The History Files

By The CSICON Network

A weekly podcast hosted featuring Gordon Frye and various guests discussing history in the news, media, literature, politics, and everywhere else.... more

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FAQs about The History Files:

How many episodes does The History Files have?

The podcast currently has 80 episodes available.

The History Files episodes:

September 05, 2015 The History Files #28: The Mexican American War, pt. 3
This week our headlines seem to be mostly volcanoes and Spaniards: sometimes history kind of gets in a wad. In our main discussion, we get into the major campaign of the Mexican American War, and find out what a battalion of Irish were doing in the Mexican army.
Show notes and links:

* Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 (en.wikipedia.org).
* The assasination of Atahualpa by Francisco Pizarro (1533).
* St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre (1572).
* Treaty of Córdoba: Mexico gains independence from Spain (1821).
* 1883 eruption of Krakatoa (en.wikipedia.org).
* I Have A Dream Speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963).
* 121-year-old time capsule found at bridge near Kingussie (bbc.com).
* Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization, by David Keyes (amazon.com).
* Connections (TV series) , James Burke. Many episodes on YouTube.
* Invasion of Poland begins World War 2 (1939).
* Viking 2: Second Landing on Mars (space.com).
* Zachary Taylor (en.wikipedia.org).
* Winfield Scott (en.wikipedia.org).
* Battle of Puebla (en.wikipedia.org).
* Battle of Chapultepec (en.wikipedia.org).
* Saint Patrick’s Battalion , the “San Patricios” (en.wikipedia.org).
* @history_files (twitter.com).
* Join CSICONauts Chat (csicon.net).
* History Files group at goodreads.com.

...more
49min
August 22, 2015 The History Files #27: The Mexican American War, pt. 2
This week we continue our exploration of the Mexican American War and the formation of the American West, with highlights including the Bear Flag Revolt and the adventures of John C. Fremont.
Show notes and links:

* English Civil War (1642-1651).
* Pueblo Revolt, Santa Fe, New Mexico (1680).
* USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere (en.wikipedia.org).
* Alaska Gold Rush (en.wikipedia.org).
* Assassination of Leon Trotsky (1940).
* Hawaii admitted to the Union (1959).
* Voyager 2 launched (1977).
* Help Us Decipher This Inscription (britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk). Mystery engraving on ancient sword. Can you decode it?
* Voynich manuscript (the thing Nancy couldn’t think of).
* Has missing Nazi gold train been found in Poland? (cnn.com).
* Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (TV Series 2012– ) (imdb.com) (streaming on Netflix)
* The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, by Timothy Egan .
* Dragoon (a type of cavalry).
* Stephen W. Kearny (en.wikipedia.org).
* Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
* James Wiley Magoffin (tshaonline.org).
* Thomas ap Catesby Jones (en.wikipedia.org).
* Herman Melville (en.wikipedia.org). author of White Jacket
* John C. Frémont (en.
...more
1h 3min
August 15, 2015 The History Files #26: The Mexican American War, pt. 1
This week on the History Files we continue our series on the evolution of the American West, embarking on a discussion of the Mexican American War.
Show notes and links:

* Fall of Tenochtitlan (1521).
* Joseph Lister originates use of antiseptics.
* The siege of the Beijing legations in the Boxer Rebellion (1900).
* Atomic bombing of Nagasaki (en.wikipedia.org).
* V-J Day (en.wikipedia.org).
* Watts riots (1965). Side note: Watts is also home to one of the weirdest examples of funky public pop “art”, the Watts Towers.
* King Tut’s Tomb May Hide Nefertiti’s Secret Grave (news.discovery.com).
* 55 Days at Peking (dir. Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton, Guy Green (1963). Starring Charleton Heston, David Niven, and Ava Gardner.
* The Atomic Times: My H-Bomb Year at the Pacific Proving Ground, Michael Harris (amazon.com).
* James K. Polk , 11th President of the United States.
* Battle of Palo Alto (en.wikipedia.org).
* Battle of Resaca de la Palma (en.wikipedia.org).
* flying artillery: the zenith of horse artillery in the 19th century.
* Samuel Colt and his revolver. (en.wikipedia.org).
* John Coffee Hays and the Texas Rangers.
* @history_files (twitter.com).
* CSICONauts Chat (csicon.net).

