The Whiskey Rebellion

By David SilkenatHistory

The Whiskey Rebellion episodes

December 31, 2018Whiskey Rebellion 079: 2018 Year in Review
Recording on New Year's Eve, Frank and David discuss some of their favorites from 2018 and what they're excited for in 2019.
The show begins with a discussion of Erin Bartram's essay from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the job market in history. Frank and David discuss how the job market has changed over the years and what (if anything) can be done about it.
Final Recommendations/Memories from 2018:
Frank:
25th anniversary of "Getting Word" project at Monticello
Red Sox' World Series victory
Sarah Churchwell's Behold, America: The Entangled History of America First and the American Dream
Colin Calloway's The Indian World of George Washington
Joanne Freeman's Field of Blood
Brian Palmer & Seth Freed Wessler, "The Costs of the Confederacy"
David:
Slate Standoff podcast
Slow Burn (season 2)
200 birthday of Fredrick Douglass
Martha Jones' Birthright Citizens
Continuing struggle over Silent Sam
Historians at the Movies
Looking forward to in 2019
Frank:
Mueller Report
Returning to teaching
David
Pete Carmichael's War for the Common Soldier
Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer's Fault Lines
Kevin Levin's Searching for Black Confederates
1 hr 17 min
December 20, 2018Whiskey Rebellion 078: War on Christmas
Back after a short hiatus, Frank and David discuss the "War on Christmas" -- looking at how Americans have celebrated (or not celebrated) Christmas, including:
Why the Puritans didn't celebrate Christmas
How Christmas became redefined during the Civil War era
How conservatives have felt that Christmas was under siege throughout the 20th century
Last Drops
Frank: Museum of Memory and Human Rights
David: Homecoming on Amazon Prime
48 min
November 28, 2018Whiskey Rebellion 076: Borders and Missionaries
Drawing upon the headlines, Frank and David discuss the role of missionaries and borders in American history, including:
How colonial charters lead to messy borders
How the Second Great Awakening prompted Americans to become missionaries overseas
How the Mormons saw missionary activity as central to their religious identity
How the border has changed during the 20th century
Last Drops
Frank: new Americanist position at the University of Edinburgh
David: SASA CFP
48 min
November 21, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 075: Midterms Recap and the Lepore Conundrum
Back after a short hiatus, Frank and David discuss the results of the midterm elections and an interview with historian Jill Lepore.
Last Drops
Frank: Japanese illustrated history of America
David: Heather Ann Thompson, Blood in the Water and Civil War Photo Sleuth
1 hr
November 05, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 074: Birthright Citizenship and Midterms Predictions
In the lead up to Tuesday's midterm elections, President Trump claimed that he was planning on overturning the "policy" of birthright citizenship. Frank and David discuss the origins of birthright citizenship, the 14th Amendment, and offer predictions for the midterms.
For more on birthright citizenship, see Martha Jones' excellent new book.
Last Drops
Frank: SHEAR CFP
David: Send Back the Money play
52 min
October 30, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 073: Political Violence
After a horrifying week of news in which pipe bombs were sent to Trump critics, 11 people were killed in a synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, and two African Americans were killed in a racially-motivated killing in Kentucky, Frank and David examine the history of political violence in an effort to find context and parallels, including:
The Wilmington coup and the Colfax Massacre
The 1919 and 1920 anarchist bombings
The bombings of abortion clinics in the 1980s and 1990s
Last Drops
Frank: American Academy of Diplomacy
David: Midterms and Mandates
55 min
October 22, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 072: The End of the World as We Know It (or the Great Disappointment)
In light of the recent UN report on climate change, Frank and David discuss how Americans have thought about the end of the world, including:
Why Millerites thought the world would end in 1844
How Native Americans used the Ghost Dance to bring about a spiritual rebirth
How Americans used fallout shelters to deal with possible nuclear holocaust
Last Drops
Frank: Go vote!
David: Honor Sachs' article in Washington Post on Pocohontas
49 min
October 15, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 071: Voter Suppression
With controversies over voter registration and voter ID in the news, Frank and David discuss the history of voter suppression, including:
How the introduction of voter registration limited access to the ballot
How the secret ballot disenfranchised some voters
How barriers to voting were reduced after 1960
Last Drops
Frank:
New exhibit on Sally Hemings at Monticello
Plaque to Frederick Douglass in Edinburgh
David:
Peter Parish Dissertation Prize
White House Dinner Dash
Congrats to Dr. Catherine Bateson
1 hr 2 min
October 08, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 070: Trump's Millions
Two topics this week: Frank and David discuss what the Kavanaugh confirmation means for the Supreme Court and the revelations of a New York Times report on the Trump family fortune. Among the highlights:
How likely a Kavanaugh impeachment is
What Kavanaugh means for the Supreme Court decisions down the road
What the Trump family fortune says about aristocracy, inherited wealth, and politics
Last Drops
Frank: The Staircase on Netflix
David: BrANCH 2019 in Edinburgh, Frederick Douglass exhibit at the NLS, and a conference on Midterms at the NLS and IASH
53 min
September 27, 2018 Whiskey Rebellion 069: Game On!
Video games now rival Hollywood films for their influence on the culture. David and special guests Devin Grier and Miles Stanley talk about how American history is depicted in video games, including:
How Oregon Trail shaped how a generation understood Western settlement
How Red Dead Redemption used tropes from Western movies and history
How the Fallout series blended history and lore
We also discussed some other games worth trying, including: Valient Hearts, LA Noire, Assassin's Creed, Civilization, and Call of Duty.
47 min