijuana and those who defend laws criminalizing its possession and use. (56 min) You can find our guest on Twitter as @emily_dufton.
2018-03-0255 minThe AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 105 -- Scientists, Philosophers, and the Royal Society - The History of CreationismToday we have on /u/link0007, better known as Lukas Wolf, who is flaired on AskHistorians for 18th Century Newtonian Philosophy. This is an interesting and in depth episode because it talks about a couple of fields that do not get a lost of interest--history of philosophy and history of science. In this episode Lukas describes how the early scientists dealt with the questions of where god was in the research they were doing, and how creationism plays into early scientific arguments. We also cover Robert Boyle, David Hume, the Royal Society (the first scientific organization) and many more...
2018-02-161h 05The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 104 - Resistance and rebellion in the British Caribbean w/SowserIn today's episode we hear from u/Sowser about resistance and rebellion in the British Caribbean. Using Jamaica as a case study, we talk about the different uprisings which shaped Jamaican history, both before and after the abolition of slavery. (81 minutes) Feel free to join the discussion of this episode on the mainsub here!
2018-02-051h 21The AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 103 -- Libertines, Sexy Books, and BDSM - The 18thC You Never Learned AboutToday we have an episode and discussion on the history of libertinism in the 18th century between me, your host, Brian Watson (@historyofporn), and Thomas Froh (@T_Froh), who is officially now Dr. Thomas Froh! Thomas' dissertation is on libertinism, specifically in 18th century anglo-french literature--a very dry phrase for sexy books and erotica in the 1700s! He is here today to talk with me and us about transgression and erotica in the long 18thC! We have a great discussion on various libertine authors, ideas, and sexy books of the 18th century and even include a bit on BDSM....
2018-01-1848 minThe AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 102 - Adjunct LifeIn this episode we hear from Professor David Fouser (u/agentdcf on the subreddit and @journeymanhisto on Twitter) about what it is like to be an adjunct professor in today's academic job market. (62 minutes) Discussion thread
2018-01-051h 02The AskHistorians PodcastThe AskHistorians Podcast 101 -- 18th Century Visual Culture, the Caricature, and MuseumsToday we are welcoming OwlOfDerision AKA Danielle Thom to the AskHistorians podcast. This conversation today will be about 18th century visual culture and the life of various artists and the the invention and popularization of the satirical print and caricature. We also discuss what it is like to work inside a museum and how to get a job inside a museum! You can see some of Danielle's Work at the Museum of London, and she tweets from @Danielle_J_Thom. Discussion thread © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2017-12-2253 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 100 - [META] AskHistorians Under the HoodToday as it is our 100th episode (and we are fast approaching 700,000 subscribers) we have decided to do something a little different! We have a panel of AskHistorians Moderators to talk about AskHistorians Under the Hood--what it is like to moderate and run the worlds largest academic history forum. AskHistorians has grown a lot in its six, nearly 7 years of existence, spawning several articles, helping several careers, several academic panels (which you can hear on earlier episodes) and this podcast! So if you have no interest in AskHistorians as a reddit community, this podcast might be of less interest...
2017-12-071h 15The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 098 -- Slavery in Pre-War America and the Caning of Charles SumnerToday, we are lucky to be joined again by /u/freedsmenspatrol! He is here to talk to us about about the entire history of the assault on Charles Sumner on the senate floor on May 22, 1856. He also give a detailed account of the events leading up to the caning, including episodes from the battle over the Fugitive Slave Act so a listener can understand how events lead up to the Civil War. It will give us an amazing background and history of a really important moment in american history. This is a really gripping and narrative podcast, and definitely sh...
2017-11-111h 26The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 97 - Union Prisoners in the Civil War SouthToday we're joined by Professor Lorien Foote (Texas A&M University) to talk about Union prisoners in the Civil War South. Specifically, the prisoner exchange system, the role of 19th century concepts of honor, and how these prisoners escaped as the Confederacy broke down towards the end of the war. You can check out the discussion thread in the subreddit here.
