In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Alaina Scapicchio discusses her research into the public memory of the American witchcraft trials, focusing specifically on monuments, memorials, and other forms of commemoration. She shares how an unexpected archival discovery about a "ducking stool" connected to George Washington's grandfather expanded her research beyond Salem to the broader colonial landscape. We also learn about her deep dive into the 1885 Rebecca Nurse monument, her use of collections at the MHS, and her thoughts on why the physical connection to historical documents and artifacts is so powerful.

Alaina Scapicchio is the recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Short-Term Fellowship from the MHS.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-22-Scapicchio

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Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Prof. Donald F. Johnson discusses his research on the experience of the American Revolution in local communities throughout North America. His work examines how the revolutionary movement transformed from a fringe, urban effort in late 1774 into a massive, grassroots mobilization by 1775. Prof. Johnson highlights the crucial, often-overlooked role of local "Committees of Safety". He explains how these "middle managers" of the revolution, operating between the "rabble" and the elite leadership, established local authority and ultimately pushed the Continental Congress towards independence.

Prof. Johnson is a recipient of the long-term fellowship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-21-Johnson

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Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Professor Thomas Lecaque tells us about his current book project on holy war rhetoric in colonial America. He shows how the language and ideology of medieval crusades thrived across Christian denominations during the imperial wars between England and France from 1680 to 1765. Professor Lecaque explains his unique academic journey from medievalist to early American historian and reveals how 18th century holy war sermons were often more apocalyptic than their medieval predecessors. We also learn how this rhetoric of holy violence was not isolated to the pulpit but permeated personal journals and letters.

Professor Lecaque is a recipient of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium (NERFC) fellowship and the Kenneth and Carol Hills Fellowship in Colonial History.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-20-Lecaque

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Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

This episode will be published on 6 October 2025.

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Laura Clerx, a PhD candidate in the History Department at Boston College. Laura discusses her research into the connections between scientific inquiry and commercial enterprise in the post-revolutionary United States. She explores why the same figures who populated early scientific societies were also the ones spearheading major economic projects and how the drive to build a national economy shaped the very questions early American scientists asked. We also hear about her unique path from an undergraduate degree in evolutionary biology to the field of history and learn how the meaning of the word "science" has changed over time.

Laura Clerx is the recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship from the MHS.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-19-Clerx

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Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

On this special episode of Historians & Their Histories, guest host Megan Kate Nelson interviews Manisha Sinha, Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut. They discuss Prof. Sinha's latest publication, The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920. Prof. Sinha tells us about the scholars that influenced her understanding of Reconstruction as well as how she is reconceptualizing the history of this period.

Prof. Sinha is a 2016-2017 recipient of the MHS-NEH long-term fellowship.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-18-Sinha

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

On this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Cornelia H. Dayton, Professor of History at the University of Connecticut. Prof. Dayton discusses her research into the life of John Peters, the husband of acclaimed poet Phillis Wheatley. We also learn about her path to becoming an historian, her early interest in constitutional law, and the challenges of researching subaltern subjects, such as Peters, who left few firsthand accounts.

Prof. Dayton is a 2024-2025 recipient of the MHS-NEH long-term fellowship.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-17-Dayton

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Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

On this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Elliot Warren, a PhD candidate at William & Mary. Elliot discusses his research on the influence of local governments on the understanding of republicanism and capitalism in the late eighteenth century. We also learn about how his background in local politics has shaped his understanding of the relationship between the local and national.

Elliot Warren is the recipient of a Louis Leonard Tucker Alumni Fellowship from the MHS and a fellowship from the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-16-Warren

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

On this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Prof. Adam Laats complicates the history of the American public school system and explains what this story can tell us about the state of public education today. Prof. Laats discusses how children attended, and did not attend, public school in the nineteenth century. We also hear about the collections he is examining while at the MHS and some of the interesting characters that have appeared in the documents.

Prof. Laats is the recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship from the MHS.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-15-Laats

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

On this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we sit down with Andy Colpitts, a PhD candidate in the Department of Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University. Andy tells us about "Old Home Days", a festival tradition established by New Hampshire Governor Frank Rollins at the turn of the twentieth century to welcome former residents back to rural New England. Andy discusses how these festivals, as well as the meaning of the term "nostalgia", have changed over time. We also hear how his training in the performing arts translates to the field of history.

Andy Colpitts is the recipient of a fellowship from the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-14-Colpitts

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we learn about an overlooked element of the textile industry in early American society. Emily Whitted, a PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discusses the practice of mending and repair work on various textiles throughout eighteenth century America. Emily also discusses the similarities between and difficulties of using both material culture and manuscript pieces for this project.

Emily Whitted is a recipient of the Louis Leonard Tucker Alumni Fellowship from the MHS and a fellowship from the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-13-whitted

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)