Revolution Revisited

VMHC Podcasts
VMHC Podcasts
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Explore the American Revolution in a whole new way as we delve into the stories that shaped a nation.  This multi-season podcast offers a fresh examination of the origins and impacts of the American Revolution. Produced as part of the VMHC’s 250th Initiative and as a companion to its marquee exhibition, Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation, this podcast is a must-listen resource as part of America’s milestone anniversary. The show is a fascinating look at the people, ideas, and events that changed the world. Beyond familiar figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Revolution Revisited™ will uncover the pivotal roles of lesser-known individuals, like Clementina Rind, in the burgeoning nation's quest for independence. Go behind the scenes with leading historians, authors, and other experts and learn about key artifacts at the VMHC that connect the ideals of the past with our world today. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and join us for a captivating journey through the American Revolution. Seasons 1 & 2 available now! Revolution Revisited™ is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture

  1. 5d ago

    War in the West: George Rogers Clark & the Illinois Campaign

    All these guys he's recruited from the frontier, are going to be fiercely independent in general because this is their shot. For them, it's not about the war with Britain as much as it is about securing their futures. In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and historian Eric Sterner shift the Revolution’s focus beyond the Northeast to the contested western frontier—western Virginia and Pennsylvania into the Ohio Valley and Illinois—where competing land claims, shifting Indigenous diplomacy, and British posts fueled violence. They trace George Rogers Clark’s rise from Virginia surveyor and Dunmore’s War veteran to Kentucky leader, his political ties to figures like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, and his recruitment of volunteers amid hints of land rewards.  With roughly 150 men, Clark launched the 1778 Illinois campaign, seizing Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes largely through surprise and intimidation, then later recapturing Vincennes by bluffing Henry Hamilton into surrender. The episode also highlights brutal episodes, Jefferson’s directives toward Native nations, mixed Indigenous responses, Clark’s limited success securing Kentucky, his later bankruptcy and decline, and the shifting myths and reassessments of his legacy, including his statue’s removal in 2021.  Featured GuestEric Sterner, Author & Historian Eric Sterner earned a BA from American University and two MAs from George Washington University. He worked in the defense and aerospace field, serving on the staff of two Congressional committees and in the Department of Defense and as a NASA Associate Deputy Administrator. He is the author of Till the Extinction of This Rebellion, Anatomy of a Massacre: The Destruction of Gnaddenhutten, 1782 and The Battle of Upper Sandusky, 1782. He contributes regularly to the Journal of the American Revolution and Emerging Revolutionary War Era. Show Notes00:00 Welcome 00:39 Why the Western Front01:56 Defining the Revolutionary West02:40 Treaties and Frontier Tensions05:32 Neutrality and Dunmore’s War07:13 Meet George Rogers Clark09:52 Kentucky Politics and Gunpowder13:02 Taking the Offensive Plan15:20 Pitch to Patrick Henry17:13 Recruiting and Corn Island18:17 Why Men Volunteered23:30 Bloodless Takeover of Illinois26:56 Hamilton Strikes Back28:29 Winter March to Vincennes29:59 War’s Wider Impact31:02 Violence and Native Relations35:15 Did Clark Secure the West37:23 Clark’s Postwar Downfall40:01 Mythmaking and Reassessment42:39 Closing and Next Episode Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

