The winter of 1740-1741 was exceptionally cold in North America. And as Benjamin Franklin looked around his house and neighborhood, he saw a problem in need of fixing: energy going to waste as people consumed wood to keep their homes warm.

How did Franklin’s stove save energy? What does it reveal about wood, trees, and attempts to control the climate? And how can that help us understand how humans relate to their environment?

Joyce Chaplin, a historian of early America and the environment, and an expert on Benjamin Franklin, joins us to discuss how Franklin’s stoves help us understand climate change with details from her new book, The Franklin Stove.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Joyce Chaplin is a professor at Harvard University and a renowned scholar of early America, science, and climate. She’s the author or editor of ten books, including The First Scientific American, Round about the Earth, and The Franklin Stove.

Building on the research in her new book, Joyce explores how a frigid winter pushed Franklin to invent a new way to distribute heat in indoor spaces.

In your opinion, how does thinking about Franklin's stove and climate change help us understand the American Revolution?

Episode 015: Joyce E. Chaplin, Round About the Earth: Circumnavigation from Magellan to Orbit

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The post 412 Joyce Chaplin, The Franklin Stove appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

Two hundred fifty years ago, in May 1775, delegates from thirteen British North American colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress.

Why was Philadelphia chosen as the seat of Congress? What made the city a critical hub for revolutionary ideas, commerce, and culture? And how has Philadelphia’s early history shaped the broader narrative of American Independence?

Paul Kahan, a historian of American political, economic, and urban history, joins us to explore Philadelphia’s early American history with details from his book, Philadelphia: A Narrative History, the first comprehensive history book about Philadelphia in over 40 years.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Paul Kahan is a historian with expertise in United States political, economic, and diplomatic history. He’s the author of seven books, including Eastern State Penitentiary: A History, and, most recently, Philadelphia: A Narrative History.

Using details from his book, Paul reveals how Philadelphia’s colonial and revolutionary past made the city the cultural, intellectual, and political capital of early America. Why Philadelphia’s diversity, geography, and economic power made it ideal for convening the Second Continental Congress. And, how William Penn’s plans for a tolerant, organized, and profitable city collided with the realities of urban growth and revolutionary change.

 In your opinion, what was Philadelphia's most significant contribution to the American Revolution and its war for independence?

Episode 153: Governments of the American Revolution

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The post Episode 411: Paul Kahan, Philadelphia: An Early History appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

When did people begin seeking anonymous advice for their most profound personal dilemmas?

What can the answers to their early questions tell us about the emotional lives of people in the past?

We’re traveling back in time to 1690s England to explore the world’s first personal advice column, The Athenian Mercury. This two-sided broadsheet publication invited readers to send in questions about anything–from science and religion to love and marriage– and its creators, a small group of Londoners who dubbed themselves the “Athenian Society,” answered these queries with a surprising blend of wit, morality, and insight.

Joining us for this investigation is Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita at Cornell University and an award-winning historian who is a trailblazer in the field of early American women's history. She's also the author of “I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer”: Letters on Love & Marriage from the World's First Personal Advice Column.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Mary Beth Norton is the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita at Cornell University. She’s an award-winning historian who has served as the President of the American Historical Association, she’s also a pioneer in the field of women’s history. She joins us today to explore love, marriage, and courtship through her book, “I Humbly Beg Your Speedy Answer: Letters on Love & Marriage from the World's First Personal Advice Column.

During our exploration, Mary Beth reveals why the 1690s were ripe for the invention of a personal advice column. What readers’ anonymous questions tell us about gender, love, marriage, and courtship in the late seventeenth century. And, how the Athenians’ seventeenth-century advice echoes many of the same concerns we still write to columnists about today.

In your opinion, what might have happened if the world’s first personal advice column had originated in British North America instead of in England? What differences might we have seen in this hypothetical American version?

Episode 094: Founding Friendships

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The post Episode 410: Mary Beth Norton, The World’s First Personal Advice Column appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

April 19, 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the moment the American Revolution turned from protest to war.

What do we really know about that fateful day? How did the people of Concord prepare for what they faced in April 1775?

