Revolutions in Retrospect

Revolutionary Histories and Primary Source Media
  • 5.0 (8)
  • History
  • Updated Biweekly

Historians Lynn Prince Robbins and Jim Ambuske explore the histories of the revolutions that remade the Atlantic world, from the civil wars of seventeenth-century Britain, the Jacobite Uprisings, and American Independence, to Revolutionary Haiti, the French Revolution, the Enlightenment, and everything in between.

  1. Jun 16

    When the Declaration was News with Emily Sneff

    We know the stories of the Founding Fathers and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence — but what about the people who learned about it days, weeks, or even months later across the colonies and around the world? Tracing the Declaration's journey—from broadsides and public readings to censored London printings—reveals how diverse audiences such as printers, Anglican ministers, Indigenous nations, enslaved people, and everyday colonists encountered, translated, and reacted to the Declaration when it was still news, and not yet the sacred historical text that we consider it today. Dr. Lynn Price Robbins is joined by Dr. Emily Sneff to discuss her new book, When the Declaration of Independence was News. Hosted by Dr. Lynn Price Robbins. Executive producers are Dr. Jim Ambuske, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    45 min

  2. Jun 9

    Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia with Greg Brooking

    Sir James Wright very much had Georgia on his mind. The colony's last royal governor envisioned a bright future for one of British America's youngest provinces, but events soon outran his imagination.  Although Georgians were slower to embrace revolution in the 1770s than fellow subjects were in Virginia or Massachusetts Bay, a delay due in no small measure to Governor Wright's power and influence, he could stem the tide only for so long. When revolution came it put the governor's own loyalty to the test. Would he stay loyal to his king, or would he defy him?  In this episode, Dr. Jim Ambuske is joined by Dr. Greg Brooking to discuss his recent book, From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia. Hosted by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Executive producers are Dr. Lynn Price Robbins, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    53 min

  3. May 19

    Patrick Henry's Final Political Battle with John Ragosta

    In 1861, the United States fractured into civil war—but the young republic had come dangerously close to a similar breaking point decades earlier. In 1798, under President John Adams, the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts inflamed partisan tensions, prompting the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which nearly tore the new nation apart. Amid this crisis, George Washington turned to an unlikely ally. Patrick Henry—the fiery orator famous for his "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech—came out of retirement at Washington's urging. Once a fierce Anti-Federalist, Henry set aside ideological differences to defend the Constitution and protect the fragile Union. This final act created a framework for loyal opposition in a republic, demonstrating that passionate disagreement need not mean disunion. Dr. Lynn Price Robbins is joined by Dr. John Ragosta to discuss his book, For the People, For the Country: Patrick Henry's Final Political Battle. Hosted by Dr. Lynn Price Robbins. Executive producers are Dr. Jim Ambuske, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    56 min

  4. May 8

    Republic and Empire with Andrew O'Shaughnessy

    The American Revolution is often celebrated as a glorious cause, as the period when 13 colonies defied an oppressive empire, declared independence, and created a new nation. In many retellings, the revolution is a local tale of aggrieved colonists who became disenchanted with the greedy Parliament and felt betrayed by their tyrannical king. But what about the rest of that empire? Of the colonies in North America and the Caribbean that remained loyal to the crown, of places like Ireland, Senegal, and India that were woven into the fabric of an empire that some Americans eventually rejected. If we take a global view of the American Revolution, do some truths become less self-evident? In this episode, Dr. Jim Ambuske is joined by Dr. Andrew O'Shaughnessy to discuss his recent book, Republic and Empire: Crisis, Revolution, and America's Early Independence. Hosted by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Executive producers are Dr. Lynn Price Robbins, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    45 min