  2. Jul 15

    A Global Gamble: Revolutionary Allies

    The colonists allying themselves with France and Spain was not a natural thing for them… This is one of the best examples of the enemy, of my enemy is my friend… They would've been incapable of fighting without this support. In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and guest Sam Florer of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture examine why American independence was unlikely without European assistance and how France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic became Revolutionary Allies. The episode highlights the self-interested motives that led rival empires to support the Patriot cause and widen the conflict into a global war.  After Britain’s dominance following the Seven Years’ War, France and Spain sought to weaken Britain, despite colonists’ long history of conflict with those powers. In this episode, we will follow the efforts an unlikely cast of characters–diplomats, politicians, merchants, spies, money-launderers, and gunrunners–who found ways to covertly (and ultimately officially) support the cause of American Independence. As France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic were drawn into the war against England, covert assistance turned into official alliances, providing critical aid in the form of finances, supplies, and manpower.   Featured GuestSam Florer, Director of Public Programs, Virginia Museum of History & Culture Sam Florer brings over a decade of museum experience with a focus on education and public engagement. He holds both a BA and MA in History from the College of William & Mary. In his role at the VMHC, Sam leads teacher professional development workshops, supports student programs, and collaborates with cultural institutions statewide to implement the Virginia affiliate of National History Day, a nationwide historical research competition. He also manages a wide range of public programs for adult audiences and works as a historical researcher and writer, specializing in 18th- and 19th-century American history. Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited01:08 Why Europe Got Involved03:15 Not Natural Allies05:16 Diplomats in Paris07:24 Franklin vs Lee09:17 Beaumarchais Secret Aid13:46 Spies and Covert Shipping15:38 France Makes It Official17:39 Spain Joins the War25:11 Galvez and Pensacola28:09 Havana Silver for Yorktown31:41 Dutch Money and Neutrality36:58 A Truly Global War39:02 Peace Deals and Aftermath41:16 Unsung Backers Left Behind43:32 Closing Thoughts and Next Time Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

    A Global Gamble: Revolutionary Allies

  3. Jul 8

    The Test of War: The Northern Campaigns of 1777

    We declared independence not too long before a series of obliterating, crushing defeats were suffered by our army. The British were trouncing us time and time again, and George Washington’s Continental Army was on the brink of destruction. But Trenton reversed that. It gave the army the morale boost it desperately needed and helped convince soldiers that maybe they really could beat the British. In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech is joined by Eric Schnitzer to look at the Northern Campaigns of 1777, when the Revolution was still far from secure. They talk about the low point Washington’s army had reached after the defeats of 1776, the temporary lift that came from Trenton and Princeton, and the British plan to divide the colonies by moving against Philadelphia and Albany. The conversation also follows Daniel Morgan’s Corps of Riflemen to Saratoga, where a hard-fought American victory helped force Burgoyne’s surrender and changed what seemed possible for the war. After the Declaration of Independence, the Revolution still had to survive on the battlefield. In this episode, we follow the Northern Campaigns of 1777, when British forces hoped to divide the colonies and bring the rebellion to an end. We’ll look at Washington’s battered army after the defeats of 1776, the renewed hope that came from Trenton and Princeton, and the danger created when Fort Ticonderoga was abandoned without a fight. We’ll also follow Daniel Morgan’s Corps of Riflemen to Saratoga, where their skill, speed, and persistence helped weaken Burgoyne’s army and set the stage for one of the most important American victories of the war. Featured GuestEric Schniter, Park Ranger & Military Historian Eric Schnitzer has worked at Saratoga National Historical Park since 1997, becoming Park Ranger / Military Historian in 2000. He is the author of Don Troiani's Campaign to Saratoga - 1777, as well as many articles ranging in subjects from correcting the longstanding error of British light 3-pounder identification (Grasshoppers and Butterflies Reconsidered) to German recruits serving in the British Army during the American War for Independence. An artist, Eric's drawings have appeared in books authored by Don Hagist, including Noble Volunteers: the British Soldiers who fought the American Revolution, and Dr. Karen Cook Bell's Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America. He and his wife, Jenna, and their four wacky cats live in an 18th-century house in the White Creek Historic District near Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site, N.Y. Show Notes: 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and The Northern Campaigns of 177701:31 Recapping 1776 After the Declaration of Independence02:58 Crushing Defeats and Washington’s Army on the Brink03:52 Why New York Became a Major British Target05:10 Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, and Collapsing Morale07:12 Trenton, Princeton, and a Needed Morale Boost08:39 Rebuilding the Continental Army for 177710:32 British Strategy: Philadelphia, Albany, and Dividing the Colonies12:25 Howe Changes Course and Sails for the Chesapeake13:51 Burgoyne Advances from Canada Toward Albany15:06 The Abandonment of Fort Ticonderoga16:00 Shortages, Suffering, and Life After the Retreat17:07 Schuyler Falls Back Toward Saratoga18:57 Horatio Gates Takes Command19:43 Daniel Morgan and the Corps of Riflemen22:00 Why Morgan’s Riflemen Were an Elite Fighting Force23:12 Morgan’s Men Join Gates and Benedict Arnold at Bemis Heights24:04 Freeman’s Farm and the First Battle of Saratoga27:00 The Second Battle of Saratoga Begins28:51 The Attack on Breymann’s Fortified Camp30:36 Arnold Is Wounded and the British Position Falls31:22 Burgoyne Retreats and Surrenders at Saratoga32:46 Why Morgan’s Riflemen Mattered So Much33:43 Washington’s Losses at Brandywine and Germantown34:27 Why Germantown Still Impressed the French35:59 Contrasting Morale in the Northern Army and Washington’s Camp38:58 Valley Forge and the Winter of Want39:55 The French Alliance and the War’s Next Phase40:24 Why Independence Still Had to Be Defended42:23 Closing thoughts Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture

