Vance Lehmkhul is a vegan renaissance man: writer, journalist, cartoonist, and now, a vegan history detective. His book Revolutionary Peace cracks open the wild, untold story of how Philadelphia became the unlikely birthplace of America’s vegetarian and vegan revolt.

This isn’t just a history lesson. It's a street-level view of radical thinkers who saw food as revolution. We’re talking 18th-century Quakers, 19th-century anarchists, feminist firebrands, and proto-vegan agitators who linked animal liberation to every fight for justice.

Lehmkhul’s work proves something urgent: veganism was never just about diet — it was always political warfare. If you think today’s movements are divisive? Wait till you hear about the original plant-based rebels who scared the hell out of the status quo.

This one is for all history nerds, activists, and anyone tired of watered-down veganism. 

Links

Vance Lehmkhul http://www.vegcast.com/vance/ 

Revolutionary Peace: How Philadelphia Launched the US Vegetarian and Vegan Movement

https://americanvegan.org/product/revolutionary-peace/ 

Veg History Walking Tours https://americanvegan.org/veg-history-walking-tours/ 

American Vegan Center https://americanvegan.org/avc/ 

American Vegan Society https://americanvegan.org 

The Return of Benjamin Lay https://www.benjaminlayplay.com 

Emi Leese

https://emilialeese.substack.com 

http://thinklikeavegan.com 

http://emilialeese.com 

Instagram @emi.leese

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thinklikeavegan/videos 

Credits

Host: Emilia A. Leese 

Guest: Vance Lehmkhul

Production & Engineering: Jim Moore of Bloody Vegans Productions; https://www.bloodyvegansproductions.com 

Graphics: Catherine Dorrell https://www.messyvegancook.com 

Music

Opening theme: “Flashbacks” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business 

Interlude: "Dappling" by Matthew Gerstenberger

Closing theme: “Tear Things Up” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business

This podcast is part of iROAR, the Animals Podcasting Network https://iroarpod.com