2017-10-2455 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 096A [Unedited] -- Scottish Military Orders -- A MicrohistoryA special bonus episode: a microhistory of the military orders in Scotland!
2017-10-1332 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 096 -- European Military Orders and their HistoryThis week we have a great interview with /u/Rhodis on the military orders, like the Knights Templars, Hospitallers and others! Today he will be gong us a thorough and factual history of these military orders, which often swirl with myth and legends and provide fodder for thousands of fantasy authors. Expect a special bonus episode next week on the military orders in Scotland. Come Join us In the Discussion Thread! © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2017-10-061h 04The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 95 - The Revolution before the Revolution w/Doug PriestToday Doug Priest (u/TenMinuteHistory on the subreddit) will explain the 1905 Revolution. This less well known precursor to the 1917 Revolutions, illustrates how the repeated failure to resolve Russia's most pressing economic, political, and social issues would set the stage for the overthrow of the Tzar over a decade later. (61 minutes) You can find the discussion thread in the mainsub here.
2017-09-251h 01The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 94 - Dr. Andrew Mangham - Dickens, Victorians, and Sensation Fiction, oh my!Today we are joined by Andrew Mangham, an Associate Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture at the University of Reading, UK. He writes about the intersections between literature and the history of medicine, with a particular interest in crime, death, and the darker sides of humanity. His most recent book is a study of Dickens and Forensic Medicine entitled Dickens's Forensic Realism. It a study of the ways Dickens's writing drew upon forensic techniques, and images of death and violence. This podcast covers some of his current research, future research, and how Victorian ideas of crime and criminality are...
2017-09-0835 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 093 - The Holy Roman Empire in the Age of Martin LutherIn light of the upcoming 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, Professor Peter Wilson talks with us about the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century. You can find the discussion thread here.
2017-08-2854 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 092 -- What is Fascism?Today we are joined again by /u/Commiespaceinvader here to tell us about the history of fascism, what it and how it works, and really giving us context for how a fascist system is born, works, and dies. (52m) Discussion thread here! © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2017-08-1152 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 091 – Virtual Rome ProjectWe talk with Dr. Matthew Nicholls, Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Reading, and the creator of the Virtual Rome project. We discuss the difficulties of creating a 3-D, street-level map of Ancient Rome, as well as the upcoming massive open online course based upon it. (33min) Dr. Nicholls' previous AMA on AskHistorians. The next session of the online course of Rome: a Virtual Tour of the Ancient City will begin October 9th. You can learn more and sign up for free here. Join the discussion on AskHistorians!
2017-07-2832 min
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 090 – La Peste! The Great Plague of MarseilleOn today's episode we have Professor Cindy Ermus, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Lethbridge, explaining the Plague of Marseille in terms of the (relatively) new field of Disaster History. (56 min) You can find the discussion thread on the subreddit here.
