Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
Samuel Biagetti, PhD
So much of what we learn in a standard history class, and in the culture around us, are just cliff-note narratives, crafted to explain how things appear, rather than how things actually came to be. Peel back the layers of time and place with this thoroughly researched, college-level history podcast with over 200 episodes that uncover the forgotten forces that shaped – and that are still shaping – our world today.
There are no commercials in this long-form podcast. More information can be found at Historiansplaining.com, where you can hear Quick Samples of every episode, easily find related episodes based on topic, discover episodes by geographic location on a map of the world or on a timeline of world history, and much more.
There’s so much to explore with Samuel Biagetti, PhD, in these conversational lectures and interviews, each one presenting hidden landscapes from the past that put the moments and movements of today’s world in a tangible, thought-provoking light.
Press play for the joy of a great college-level course in history, without any of the homework!
Unlock the most content by becoming a supporter through Patreon. You choose the amount you want to contribute, and your support helps keep the podcast commercial free! Visit patreon.com/user?u=5530632
Support through Patreon from listeners like you is the only source of ongoing funding for this podcast.
There are no commercials in this long-form podcast. More information can be found at Historiansplaining.com, where you can hear Quick Samples of every episode, easily find related episodes based on topic, discover episodes by geographic location on a map of the world or on a timeline of world history, and much more.
There’s so much to explore with Samuel Biagetti, PhD, in these conversational lectures and interviews, each one presenting hidden landscapes from the past that put the moments and movements of today’s world in a tangible, thought-provoking light.
Press play for the joy of a great college-level course in history, without any of the homework!
Unlock the most content by becoming a supporter through Patreon. You choose the amount you want to contribute, and your support helps keep the podcast commercial free! Visit patreon.com/user?u=5530632
Support through Patreon from listeners like you is the only source of ongoing funding for this podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books
86 snips
Oct 24, 2017 • 1h 44min
In Search of the Dawn: Human Prehistory
A journey through human origins from Africa to the rest of the world. They explore endurance hunting bodies, encounters with Neanderthals and other hominins, and the small founder group that left Africa. Technology like sewing, pottery and dog domestication get spotlighted. The rise of agriculture and its global, multiple beginnings explain the shift toward cities and inequality.
10 snips
Oct 10, 2017 • 1h 54min
Goodbye to Catalonia?
What is going on in Catalonia? We trace the long history of the small region in Spain’s northeastern corner, considering how medieval rebellions, dynastic struggles, and radical anarchist unions all helped to lay the groundwork for the separatist movement that today is flirting with unilaterally breaking away from Spain. We also account for the refusal of neighboring countries or the EU to say anything about the Spanish crisis, since Catalan independence threatens the survival not only of Spain, but of almost every large nation-state in Europe and the liberal internationalist order that they have built.
Please help to make it possible for these lectures to continue! -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
39 snips
Sep 19, 2017 • 1h 19min
Columbus -- The Tragedy and the Enigma
We examine the enigmatic and elusive figure of Columbus, from his likely Jewish background, to his bizarre and hairbrained scheme of sailing to Asia, his brutal and chaotic invasion of the West Indies, his struggle to defend his honors and titles, and finally his apocalyptic vision of his own role in the End Times. We consider how Columbus, a fairly obscure and rejected figure after his death, came to be held up as a symbol of both the best and the worst of the American psyche.
To hear all patron-only lectures from this podcast as soon as they post, sign on as a patron at any level: https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632
Alternatively, to hear the all of the patron-only lectures on the early modern age, including on Martin Luther, the Reformation, and Spain & Portugal in the Age of the Inquisition, you can purchase access to the “Becoming Modern” playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2026824?view=condensed
63 snips
Aug 22, 2017 • 1h 50min
The Confederacy -- Its Roots and Its Legacies
The discussion dives into the origins of Confederate statues, exploring their historical context and symbolism. It traces the evolution of American attitudes toward slavery, revealing how it shifted from a necessary evil to a perceived positive good. The motivations behind Southern resistance and support for the Confederacy are analyzed, highlighting social pressures and economic stakes. The narrative connects past and present, warning against complacency about modern slavery and stressing the importance of historical honesty.