David Wood, the longtime curator of the Concord Museum and the author of Eyewitness to Revolution: The American Revolution in the Concord Museum, joins us to explore answers to these questions.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

David Wood has been the Curator of the Concord Museum since 1985. Since then, he has developed a deep knowledge of the museum’s collections, Concord history, and interpretive methods. He has overseen the development of 40 temporary exhibitions and the Concord Museum’s NEH-funded permanent exhibition, Why Concord? He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and publications, including Eyewitness to Revolution: The American Revolution in the Concord Museum, a book that parallels the museum’s April 19, 1775 galleries.

During our exploration of April 19, 1775, David reveals how the people of Concord prepared—quietly and carefully—for war, months before April 1775. Why the British Army marched on Concord on April 19, 1775, and the resistance it met with at Lexington and Concord. And, the significance of the material culture—like a lantern from Old North Church—preserved in the Concord Museum’s vast April 19 collection.

In your opinion, what might have happened if the British had not marched for Concord on April 19th, 1775? How do you think the course of the American Revolution might have been different? 

Episode 112: The Tea Crisis of 1773

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The post Episode 409: The Battles of Lexington & Concord, 1775 appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

The American Revolution was more than just a series of events that unfolded between 1763 and 1783, the American Revolution is our national origin story– one we’ve passed down, shaped, and reshaped for the last 250 years.

But what do we really mean when we talk about “the Revolution?” Whose Revolution are we remembering? And how has the meaning of 1776 shifted from generation to generation?

Michael Hattem, a scholar of the American Revolution and historical memory, joins us to discuss the American Revolution and its memory, drawing on details from his new book, The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American History.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Michael Hattem is a scholar of the American Revolution and historical memory. You may remember Michael from Episode 307, where we discussed his first book, Past and Prologue. In this episode, we join Michael to investigate the history of our memories of the Revolution drawing on details from his new book, The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American History.

During our investigation, Michael reveals why the American Revolution has long been a source of both unity and division in American life. How figures like Thomas Jefferson have actively shaped the public's memories of the Revolution for personal gain. And, how different Americans— from Civil War-era Confederates to 1970s bicentennial activists— have reinterpreted 1776 to reflect their own needs, identities, and aspirations.

In your opinion, what do you think we should focus on in our 250th anniversary commemoration of the American Revolution?

Episode 145: Mercy Otis Warren

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The post Episode 408: Michael Hattem, The Memory of 1776 appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

Patrick Henry is one of the most famous voices of the American Revolution. He was known in his own time for his powerful speeches and his unwavering commitment to liberty.

But did you know that later in life, Patrick Henry opposed the United States Constitution?

Did you know that during the political crisis of 1798/99, George Washington wrote to Patrick Henry and asked him to save the nation?

In honor of the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s most famous speech, “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death,” award-winning historian John Ragosta joins us to investigate the life and work of Patrick Henry.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

John Ragosta is an award-winning historian and the former acting director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies and Monticello. He has taught history and law at the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and other colleges, and he’s also the author of several books, including For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry’s Final Political Battle.

During our investigation of Patrick Henry’s life and work, John reveals information about Patrick Henry’s early life and how he became involved with politics. What drove Patrick Henry to become a revolutionary and support the revolutionary cause. And, why George Washington believed that Patrick Henry was the one man who could save the United States during the political crisis of 1798/99.

In your opinion, what might have happened if Patrick Henry had not had the family health or financial constraints that kept him in Virginia? If Patrick Henry had been able to serve in national office, how do you think the development of the United States' early politics would have been different?

Episode 102: George Rogers Clark & the Fight for the Illinois Country

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The post Episode 407: John A. Ragosta, Patrick Henry: From the American Revolution to Saving the Union appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

Historians use a lot of different sources when they research the past. Many rely on primary source documents, documents that were written by official government bodies or those written by the people who witnessed the events or changes historians are studying.

But how do you uncover the voices and stories of people who didn’t know how to write or whose families didn’t preserve much of their writing?

Maeve Kane, an Associate Professor of History at the University at Albany and author of Shirts Powdered Red: Gender, Trade, and Exchange Across Three Centuries, ran into this very problem as she sought to recover the lives of Haudenosaunee women. Maeve overcame this challenge by researching a different type of historical source—the cloth Haudenosaunee women traded for and the clothing they made and wore.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Maeve Kane is an Associate Professor of History at the University at Albany. Her research focuses on questions of community and identity formation, and she uses material culture, archaeology, economic history, and digital history to examine those questions. She is the author of the book, Shirts Powdered Red: Haudenosaunee Gender, Trade, and Exchange across Three Centuries.