2017-07-1656 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 089 - AskHistorians at the NCPHThis podcast is a recording of the AskHistorians presentation at the National Council of Public History this past April. You can read the full-text of the speeches here: https://redd.it/682ta1 As usual, here is the discussion thread for the episode on the AskHistorians subreddit. You can read our papers here: https://askhistorians.com/conferences/ncph2017.html
2017-06-301h 30The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 088 - The Battle of Jutland, Part 2In this concluding episode, we discuss the aftermath and fall-out from the Battle of Jutland, including the debate over the actions of the British commanders of the Grand Fleet. Also included is discussion over whether British ship designs at the time were flawed, leading to increased casualties. We conclude by putting the role of the battleship in naval warfare, particularly after WWI, in context. (37min)
2017-06-1736 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 087 - The Battle of Jutland, Part 1In this first of two episodes we cover the lead-up and ultimately the clash between battleships at Jutland. We discuss the changing technologies and tactics of naval warfare at the time, before moving on to the battle itself. (51min)
2017-06-0351 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 86A - [Unedited] Bonus Episode - Doug and Brian Debate Postmodernism.Join us for a special bonus episode in conjunction with our Weekly Monday Methods threads where we discuss theory, history and the practice of historians. This is an extra little bit of our last episode where we spent some time debating postmodernism, where history is today, and where we go from here. (34m) Come join us in the discussion here! © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2017-05-2234 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 086 - So You Wanna Be A Historian - Historical Thought, Methods, Historiography, and the Historians ToolboxDoug Priest (/u/TenMinuteHistory) gives an absolutely fascinating and in-depth look at the 'meta' of history--that is, a conversation on historiography and historical thinking. This is an episode that will be really focused on the nuts and bolts of doing history and how historians think and the places they come from. You can consider it your own personal grad school theory crash course! This week's podcast will be followed by a special bonus episode on Monday in our weekly Monday Methods thread, so please check back and join us there! Visit our guest at www.tenminutehistory.com (77m)
2017-05-191h 17
The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 085 - In Search of the TainoAntonio Curet, archaeologist and curator at the Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, DC, talks with us about the Taíno civilization of the Greater Antilles. (99min) Please leave us your thoughts and questions in the discussion thread in the subreddit, which can be found here.
2017-05-031h 39The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 084 - The Salem Witch Trials and Social Network AnalysisDan Howlett discusses the Salem Witch Trials and his approach to them using social network analysis. While the focus of the episode is on a digital humanities approach to historical research, the episode also covers the underlying social and political tensions, as well as the general atmosphere of paranoia, in the Salem area at the time. (36min)
2017-04-1536 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 083 - The European Armoring Guilds and People 1300-1600In part two of a two-part series on the European Armoring Industry, WARitter joins us to discuss just exactly how the knights in shining armor got their shining armor. Wrapping up from a discussion of how exactly metal ore was transformed into armor, WARitter takes us onwards through a whirlwind tour of the history of the guilds, peoples and places that made up the armoring industry, and how armoring eventually declined and fell. (58m) Visit us at AskHistorians to discuss this podcast! © 2019 Brian M. Watson
2017-03-3159 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 082 - The European Armoring Industry and Techniques 1300-1600In part one of a two-part series on the European Armoring Industry, WARitter joins us to discuss just exactly how the knights in shining armor got their shining armor. The first half of this two part series explores the techniques and the strategies from turning raw ore into beautiful armor, and how some of these techniques shifted over time. Next episode will bring an hour-plus long discussion on the entire arc of the armoring industry history—and the families, cities, and people that built it. (35m) For further discussion, come visit us at AskHistorians here....
2017-03-1734 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 081 - Iphikrates and His ReformsWe explore the life and legacy of the Classical Greek general, Iphikrates with AskHistorians user Iphikrates. Famous for his use of light troops and for military reforms related to those troops, we trace the surviving evidence of Iphikrate's life and career to investigate the timing, scope, and even existence of those reforms. Along the way, the conversation touches upon the Athenian socio-political system of the time, the non-hoplite parts of Greek warfare, and a tantalizing connection between Iphikrates and Alexander the Great. (71min) Join the Conversation!
2017-03-041h 10The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 080 - Death by erasure: Cultural Genocide against American IndiansSnapshot52 joins us to discuss the concept of cultural genocide in the context of the US government's American Indian policy. In particular, we look at the creation and evolution of obligatory boarding schools for American Indian children. (75 min). Join the discussion!
2017-02-221h 14The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 079 - Cuban and US Relations Before CastroAndres Pertierra joins us to discuss the interactions between Cuba and the United States starting in the Colonial Era and extending through the mid-20th Century with the Batista regime. Along the way we discuss Americans changing their names to fit in, the plantation economy, the problem of slavery, American shipping concerns, and the tensions between independence and annexation. (85min).