...more
1h
August 05, 2015 The History Files #25: Economic Integration of the Far West
This week on the History Files: part 2 of our three-part series on the origins of the American West. Moving from Texas to New Mexico and the Southwest, we spend time on the Santa Fe trail and in the California hide trade.

Show notes and links:

* Christopher Columbus sets sail on 1st voyage, 1492. (en.wikipedia.org).
* English forces attack the Spanish Armada, 1588.(en.wikipedia.org).
* History of the US Income Tax (Business Reference Services, Library of Congress) (loc.gov).
* Wild Bill Hickok (en.wikipedia.org).
* Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (en.wikipedia.org).
* Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared M. Diamond (amazon.com).
* Commerce of the Prairies, by Josiah Gregg (1844-45) Complete text.
* Flashman and the Redskins, George MacDonald Fraser (1983).
* Medicine on the Santa Fe Trail, by Thomas B. Hall (1987).
* Armada: 12 Days to Save England, (bbc.co.uk) presented by Dan Snow.
* Broadcloth and Britches: The Santa Fe Trade, Seymour V. Connor, Jimmy M. Skaggs (amazon.com).
* Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
* Fort Union National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
* William Becknell (en.wikipedia.org).
* Santa Fe Trail (en.wikipedia.org).
* Josiah Gregg (en.wikipedia.org).
* California hide trade (en.wikipedia.org).
* Richard Henry Dana, Jr. and Two Years Before the Mast (complete text).
...more
46min
July 31, 2015 The History Files #24: Spanish American Borderlands
This week on The History Files we begin a three-part series on the Spanish conquest of America and how these territories evolved into the present day Western US. Starting with early exploration by Ponce de Leon, who probably never really hunted for the Fountain of Youth, we get as far as 1840s Texas… Which is as far as Santa Anna got.

Show notes and links:

* Thomas Cromwell (en.wikipedia.org).
* The First Legislative Assembly in North America, 1619. (en.wikipedia.org).
* Maximilien Robespierre (en.wikipedia.org).
* Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. (wp.me).
* Korean War armistice. (en.wikipedia.org).
* Richard Nixon , his impeachment and the Watergate scandal. (en.wikipedia.org).
* Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916, by Michael Capuzzo: (2002).
* The Alamo (1960) dir. John Wayne
* Alamo: The Price of Freedom (1988) Imax, Casey Biggs.
* The Alamo (2004) dir. John Lee Hancock. Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, etc.
* Juan Ponce de León (en.wikipedia.org).
* Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (en.wikipedia.org).
* Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (en.wikipedia.org).
* Juan de Oñate (en.wikipedia.org).
* Utopia by Thomas More (en.wikipedia.org). Complete text here.
* Museum at the Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Home of the Segesser hide paintings.
* Tlaxcalens (en.wikipedia.org).
* Adams–Onís Treaty (en.wikipedia.org).
* Moses Austin (en.wikipedia.org).
*
...more
1h
July 25, 2015 The History Files #23: The Greek Economic Crisis
This week on the History Files, we continue our conversation with economics writer Rand MacGreal, focusing on the Greek financial crisis, its causes and potential outcomes.
Show notes and links:

* Mormon pioneers arrive at the Great Salt Lake (en.wikipedia.org).
* Tennessee is readmitted to the Union July 24, 1866 (politico.com).
* James Train Robbery (rits.org).
* Bikini Atoll (bikiniatoll.com).
* Egyptian Revolution of 1952 (en.wikipedia.org).
* SS Andrea Doria (en.wikipedia.org).
* Port Gamble, Washington (en.wikipedia.org).
* David Stockman’s Contra Corner (davidstockmanscontracorner.com).
* The Battles that Changed History, by Fletcher Pratt (gutenberg.ca), complete text.
* Greek government-debt crisis (en.wikipedia.org).
* Lindybeige (youtube.com).
* John Maynard Keynes
* History Files Twitter feed. (twitter.com).
* Join the CSICONauts Chat | CSICON (csicon.net).