During our exploration of Haudenosaunee women and the trade they conducted, Maeve reveals information about Haudenosaunee communities in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and women’s roles in those communities. Details about using cloth and clothing as historical sources and what these sources reveal to us about the political and economic prowess of Haudenosaunee women. And, the important role Haudenosaunee women played in the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century trade with Europeans and the ways they used trade, cloth, and clothing to keep Haudenosaunee culture alive and vibrant.

In your opinion, how do you think your research into the power of Haudenosaunee women to trade with Europeans and to use those trade goods to uphold and maintain their Haudenosaunee culture helps us better understand the American Revolution and its impact on Haudenosaunee nations and communities?

Episode 021: Smuggling in Colonial America & Living History

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The post Episode 406: Threads of Power: How Haudenosaunee Women & Fashion Shaped History appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

When we think of slavery in Early America, we often think about the plantations and economies of the South. But did you know that slavery was also deeply entrenched in New York City?

Did you know that Africans and African Americans helped New York City confront slavery, freedom, and racism in the Early American Republic and Antebellum periods?

Leslie M. Harris, a professor at Northwestern University and author of In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863, joins us to explore the history of Africans and African Americans in early New York City.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Leslie M. Harris is a historian and professor of history at Northwestern University. She specializes in African American history, urban studies, and the impact of slavery in the North, particularly in New York City. She joins to explore the African American history of early New York City with details from her book, In the Shadow of Slavery African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863.

During our exploration, Leslie reveals the arrival of Africans in New Amsterdam and the early history of slavery in New York City. The contributions Africans and African Americans made to the construction and development of New York City. And the journey New York City and New York State took to end slavery.

What if the New York Manumission Society had aggressively pursued immediate emancipation instead of gradual emancipation? How might this have altered the socio-economic landscape of New York City?

Episode 306: The Horse’s Tail

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The post Episode 405: African Americans in Early New York City appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

Did you know that many of the food traditions that define cuisine in the United States today have roots in African American culinary history?

Diane M. Spivey, a culinary historian and author of three culinary history books, joins us to uncover the rich and complex legacy of African and African American foodways and how those foodways helped establish the United States.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

Diane M. Spivey is a culinary historian who has devoted more than forty years to studying and recording African American food traditions in cooking. She has written many articles and three books on the topics of African and African American cuisine and culinary traditions including The Peppers, Cracklings, and Knots of Wool Cookbook: The Global Migration of African Cuisine and At the Table of Power: Food and Cuisine in the African American Struggle for Freedom, Justice, and Equality.

During our conversation, Diane reveals how African and African American cooking made European colonial success possible. The ways African Americans contributed to and supported the Continental Army and the revolutionaries’ success in the American Revolution. And, how African American chefs, bakers, and cooks worked as culinary activists during the anti-slavery and abolition movements.

How do you think your research into the contributions and culinary accomplishments of black chefs, cooks, and bakers can help us better understand the American Revolution?

Episode 137: The Washingtons’ Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

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The post Episode 404: Diane M. Spivey, How Black Chefs Shaped Early America appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.

Did you know that John Adams, not George Washington, solidified the precedents of the executive branch and the presidency?

Lindsay Chervinsky, an award-winning presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, has written a book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic. She joins us to investigate the presidency of the United States’ second president, John Adams.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of Colonial Williamsburg Innovation Studios.

Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. She’s an award-winning historian who regularly writes for The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Magazine, The Daily Beast, Time, and The Washington Post. She is the author of two books, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution and Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic.

During our investigation of John Adams’s presidency, Lindsay reveals precedents that George Washington set for the presidency that John Adams solidified for the future. The political and international crises John Adams inherited, including tensions with Great Britain and France and vicious political discord between the Federalist and Democratic-Republic parties. And, how John Adams navigated these crises to secure peace with France and the peaceful transition of power between political parties in the United States.

In your opinion, what might have happened if John Adams had been elected to a second term as president?

Episode 040: For Fear of an Elected King

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The post Episode 403: Lindsay M. Chervinsky, From Crisis to Peace: Re-Evaluating the Presidency of John Adams appeared first on Ben Franklin's World.