This episode provides an outline of slavery prior to the colonization of the New World and then addresses slavery as it developed in the United States, particularly the American South. A whole semester could probably be done about American slavery. Therefore, this is a summary of very complicated issues and ideologies. Yet, it is my hope that it will still help dispel misinformation about slavery and that it provides the listener with valuable information in a condensed format. 
The podcast is longer than I usually publish, but the topic warranted the time spent on it. Please, find a comfortable chair and get your preferred beverage before you listen.

In this episode, we explore the consumerism and culture wars that occurred during the 1920s. Culture wars and "canceling culture" are not new concepts and there are several examples of culture wars in American history. The 1920s is one such period. Consumerism ruled the day, but women and African Americans found new ways to express and exert themselves, which resulted in a sexual revolution of sorts and in new cultural expressions such as the Harlem Renaissance. But such challenges to the status quo and to what many deemed as accepted sexual norms and American values resulted in an energetic and profound conservative response, a moderate response that began to coalesce into what would become the modern conservatism that would strengthen in the 1950s and beyond. On the extreme, the culture wars also resulted in the second reiteration of the KKK.

Due to time constraints, most introductory history classes must focus on large narratives that include the most important political, social, and economic processes in a given historical period. Consequently, some interesting people and events get lost in the shuffle. Due to the patriarchal ideas that European societies upheld and which they brought to the New World, students often only get a glimpse into the lives of women and people of color. I will occasionally write some podcasts that highlight the lives and contributions of some of these characters. In this episode, I explore the lives and contributions of three extraordinary women: Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Catalina de Erauso (Lieutenant Nun), and Maria Sybila Merian. It is a podcast I recorded last year and I'm now adding here.

The imperial powers that conquered and colonized the New World had different approaches to religion and religion often guided rulers' decisions and the way in which the Native Peoples or First Nations were treated. There is somewhat of a misconception that religion was the most important factor in the colonization of the British Colonies in North America (later to become the United States). While the Puritans certainly came to the New World seeking freedom of religion, the Virginia Company in the Chesapeake region had more secular goals. Therefore, there were regional differences in how critical religion became to the colonists. The conversion of indigenous peoples was not a priority in New England or Virginia. The Spanish and French, however, saw religious conversion as an important part of colonization.

Whether we believe in miracles and the power of relics or not, people have often made important decisions while heavily relying in their religious beliefs. This episode explores the Constantine's vision, the Crusades, and how the belief in miracles and relics changed history.

This episode provides a summary of pandemics with such great mortality rates that they actually changed history and society. Among the pandemics discussed are the Black Plague and the Pandemic of 1918. This episode was actually recorded during the initial phases of Coronavirus pandemic.