  4. Season 3 Trailer

    Coming Soon! Revolution Revisited Season 3: Liberty in Action

    Welcome to Revolution Revisited™, your crash course in the American Revolution. Join us as we dive into the stories of Virginia's rebels, rule breakers, and rabble rousers. While July 4, 1776, is a key date--and perhaps the most recognized in our history--it is not the end of the Revolutionary period. Season Three of Revolution Revisited™ follows the war across the colonies, tracing the role of Virginia and Virginians as the struggle for independence continues. Across six episodes, hear from historians Eric Schnitzer, Sam Florer, Eric Sterner, Amanda Ohlke, and Bert Dunkerly. As fighting unfolds across the northern colonies, the western frontier, and the South, the resolve of the Continental forces is tested time and again. This season, historians explore the campaigns that transformed the Continental Army and examine how intelligence networks and international alliances helped turn the tide of the war. As the conflict intensifies, the story moves to Yorktown, where the Revolution's decisive chapter begins and the path to American independence comes into focus. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and join us for a captivating journey through the American Revolution. Revolution Revisited: Liberty in Action coming July 2026.

    Coming Soon! Revolution Revisited Season 3: Liberty in Action

  5. Apr 15 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Getting in Ship Shape: Forming the Continental Navy

    The colonies had maritime experience—they had sailed with the British Navy, they had operated on privateering vessels—but they didn’t have a navy of their own. And that’s the challenge as the Revolution begins. On land, you can turn militias into an army, but there’s no equivalent at sea. If they’re going to stand up to the British, they have to build a naval presence from the ground up.  In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and guest Dr. Kylie Hulbert explore the origins and challenges of the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. They discuss how a collection of colonies with maritime experience but no unified naval force attempted to build a navy from scratch, the competition with privateers for sailors, and the critical role that naval power, especially from international allies, played in securing American independence. Inside the Episode: At the start of the American Revolution, the colonies faced a massive problem at sea. They had the sailors and the experience, but they lacked a unified naval force capable of challenging the British Royal Navy. In this episode, we follow the 1775 push to create the Continental Navy, a movement led in part by John Adams. We’ll look at the immediate hurdles they faced including limited funding, scarce resources, and a desperate competition for talent with privateers. We’ll also explore the people on the decks, from green recruits to the skilled African American pilots whose knowledge of local waterways proved essential. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and Forming the Continental Navy00:47 Guest Introduction: Historian Dr. Kylie Hulbert01:16 The Colonial Maritime World and British Naval Dominance03:43 Why the Colonies Had No Navy at the Start of the Revolution04:30 John Adams Pushes for a Continental Navy05:40 Debate in Congress: Navy as a Step Toward Independence07:15 Building a Navy from Scratch: Ships, Money, and Manpower09:20 Early Steps Toward Formation in Late 177510:30 State Navies and the Struggle for Unity12:30 Pirates vs. Privateers vs. Naval Sailors Explained15:40 Privateering vs. Navy Service: Risk, Reward, and Recruitment Challenges18:25 Who Served: Crews, Skills, and Life at Sea21:00 African American Sailors and Their Contributions25:34 Stories of Individual Sailors and Service28:30 John Paul Jones and Criticism of Privateers30:00 Early Naval Engagements and Missed Opportunities32:03 The French Navy and the Turning Point at Sea34:53 The Global Nature of the American Revolution36:30 Why Britain Ultimately Lost the War38:24 The End of the Continental Navy40:08 Closing Thoughts and Episode Wrap-Up RELATED CONTENT: Virginia Museum of History & CultureRevolution Revisited PodcastDr. Kylie Hulbert - Hampden-Sydney CollegeThe Untold War at Sea: America’s Revolutionary PrivateersThe Continental Navy in Virginia during the American Revolution

