In their first show of 2020, Frank and David reflect on the past 20 years. They hypothesize what big themes from these two decades future historians will highlight in textbooks and undergrad lectures. 

Last Drops

Frank: Critiques of the 1619 Project

David: NYT article on US history textbooks

This week, Frank and David talk with their University of Edinburgh colleague Dr. Megan Hunt, who teaches about the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss how she got interested in American history, how the Civil Rights Movement has been depicted in film, and how British students make sense of the Civil War Rights Movement.

Last Drops

Megan: 75th Anniversary of Korematsu decision

David: mass grave from Tulsa Massacre

Frank: Rise of Skywalker

After a brief postmortem on the British General Election, Frank and David discuss the Articles of Impeachment currently under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee and compare them to those from previous impeachments. 

Last Drops

Frank: Global 1776 

David: Heather Cox Richardson's Letter from an American

With the UCU on strike, Frank and David talk about casualisation in higher ed and how precariousness became an increasingly serious issue over the past decade. They situate the labor struggles in education within broader changes in the economy: the rise of the gig economy.

Last Drops

David: Knives Out

Frank: The Irishman

Last weekend, President Trump made an unscheduled visit to the hospital, prompting some to speculate on the state of his health. Frank and David talk about the history of presidential health, including several previous cases where presidents hid major (and minor) medical issues.

Last Drops

Frank: historians in the impeachment hearings: Fiona Hill and Marie Yovanovitch 

David: new Edinburgh UCU podcast

As impeachment hearings enter a new phase, Democrats are increasingly using the language of bribery to describe President Trump's actions with respect to Ukraine. Frank and David discuss the history of bribery in American politics, including:

• XYZ Affair

Last Drops

Frank: live podcast at Scotland History Festival

David: Watchmen

We're a year away from the 2020 Presidential Election, but it seems like this race has already lasted forever. Frank and David talk about why American elections take so long, including:

• How the development of parties and conventions changed the electoral calendar

Last Drops

David: Dolly Parton's America

Frank: HCA events in NYC

Frank and David discuss Trump's use of historical metaphor, including:

• the 1692-1693 Salem witch trials and how they took on new meaning during the Second Red Scare

We'll be recording a live episode of the Whiskey Rebellion at the Scottish History Festival on November 22 at 7:45pm.

Last Drops

Frank: HCA event in NYC on November 11 celebrating 300 years of history at Edinburgh

David: Without Sanctuary lynching photos

Frank and David talk with Tyson Reeder (University of Virginia) about his new book, Smugglers, Pirates, and Patriots: Free Trade in Age of Revolution, and about his work editing the papers of James Madison.

Frank and David try to tackle the fast-moving story on Trump and Ukraine, discussing whistle-blowers and foreign intervention in American history.

Last Drops

Frank: Upcoming talk at Edinburgh's Atheist, Humanist, and Secularist Society on Thomas Jefferson and Religion

David: Edinburgh Caribbean Association walking tours for Black History Month