...more
51min
July 15, 2015 The History Files #22: Richard Cantillon and the History of Money, Pt 2
Happy Bastille Day! This week on the History Files we continue our discussion with economics writer Rand MacGreal to further explore the history of money. In particular we learn about Jean Baptiste Say and his Law of Markets, as well as the interesting but unwise economical tenets of John Maynard Keynes. This episode ran long, even with dividing the interview portion in half, but there’s so much interesting material in there that we think it’s worth every minute.
Show notes and links:

* Bastille Day (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Second Hundred Years War (sageamericanhistory.net).
* The Death of Marat (en.wikipedia.org).
* New York City draft riots (en.wikipedia.org).
* Russian-American Company (en.wikipedia.org).
* Trinity (nuclear test) (en.wikipedia.org).
* Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (en.wikipedia.org).
* Lost Foundation: A Conversation with 18th century Economist Richard Cantillon (Lost Economics) , Rand MacGreal.
* Rule of Money: A Solution to the Global Debt Crisis, Rand MacGreal.
* Killing an Idea , Rand MacGreal
* Walking Through History (channel4.com).
* 300 Helpful Suggestions for Your Victory Lunch Box a Hook-up Cook Book #4: Gertrude Editor Buchholz (amazon.com).
* Say’s law (en.wikipedia.org).
* John Maynard Keynes (en.wikipedia.org).
* Velocity of money (en.wikipedia.org).

...more
1h 7min
July 08, 2015 The History Files #21: Richard Cantillon and the History of Money, Pt 1
This week on The History Files, we sit down with economics writer Rand MacGreal to talk about the history of money, the Mississippi Bubble land speculation debacle, and Richard Cantillon, the 18th century father of economics.
This session yielded so much good discussion that we’re splitting it into two sections. Tune in next week for part two!
Show notes and links:

* A Man for All Seasons (1966) (imdb.com).
* Aaron Burr (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Occupation of Monterey (en.wikipedia.org).
* Lost Foundation: A Conversation with 18th century Economist Richard Cantillon, Rand McGreal (amazon.com).
* Meeting of Minds (steveallenonline.com).
* Richard Cantillon (en.wikipedia.org).
* John Law (economist) (en.wikipedia.org).
* Fiat money (en.wikipedia.org).
* Market Crashes: The Tulip and Bulb Craze (investopedia.com).
* Mississippi Company (en.wikipedia.org).
* ECB (ecb.europa.eu).

...more
58min
July 03, 2015 The History Files #20: Loose Women Special!
Happy Independence Day to Americans everywhere! Gordon is out of town this week, so Nancy is flying solo. In this abbreviated Special Edition of the History Files show we tackle “loose women”.
Trust me; it’s not what you’re thinking.
Show notes and links:

* Independence Day (United States) (en.wikipedia.org).
* Battle of Gettysburg (en.wikipedia.org).
* Battle of San Juan Hill (en.wikipedia.org).
* This date in science: The Tunguska explosion (earthsky.org).
* Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (en.wikipedia.org).
* Treaty of Versailles (en.wikipedia.org).
* Amelia Earhart (ttps).
* Holocaust ‘hero’ Sir Nicholas Winton dies aged 106 (bbc.com).
* Victorian dress reform (en.wikipedia.org).
* Bicycle and the Women’s Suffragette Movement of the 1890s (annielondonderry.com).
* Sarah Chrisman and This Victorian Life (thisvictorianlife.com).
* History of corsets (en.wikipedia.org).
* SteamPort Gamble (mrsmuirhouseofghostsandmagic.com).
* Jason Bledsoe – Collodion Artist (wetplate.weebly.com).

...more
17min
June 25, 2015 The History Files #19: Westward Expansion
This week on The History Files, we tackle the phenomenon that is the Westward Expansion movement of the late 18th to mid 19th century in North America.
Spoiler: nobody dies of dysentery in this episode.

Show notes and links:

* King Philip’s War (en.wikipedia.org).
* Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Official Foyle’s War Fan Site (foyleswar.com).
* David Crockett: Hero of the Common Man by William Groneman (goodreads.com).
* Long rifle (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Sharpened Axe: The Development of the American Felling Axe in Northern Maine, by Chingatchgook (thesharpenedaxe.blogspot.com).
* Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) (en.wikipedia.org).
* Hudson’s Bay Company (en.wikipedia.org).
* Rocky Mountain Fur Company (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Platte River Route. (en.wikipedia.org).
* William Becknell (en.wikipedia.org).
* Commerce of the Prairies, by Josiah Gregg (kancoll.org).
* Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (en.wikipedia.org).
* Marcus Whitman. (en.wikipedia.org).
* The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Prairie Traveler, by Randolph B. Marcy (gutenberg.org).
* Joseph R. Walker
* The Prairie Traveler: A Hand-Book for Overland Expeditions, by Randolph Marcy (full text)

...more
47min

FAQs about The History Files:

How many episodes does The History Files have?

The podcast currently has 80 episodes available.