  6. Mar 11 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Give Me Liberty Panel Discussion

    What I think has really changed since the Bicentennial is that issues of race and gender have become much more at the center of the academic story. And one of the paradoxes is that by and large among academics, there's a greater sense of agreement as the landscape has become broader, whereas in the public culture, things are much more polarized. In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, listeners will hear a keynote panel discussion from the 2025 Conrad M. Hall Symposium for Virginia History, featuring scholars Dr. Alan Taylor, Dr. Karin Wulf, and Dr. Sarah McCartney. Together they explore how our understanding of the American Revolution has evolved since the 1976 Bicentennial, and what the 250th anniversary means for how we tell the fuller story of who shaped and was shaped by the founding of this nation. Inside the Episode: As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, historians are grappling with a profound question: how do we tell the full story of a revolution that involved everyone, but whose history has long centered only a few? In this keynote panel discussion from the 2025 Conrad M. Hall Symposium for Virginia History, three leading scholars reflect on how the field has transformed since the 1976 Bicentennial and what that means for this pivotal commemorative moment. From digitized primary sources bringing new voices to light, to the challenge of translating scholarship into public exhibitions, the conversation is as much about how we do history as what history we tell. What emerges is not a single, tidy narrative of liberty, but a richer and more honest one rooted in Virginia, shaped by slavery, and still very much being written. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and Bonus Episode01:25 Introducing the Keynote Panel and Scholars05:37 How Our Understanding of the Revolution Has Changed Since 197609:11 Academic History Then and Now: Race, Gender, and Expanding the Story13:17 Primary Sources, Digitization, and the Give Me Liberty Essays16:05 Family, Religion, and the Overlooked Threads of Revolutionary Life20:09 Scholars and Public History: Are We Doing Enough?27:12 What We Hope the 250th Anniversary Leaves Behind33:11 The Promise and Limits of Digital Research38:39 Q&A: AI, Archives, and the Future of Historical Research42:20 Broadening the Story Without Losing the Underlying One47:34 Fascinating Characters from the Revolutionary Era52:52 What It's Like to Advise an Exhibition56:38 A Teacher's Question: Are We Losing a Shared Story?1:03:29 Looking Ahead to 2026 and the Official Narrative1:09:22 Commemoration vs. Celebration and Final Reflections RELATED CONTENT: Virginia Museum of History & Culture Revolution Revisited Podcast Give me Liberty Virginia's official 250th Commemorative Exhibition

  7. 12/24/2025 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Christmas 1776: Crossing the Delaware

    In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie and guest Michael Plumb explore the perilous decision that George Washington made in December 1776 to cross the Delaware River in order to hold off the British Army – and more importantly, secure an important morale victory for his troops.  Inside the Episode: By December 1776, the American Revolution was hanging by a thread. The Continental Army was underpaid, underfed, and freezing, retreating in the face of repeated defeats while Congress fled Philadelphia and enlistments ticked toward expiration. In this episode, we follow Washington and his army through that darkest hour — from anxious letters and crumbling morale to the risky, ice-choked crossing of the Delaware and the surprise victory at Trenton. Along the way, we unpack the realities behind the legend: the Hessian soldiers, the logistics, the overlooked figures who made the crossing possible, and the morale boost that gave the revolution new life. What emerges is not a tidy myth, but a story of fragile hope, collective effort, and a revolution that very nearly failed — until it didn’t. Recommended Resources Washington Crossing the Delaware Map: Battle of Trenton Washington Crossing the Delaware  Related Content The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775­–1777 (Wilkinson Lecture 2019)Movie Mythbusting: Liberty's KidsThe Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution

  8. 11/26/2025

    Declaring Independence: All Men Created Equal?

