It is easy to see the Franklin stove as just an invention to improve the lives of colonial Americans. The stove, like many of Franklin's inventions, went through a series of improvements as he explored the science of heat convection and thermal dynamics.  Other changes and considerations came about as Franklin changed the fuel from wood to coal. This is just one aspect of the impact of Franklin's stove on the 18th-century world.  We talk with Professor Joyce Chaplin about her new book, The Franklin Stove:  An Unintended American Revolution, which explores the world which brought about Franklin's invention and how it was part of a changing world.  

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From Lucifer’s rebellion to Adam and Eve’s expulsion, from Lancelot’s betrayal to Macbeth’s downfall, stories of greatness undone have gripped audiences for centuries. For America’s Revolutionaries, the cautionary examples of Julius Caesar and Oliver Cromwell warned of leaders who turned against the people.

No figure embodies this tragic arc in American history more than General Benedict Arnold. Once a brilliant and passionate commander whose daring made him one of the Revolution’s most effective leaders, Arnold’s defection to the Crown became a devastating blow to the patriot cause—and forever branded him the nation’s most infamous traitor.

Historian Joyce Lee Malcolm joins us to explore Arnold’s rise, fall, covered in her acclaimed book  The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold: An American Life.

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 July 4, 2026 the United States of America will celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  There will be thousands of commemorations across the nation, but the national effort is being led by America 250, the Semiquincentennial Commission with its mission to Educate, Engage, and Unite for our national celebration.  We had a chance to speak with Rosie Rios, Chair of America 250 and to learn more about America 250’s efforts to lead the nation in commemoration of our nation’s birthday.

https://america250.org/

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What a story about the American incursion into Canada, 1774-1776!  Mark R. Anderson learned about this episode in a military history class--and then, as an officer in the United States Air Force during the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns earlier in this century, he recalled what he had learned, and wanted to find a good book on the Canadian campaign. Finding none, he wrote The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony: America’s War of Liberation in Canada, 1774–1776, explores this fascinating chapter of the Revolution, with its lessons learned and forgotten. 

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How does a Boston-born, Philadelphia printer, scientist and entrepreneur, journey from the position of a proud member of the British Empire with many friends at Court, to a leader in the movement for American Independence.  Join Professor Robert Allison (Suffolk University) as we delve into the life and experiences of Benjamin Franklin.

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John Trumbull's paintings have done more to etch the key events of the American Revolution into America's memory than perhaps anyone else. The son of the Governor of Connecticut and the brother of a Governor of Connecticut, Trumbull served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He knew many of the key figures of these events, and when he painted them, he painted them as he knew them.  We talk with Damien M. Cregeau, author of "Portraits of Patriots: Colonel John Trumbull and Five Fellow Patriots From Connecticut in the American Revolution" as we delve into the life and times of John Trumbull.

Portraits of Patriots at Amazon.com

https://a.co/d/hgloLc6

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Taverns in the 18th century were more than watering holes: they were centers of cultural, political and social influence, gathering places for communities and  conduits through which news was conveyed by traders and travelers from far away.  We talk with Professor Malcolm Purinton, author of Globalization in a Glass: The Rise of Pilsner Beer through Technology, Taste, and Empire, about the role of taverns in the American Revolution, as well as about what people were drinking in the 18th-century. 

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Since parting ways 250 years ago, the United States and the United Kingdom have spent the intervening centuries building one of the most enduring and supportive international relationships.  On today's Revolution 250 Podcast, Professor Robert Allison (Suffolk University) is in conversation with the UK Consul-General for New England, David Clay, MBE. Join us as we discuss two and a half centuries of diplomacy between our two nations.

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Join us as we uncover the remarkable, complex life of John Laurens—soldier, diplomat, abolitionist, and one of the most passionate idealists of the American Revolution.  Gregory D. Massey speaks with us about  his acclaimed biography John Laurens and the American Revolution. Together we'll explore the fiery convictions and bold actions of a young South Carolinian who fought not only against British tyranny but also against the hypocrisy of slavery in a nation proclaiming liberty. 

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 We just celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill in which the men of Connecticut under Colonel Thomas Knowlton played a pivatol part.  Today we investigate the life of another Connecticut patriot, Colonel John Durkee of Norwich, Connecticut.  To help us learn more about Col. Durkee and his friends and neighbors in eastern Connecticut Professor Robert Allison (Suffolk University) is in conversation with Dayne E. Rugh, author of John Durkee; The Forgotten Story of Connecticut's Bold Man from Bean Hill.

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