  5. Apr 22

    The Women of Rendezvous with Jenny Shaw

    Five women—two wives, two enslaved women, and one indentured servant—were bound by their connection to the powerful Barbados politician John Peers. Between them, Hester, Susannah, Elizabeth, Dorothy, and Frances bore at least twenty children, many conceived through coercion and violence. Yet even in a world that denied them autonomy over their own bodies, these women carved out remarkable lives for themselves and their children in both Barbados and England. This transatlantic story explores how family and colonial power were inseparable in a world shaped by race, patriarchy, and unfreedom—and the central role women played in building an empire. While their story survives through an unusually rich archive, these women's experiences echo those of thousands of families across the early modern Atlantic world, revealing both the intimacy and the brutality at the heart of colonial society. Dr. Lynn Price Robbins is joined by Dr. Jenny Shaw to discuss her book, The Women of Rendezvous: A Transatlantic Story of Family and Slavery. Hosted by Dr. Lynn Price Robbins. Executive producers are Dr. Jim Ambuske, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    59 min

  6. Apr 8

    Atlantic Revolutions with Patrick Griffin

    In the 1760s, the Atlantic world teetered on the edge of Revolution. In the years after the Seven Years' War, a global conflict that transformed Europe, West Africa, and the Americas in ways that many intended and many did not, the very fabric of that world began to unravel. First the American, then the French, followed by the Haitian, and then rebellions in South America frayed, twisted, and in some cases broke long-standing connections between peoples and nations on both sides of the ocean. An Atlantic system that had taken centuries to build came undone, leaving in its wake monuments to a world turned upside down. This was the Age of Atlantic Revolution. In this episode, Dr. Jim Ambuske is joined by Dr. Patrick Griffin to discuss his recent book, The Age of Atlantic Revolution: The Fall and Rise of a Connected World. Hosted by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Executive producers are Dr. Lynn Price Robbins, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    41 min

  7. Mar 16

    Cheers to the Republic with Kirsten Wood

    If you go to a tavern today, you are most likely looking for a meal and perhaps an alcoholic beverage. However, taverns functioned more broadly between the 1780s and the 1850s. Following the Revolutionary War in the new United States, taverns were legally mandated to offer lodging along with spirits. These establishments were vital hubs of travel, commerce, politics, and sociability. From stagecoach stops to informal train stations, taverns anchored the infrastructure of a growing nation. Taverns also served as a microcosm of American society, both shaping and reflecting the cultural tensions of the era. Reform movements, economic negotiations, and the evolving ideas of citizenship transformed these simple buildings from within, revealing everyday ways people claimed belonging in the young and rapidly changing nation. Dr. Lynn Price Robbins is joined by Dr. Kirsten E. Wood to discuss her new book, Accommodating the Republic: Taverns in the Early United States. Hosted by Dr. Lynn Price Robbins. Executive producers are Dr. Jim Ambuske, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    52 min

  8. Mar 3

    The Writing on the Wall with Madeleine Pelling

    In 1796, workmen discovered ghosts in the Tower of London. As they stripped away wooden paneling from the walls, they found messages from the past carved deep into stone that lay below. Poems, elaborate coats of arms, simple initials, and Christian symbols all paid tribute to the final days of just some of the many people who met their end within the castle's walls. The forgotten graffiti in the Tower of London was an astonishing discovery, but not an uncommon one. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, London women and men left their marks above doors, on walls, and in the strangest places, offering us brief glimpses into moments of utter farce and the most horrible of crimes. At some point in our lives, we all must face the writing on the wall, but in some cases, what others have left behind can reveal to us how they lived. In this episode, Dr. Jim Ambuske talks with historian Madeleine Pelling, Ph.D. about her recent book Writing on the Wall: Graffiti & Rebellion in Eighteenth-Century Britain. Hosted by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Executive producers are Dr. Lynn Price Robbins, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.

    1h 4m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Historians Lynn Prince Robbins and Jim Ambuske explore the histories of the revolutions that remade the Atlantic world, from the civil wars of seventeenth-century Britain, the Jacobite Uprisings, and American Independence, to Revolutionary Haiti, the French Revolution, the Enlightenment, and everything in between.

Information

  • Creator
    Revolutionary Histories and Primary Source Media
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Revolutions in Retrospect