    Critical ideas about enlightenment that I think people can miss. It's all about learning, doing better progress. And progress requires virtue. It requires a commitment to civic society. It's communitarian. So when they're talking about liberty, it's liberty to participate because they're dealing with a monarchy where you don't have rights where the king and the nobility based on birth get all of the rights. Liberty is for them about your right to participate, your rights to be part of government, your right to get ahead, your ability to get ahead. Episode Description: In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie peels back the polished veneer of the Declaration of Independence to reveal the messy, combustible world that birthed it. Instead of marble statues and tidy mythmaking, she takes listeners into the cramped committee rooms, the clashing egos, and the political brinksmanship that shaped July 1776. From Jefferson’s blistering draft—complete with the grievances Congress refused to stomach—to the quieter voices pushing at the edges of independence, Maggie shows that declaring a nation was far from inevitable. What emerges is a portrait of revolution built not on unanimous idealism, but on compromise, conflict, and the stubborn insistence that a new world could be imagined, even when the old one refused to die quietly. Inside the Episode: Maggie traces the Declaration's winding journey from contentious committee meetings to the final parchment, showing how debate, disagreement, and sheer determination shaped its most famous lines. She explores Jefferson's original denunciation of the slave trade—not as a lost purity, but as evidence of a nation wrestling openly with its contradictions-and highlights the many hands, voices, and regional perspectives that forced the document to become something larger than any one delegate. With historian John Ragosta, she unpacks how the turmoil of 1775-76 pushed reluctant colonies toward common purpose, and how correspondence, drafts, and early printings reveal a people learning, in real time, what equality could mean. Rather than a relic, this episode treats the Declaration as a living promise-one that has been challenged, expanded, and reimagined ever since. It asks not only how the nation was declared, but how we continue declaring it every day. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Setting the scene in 1776 as Enlightenment ideas reshape colonial thinking01:04 Fighting across the colonies heightens urgency for independence04:18 Virginia debates whether to formally call for independence05:44 Richard Henry Lee introduces the resolution for independence06:05 Jefferson arrives in Philadelphia as Lee departs due to illness08:14 George Mason drafts the Virginia Declaration of Rights10:15 Colonies dispute who sparked independence first12:23 The Committee of Five is appointed to draft the Declaration15:32 Congress works simultaneously on independence, government, and alliances16:52 State constitutions establish long-lasting republican models19:54 Jefferson structures the Declaration around principles and grievances20:16 “All men are created equal” redefines national identity21:32 Trade, taxation, and military occupation drive public outrage24:56 Colonies experience grievances differently by region25:51 Britain pushes back on the grievances while avoiding the ideals28:48 Congress removes Jefferson’s slavery paragraph to preserve unity30:45 Edits soften criticism of the British people31:38 Lincoln argues ideals must be pursued despite hypocrisy33:22 Equality is defined as equality before the law34:55 Washington orders the Declaration read to the troops35:44 Troops tear down the statue of King George III in New York37:59 Delegates sign the Declaration on August 240:49 The Declaration fuels early steps toward emancipation42:58 Closing reflections on the Declaration’s legacy RELATED CONTENT: Virginia Museum of History & CultureRevolution Revisited PodcastThe Constitution of Virginia: Defining the Political CommunityGunston HallWriting the Declaration of Independence, 1776Jefferson’s DeskThomas Jefferson to Richard Henry Lee, July 29, 1776Analyzing the Grievances in the Declaration of Independence

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Explore the American Revolution in a whole new way as we delve into the stories that shaped a nation.  This multi-season podcast offers a fresh examination of the origins and impacts of the American Revolution. Produced as part of the VMHC’s 250th Initiative and as a companion to its marquee exhibition, Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation, this podcast is a must-listen resource as part of America’s milestone anniversary. The show is a fascinating look at the people, ideas, and events that changed the world. Beyond familiar figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Revolution Revisited™ will uncover the pivotal roles of lesser-known individuals, like Clementina Rind, in the burgeoning nation's quest for independence. Go behind the scenes with leading historians, authors, and other experts and learn about key artifacts at the VMHC that connect the ideals of the past with our world today. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and join us for a captivating journey through the American Revolution. Seasons 1 & 2 available now! Revolution Revisited™ is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture

Information

  • Channel
    VMHC Podcasts
  • Creator
    Virginia Museum of History & Culture
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Revolution Revisited

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