2017-02-041h 24The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 078 - Society for the Reformation of MannersAnnalsPornographie discusses morality and immorality in late 16th and 17th Century England, as urbanization, population increase, and a growing middle class combined to form new approaches to controlling the morality of society. We discuss the debauchery of the court of Charles II, the moral backlash of the Glorious Revolution, and finally delve deep into the workings of the Society for the Reformation of Manners before reflecting on more modern debates over obscenity. (63min)
2017-01-201h 03The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 077 - The End of World War One in the Middle East, Part 2The conversation with CptBuck continues as we move south from Anatolia and the new state of Turkey into the regions of Mesopotamia, Syria, and the Levant. The politics and conflicts which led to the borders and formation of the modern states of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine are all discussed, as well as a quick digression into Egypt. We end with a discussion on whether the borders of these nations predestined them for future conflicts. (60mins) Join the discussion!
2016-12-171h 00The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 076 - The End of World War One in the Middle East, Part 1CptBuck gives us the first of two episodes looking at WW1 in the Middle East, discussing the political intrigue and wrangling between the Ottomans, British, French, and Russians, among others. This episode focuses primarily on the Turkish area of the Ottoman Empire, and the various plans hatched both before and after Armistice to divvy up the Ottoman state. Along the way we talk about the Sykes-Picot, the Young Turks, the Greco-Turkish War, and Lawrence of Arabia. (59min) Join the Discussion!
2016-12-0359 minThe AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 075 - Indian Policy and Indian SovereigntySnapshot52 discusses Federal Indian Policy in the United States, with a particular focus on the Termination Era of the mid-20th Century. The evolution of how the Federal government approached sometimes disparate goals of exclusion and assimilation, as well as Tribal sovereignty, over the decades are covered from pre-Dawes Act to the current day. (69min) Join the discussion!
2016-11-181h 09The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 056 - AskHistorians Panel Presentation at the 2016 AHA ConferenceFor those who missed the live stream (and for posterity), the presentation by AskHistorians at the 2016 American Historical Association meeting in Atlanta, GA is presented here in full. The title of the panel session was "AskHistorians": Outreach and Its Challenges in an Online Space and featured five presentations on how AskHistorians has created, grown, sustained, and moderated an online space for historical discussion. See also, an article in the AHA's magazine about the panel. You can read our papers here: https://askhistorians.com/conferences/aha2016.html
2016-02-191h 32The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 055 - History and FolkloreRonald James, a historian and folklorist with 30 years of experience with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Inductee into the Nevada Writer's Hall of Fame, former chair of the National Historic Landmarks Committee, and author of more than a dozen books, including The Roar And The Silence: A History Of Virginia City And The Comstock Lode and Introduction to Folklore: Traditional Studies in Europe and Elsewhere, takes some time to speak to the AskHistorians Podcast.
This episode looks at the development and practice of folklore as an academic discipline, while also exploring folkloric traditions from Cornwall, particular thos...
2016-02-051h 01The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 032 - Early Modern Medicine & Women's HealthDr. Jennifer Evans, lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr. Sara Read, lecturer in English at Loughborough University, make a special appearance on the AskHistorians podcast to discuss women's health in England during the early modern era. Covering the medical schema and standard of care of the time, Drs. Read and Evans touch on fertility, infections, menstruation, and the lived experience of women at the time.
More of their work can be found on their blog, Early Modern Medicine. In addition, both have works of interest: Dr. Evans' Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine in Early Mode...
2015-03-131h 10The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast 012 - The Spanish Civil WarAskHistorians Podcast Episode 12: TasfromTAS sits down with Domini_canes and tobbinator to discuss The Spanish Civil War, organizing anarchist movements, fascism, and the drama and horror of war.
2014-06-061h 09The AskHistorians PodcastAskHistorians Podcast Episode 001Welcome to the AskHistorians Podcast, created by the moderators of the largest history forum on the internet, AskHistorians.reddit.com. For the pilot episode, Artrw and Celebreth talk about Julius Caesar.
2013-12-2047 min