History: Beyond the Textbook

By Alex Mattke

History: Beyond the Textbook examines American history through the experiences of those who lived it! Each 12-episode season, high school history teacher Alex Mattke covers a separate era of

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FAQs about History: Beyond the Textbook:

How many episodes does History: Beyond the Textbook have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.

History: Beyond the Textbook episodes:

November 14, 2023 1.6: Uncas, Mohegan of the Connecticut River Valley
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Conflict 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 people with colonial interest in New England during this conflict, and continued to do so for the following four decades. This episode of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the life of Uncas and demonstrates the lengths that leaders went to ensure the survival of their people in colonial America.

Key People
Uncas, Mohegan Sachem
Miantonomi, Narragansett Sachem
John Mason, English soldier

Key Events
Pequot War
King Philip's War

The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
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36min
November 07, 2023 1.5: Anne Hutchinson, Rhode Island Rebel
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Free 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 Hutchinson, the Rhode Island Rebel.

Key People
Anne Hutchinson, midwife and religious dissenter
John Winthrop, Massachusetts Bay Colony politician
Roger Williams, religious dissenter

Key Events
Antinomian controversy
Banishment of Anne Hutchinson
The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
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32min
October 31, 2023 1.4: Stephen Hopkins, Peacemaker of Plymouth
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The 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 make him an indispensable member of the legendary Plymouth Colony. Episode 1.4 of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the adventures of Stephen Hopkins the Peacemaker of Plymouth.

Key People
Stephen Hopkins, religious clerk and entrepreneur
Samoset, Abenaki sagamore
John Rolfe, English businessman

Key Events
Voyage of the Mayflower
Establishment of Plymouth Colony
Jamestown's "Starving Time"
The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
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36min
October 24, 2023 1.3: Jean Nicolet, the Negotiator of New France
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Jean 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 North America with respect to how they differed from those of England and Spain, as well as a case study in deconstructing beliefs long accepted as fact, episode three of History: Beyond the Textbook explores Jean Nicolet: the Negotiator of New France.

Key People
Jean Nicolet, French interpreter
Samuel de Champlain, French explorer

Key Events
Establishment of New France
The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
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30min
October 17, 2023 1.2: Opechancanough, Jamestown's "Pamunkey Prince"
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John 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 People
Opechancanough, Powhatan leader
John Smith, English military officer
King Phillip II, King of Spain

Key Events
Establishment of Jamestown
Anglo-Powhatan Wars
The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
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29min
October 17, 2023 Episode 1.1: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the Father of Florida
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The 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 conquistador
Jean Ribault, French colonial

Key Events
Founding of St. Augustine, Florida
The third season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Crucial Years" of 1783-1790, and runs from October 8-December 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," and Season Two, "America's Revolution," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]
...more
31min

FAQs about History: Beyond the Textbook:

How many episodes does History: Beyond the Textbook have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.