Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong

Samuel Biagetti, PhD

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Jun 10, 2022 • 42min

UNLOCKED: History of the United States in 100 Objects -- 16: The "PW" Hadley Chest, 1690-1710

Unlocked after a year for patrons only: An elaborately carved oak chest of unknown origin, but marked with the initials of a young unmarried lady, exemplifies the first regional artistic style ever to arise in the American colonies -- the "Hadley Chests" of the Connecticut River valley. Suggested reading: Clair Franklin Luther, "The Hadley Chest." For non-patrons, to hear all installments in this series on the history of the United States in 100 objects, you can purchase access through a single small payment: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2070759?view=condensed The Winterthur Museum catalog entry on the chest, with more photos: http://museumcollection.winterthur.org/single-record.php?resultsperpage=20&view=catalog&srchtype=advanced&hasImage=&ObjObjectName=&CreOrigin=&Earliest=&Latest=&CreCreatorLocal_tab=&materialsearch=&ObjObjectID=&ObjCategory=&DesMaterial_tab=&DesTechnique_tab=&AccCreditLineLocal=&CreMarkSignature=&recid=1958.0696&srchfld=&srchtxt=hadley+chest&id=452a&rownum=1&version=100&src=results-imagelink-only
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Jun 9, 2022 • 1h 35min

Fortresses on Sand: The History of Florida -- pt. 4

From 1763 to the 1840s, Florida was repeatedly tossed and traded among the British, Spanish, and American empires, as all sorts of adventurers -- from Greek and Turkish indentured workers, to Scottish speculators, to Seminole warriors, to West African widows, to British Army deserters, to Mexican pirates, to "Cracker" cattle-herders -- attempted to establish themselves and exploit the subtropical landscape. Under American rule, two societies take shape in the Florida Territory -- one of cotton plantations and the other of backcountry homesteads -- and come to loggerheads over questions of development and ultimately, the idea of statehood. Join as a patron to hear the latest lecture on the Library of Ashurbanipal in Iraq, the largest archaeological discovery of ancient texts ever made -- https://www.patreon.com/posts/67307781
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Jun 3, 2022 • 24min

Taking Stock of 5 Years of Historiansplaining, & Teaser: The Library of Ashurbanipal

We take stock of the growth of "Historiansplaining," which has brought together listeners and guests, ranging from scholars and critics to regular working people, from America to Asia and Australia. We consider the different lectures that have proved most popular and attracted the attention of journalists, and we preview possibilities for the future, such as videos and series on music in history, which may be realized with enough patron support. Finally, we hear the names of all current active patrons, and an excerpt from the latest patron-only lecture, examining the largest discovery ever made of texts and documents from the ancient world, the Library of Ashurbanipal, in Mosul, Iraq. Please sign up on Patreon to hear patron-only lectures, including "The LIbrary of Ashurbanipal" -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
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May 12, 2022 • 1h 43min

Fortresses on Sand: The History of Florida -- pt. 3

We consider the struggles of European colonists and missionaries, indigenous tribes, and African laborers to protect their territories and secure their freedom through two tumultuous centuries of Spanish rule in Florida. From the first arrival of yellow fever, to the construction of an indestructible limestone fortress, to the creation of the first black-led town in America, the Spanish era laid the foundations of a distinctive Floridian society which miraculously persisted and was never conquered by its powerful enemies to the north. Article in Cincinnati Magazine in which I am quoted about the Scottish & Irish Travellers: https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article/just-call-us-kin-cinnati-the-travelers-that-visit-spring-grove-cemetery/ Please support this podcast and hear all lectures -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632
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Apr 27, 2022 • 3h 7min

Myth of the Month 19: The Holy Grail -- pt. 2

How did the Holy Grail transform from the object of a purifying spiritual quest to a Faustian symbol of the corruptions of power? We consider the evolution of the Grail myth from the later medieval romances through Le Morte D'Arthur, the works of Tennyson, Wagner, and T.S. Eliot, and the portrayals of the Grail by Monty Python, Dan Brown, and Jay-z, and finally we consider the modern quests to uncover the hidden truth of the Grail -- whether as a pagan fertility symbol, a Christian spiritual allegory, or a code identifying the secret bloodline of Jesus Christ. My first lecture on the Holy Grail: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/myth-of-the-month-19-holy-grail-pt-1 Image: Mural of Galahad's attainment of the Grail, Edward Austin Abbey, Boston Public Library, early 1890s. Suggested further reading: Richard Barber, "The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief"; Arthur Edward Waite, "The Holy Grail." Become a patron at any level in order to hear patron-only lectures as soon as they post (https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632), or alternatively, non-patrons can buy the entire playlist of Myths of the Month, including “The Enlightenment,” “Race,” & “Capitalism,” among others: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2031535?view=condensed
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Apr 21, 2022 • 2h 18min