36 snips
Aug 17, 2017 • 1h 51min
The Historical Jesus
Dive into the fascinating quest for the historical Jesus, where early writings unveil truths about his life, from his baptism to crucifixion. Explore how archaeological evidence sheds light on puzzling Gospel passages. Unpack the contrasts among the canonical gospels and the intriguing insights from noncanonical texts. Discover Jesus's identity as a Jewish peasant, his potential literacy, and the psychology behind resurrection beliefs. Conclude with the depiction of Jesus as an apocalyptic preacher who sparked a transformative movement.
62 snips
Jul 30, 2017 • 1h 25min
Who Wrote the Bible? -- Hebrew Scriptures
We dissect the origins of the Hebrew Bible (also called the Old Testament by Christians), excavating the deepest layers of the collection of holy books, including the very ancient songs and prayers that were likely passed on orally for centuries before being written down, the scholarly theories of the lost documents that were stitched together to form Genesis and Exodus, and the differing points of view of the various prophets, scribes, and propagandists whose books made their way into the Hebrew canon. Through this excavation, we discover a Bible comprising many voices, many facets, and many hidden meanings.
Please become a patron at any level, to hear the next lecture, on "Who Wrote the Bible? -- New Testament" : https://www.patreon.com/posts/13773778
40 snips
Jul 18, 2017 • 1h 40min
Judaism -- What Is It and Where Did It Come From?
We consider how best to understand the origins of the laws and customs of the Jewish people, or what we call "Judaism." We begin by dispelling the notion that Judaism (or any other belief system apart from Christianity) can properly be called a "religion" -- a category that derives originally from Christian practice and does not make sense anywhere else. We further examine the roots of the idea of "Judaism" as a concept for the Jewish way of life, concluding with a careful analysis of the meaning of the ancient Greek word "ioudaismos," which originates in the Book of Maccabees. Finally, we trace the best possible explanation for the origins of the Jewish people in the Bronze-Age Near East, using archaeological evidence including an ancient Egyptian monument and the vandalized ruins of Canaanite temples. Ultimately, we should be able to understand Judaism and its God as the creations of a particular Middle Eastern people not entirely unlike their ancient neighbors.
Special thanks to Daniel Boyarin for his help and inspiration.
Please become a patron at any level in order to hear the next lecture, on "The Jews of Europe, from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution" -- https://www.patreon.com/posts/14535522
Jul 6, 2017 • 1h 34min
Middle Ages 11: The Pulsating Body -- The Medieval World View
We cap off the series of lectures on the Middle Ages by piecing together how the people of the high and late Middle Ages understood their place in the cosmos. From the lowliest peasants to popes and emperors, medievals believed they formed the limbs of a living, breathing social body, and that body or tree was part of a Great Chain of Being connecting rocks and dirt to stars and planets and ultimately to God. Through these metaphors we can understand why medievals disapproved of commerce and abhorred high finance. We end with a commentary on the great, crowning statement of the late medieval mind, the prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Please support these lectures, at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
29 snips
Jun 1, 2017 • 1h 30min
Middle Ages 9: Knowledge and Ignorance in the Middle Ages (and Today)
We examine how medieval scholars battled over the meanings of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and of the Christian religion, while illiterate artisans made breakthroughs in architecture, engineering, metallurgy, and alchemy. The vast body of medieval scholarship came under attack during the Renaissance as so many "metaphysical obscurities," while today we stand on the precipice of a true Dark Age of ignorance.
Become a patron to hear the next installment -- Middle Ages 10: Sex and Sexuality in the Middle Ages -- https://www.patreon.com/posts/11878439
Or alternatively, make a one-time contribution to hear the entire series of lectures on the Middle Ages: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2004397?view=condensed
33 snips
May 17, 2017 • 1h 26min
Middle Ages 7: The Later Crusades and Their Legacies
We examine the long train of crusading expeditions of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, from the triumphs of Richard the Lionheart to the trainwreck of the sack of Constantinople. We consider the many ways that modern myths have distorted the Crusades for political purposes and erased the Crusaders' central motivation: control of Jerusalem.
Become a patron of HIstoriansplaining in order to hear the next lecture, on the Knights Templar -- https://www.patreon.com/posts/11370067
Or alternatively, make a one-time contribution to hear the entire series of lectures on the Middle Ages: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2004397?view=condensed