Myth of the Month 19: The Holy Grail -- pt. 1

Why did an enigmatic relic discussed in a series of medieval romances of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table leap out of the Arthurian myths and rise to become the most famous object in the history of literature? What does the vessel represent spiritually, morally, and sexually? And what the heck is a "grail" anyway? We begin by examining the medieval legends and what they say about the origin, nature, and miraculous powers of the sought-after holy relic. My previous lectures on the Arthur cycle: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/myth-of-the-month-12-the-arthur-cycle-part-1-making-king-arthur https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/myth-of-the-month-12-king-arthur-pt-2-the-rise-and-fall-of-camelot Suggested further reading: Richard Barber, "The Holy Grail"; Arthur Edward Waite, "the Holy Grail" Image: Mural depicting Galahad achieving the Grail, by Edward Austin Abbey, Boston Public Library, 1890s Become a patron at any level in order to hear patron-only lectures as soon as they post (https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632), or alternatively, non-patrons can buy the entire playlist of Myths of the Month, including “The Enlightenment,” “Race,” & “Capitalism,” among others: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2031535?view=condensed
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Apr 1, 2022 • 1h 57min

Myth of the Month 16: The Founding Fathers

Unlocked for the public after 1 year on Patreon for patrons only: The "Founding Fathers" -- the most rarefied club in American history -- stand in for everything we love or hate about this country, from its civic and religious freedom to its white supremacism. As if carved in stone (which they oftentimes are), they loom over every political debate, even though most of us know next to nothing about them, or even who counts as one of the group. Coined by that immortal wordsmith, President Warren Harding, the phrase "Founding Fathers" serves as an empty vessel for civic emotion, conveniently covering over the actual history of struggle, conflict, and contention that shaped the American republic. Suggested Further Reading: Woody Holton, "Forced Founders" and "Unruly Americans and the Origins of the US Consitution"; Gordon Wood, "The Radicalism of the American Revolution"; Gerald Horne, "The Counter-Revolution of 1776"; Charles Beard, "An Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution"; Joseph Ellis, "Founding Brothers" Become a patron at any level in order to hear patron-only lectures as soon as they post (https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632), or alternatively, non-patrons can buy the entire playlist of Myths of the Month, including “The Enlightenment,” “Race,” & “Capitalism,” among others: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2031535?view=condensed
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Mar 26, 2022 • 1h 48min

Fortresses on Sand: The History of Florida -- pt. 2

After 1500, Florida becomes a battleground in a new struggle for control of North America; we discuss the repeated doomed attempts by French and Spanish adventurers, from Ponce de Leon to the Huguenot colonists at Fort Caroline, to establish a foothold in Florida, until Spain finally succeeds in creating a lasting European stronghold at Saint Augustine. Hear part 1 here -- https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/fortresses-on-sand-the-history-of-florida-pt-1 Please support this podcast to help keep it coming and hear patron-only lectures! -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 Follow the podcast on Twitter -- @historiansplain
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25 snips
Mar 19, 2022 • 2h 48min

Dissecting the "Dawn of Everything" -- A Conversation with Geoff Shullenberger

Geoff Shullenberger discusses 'The Dawn of Everything' book, challenging assumptions on civilization rise, rejecting Marxism, emphasizing human imagination. Weaknesses include over-emphasis on personal freedom, inaccuracy in the 18th century, and blindspot on myth, ritual, environment shaping societies.
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5 snips
Feb 22, 2022 • 1h 22min

Fortresses on Sand: The History of Florida -- pt. 1

We discuss the complex and multilayered history of Florida, beginning with the prehistoric peoples that survived in and mastered the tropical landscape, built monumental mound complexes, and formed powerful kingdoms that would eventually confront the first European invaders. Hear part 2 here -- https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/fortresses-on-sand-the-history-of-florida-pt-2 Image: Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Gulf of Mexico Please support this podcast! -- https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632

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