Ben Franklin's World

4.4 (1.5K)
HISTORY
UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

This is a multiple award-winning podcast about early American history. It’s a show for people who love history and who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features conversations with professional historians who help shed light on important people and events in early American history. It is produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

6 DAYS AGO

405 African Americans in Early New York

When we think of slavery in Early America, we often think about the plantations and economies of the South. But did you know that slavery was also deeply entrenched in New York City? Did you know that Africans and African Americans helped New York City confront slavery, freedom, and racism in the Early American Republic and Antebellum periods? Leslie M. Harris, a professor at Northwestern University and author of In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863, joins us to explore the history of Africans and African Americans in early New York City. Leslie’s Website | Book Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/405 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 306: The Horse's Tale 🎧 Episode 324: New Netherland and Slavery 🎧 Episode 351: Wealth and Slavery in New Netherland 🎧 Episode 371: Archive of Indigenous Slavery 🎧 Episode 387: California and Slavery REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

1 hr
FEB 18 · BONUS

BFW Revisited: Free People of Color in Early America

What does freedom mean when the deck is stacked against you? In commemoration of Black History Month, we’re revisiting a story that is too often overlooked, but critical to our understanding of Early America. Join Warren Milteer, Jr., an Associate Professor of History at George Washington University, as we uncover the lives of free people of color in Early America. Warren’s Faculty Page | Book Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/328 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 118: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island 🎧 Episode 142: A History of Abolition 🎧 Episode 176: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave 🎧 Episode 289: Maroonage and the Great Dismal Swamp 🎧 Episode 312: The Domestic Slave Trade 🎧 Episode 352: James Forten and the Making of the United States REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

1h 4m
FEB 11

404 The Hidden Legacy of Early African American Cuisine

Did you know that many of the food traditions that define cuisine in the United States today have roots in African culinary traditions and history? Diane Spviey, a culinary historian and author of three culinary history books, joins us to uncover the rich and complex legacy of African and African American foodways and how those foodways helped establish the United States. Diane’s Website | Book | Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/404 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 137: The Washingtons’ Runaway Slave, Ona Judge 🎧 Episode 170: New England Bound 🎧 Episode 222: Early History of Washington, D.C. 🎧 Episode 226: Making the State of South Carolina 🎧 Episode 250: Virginia, 1619 🎧 Episode 348: Valley Forge 🎧 Episode 395: The Great New York Fire of 1776 REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

1h 1m
FEB 4 · BONUS

BFW Revisited: Running from Bondage in Revolutionary America

What would you risk for freedom? Would you risk your safety? You family? Your life? During the American Revolution, enslaved women faced these impossible choices when the British Army promised freedom to those who dared to escape. In honor of Black History Month, we’re revisiting an extraordinary chapter of resilience and bravery: the stories of enslaved women who seized the chance to chart their own destinies amid the chaos of war. Join Karen Cook-Bell for an exploration of enslaved women who self-emancipated during the American Revolution. Karen's Website | Book | Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/322 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 137: The Washingtons' Runaway Slave, Ona Judge 🎧 Episode 142: A History of Abolition 🎧 Episode 157: The Revolution's African American Soldiers 🎧 Episode 162: Dunmore's New World 🎧 Episode 352: James Forten and the Making of the United States REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

51 min
JAN 28

403 Re-Evaluating John Adams' Presidency

Did you know that John Adams, not George Washington, solidified the precedents of the executive branch and the presidency? Lindsay Chervinsky, an award-winning presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, has written a book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic. She joins us to investigate the presidency of the United States’ second president, John Adams. Lindsay’s Website | Book | Instagram Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/403 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 040: For Fear of an Elected King 🎧 Episode 117: The Life and Ideas of Thomas Jefferson 🎧 Episode 188: The Alien & Sedition Acts of 1798 🎧 Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship & Rivalry of Adams and Jefferson 🎧 Episode 203: Alexander Hamilton 🎧 Episode 279: The Cabinet: Creation of An American Institution REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community on Facebook LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music 🛜 Pandora CONNECT 🦋 Liz on BlueSky 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn 🛜 Liz’s Website SPONSORS 💼 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify

1h 6m
JAN 21 · BONUS

BFW Revisited: The Cabinet: Creation of an American Institution

January 20th, marked Inauguration Day in the United States, the day a new president and his administration takes office. So it seems a fitting time for us to revisit a conversation we had in 2020 about the creation of the Executive Branch, and more specifically, the creation of the president’s cabinet. Lindsay Chervinsky is an award-winning presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. In 2020, she published her first book called The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/279 Sponsor Links Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Complementary Episodes Episode 040: Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon, For Fear of an Elected King Episode 137: Erica Dunbar, The Washington’s Runaway Slave, Ona Judge Episode 193: Partisans: The Friendship and Rivalry of John Adams & Thomas Jefferson Episode 202: The Early History of the United States Congress Episode 203: Joanne Freeman: Alexander Hamilton Episode 265: Lindsay Chervinsky, An Early History of the White House Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter

1h 10m
JAN 14

402 Clocks, Watches, and Life in Early America

Do you know what time it is? In early America, this question wasn’t as simple to answer as it is today. Urban dwellers in cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston often wondered about the time—but few owned their own watches or clocks. So, how did they keep track of the hours? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of early American timekeeping. Bob Frishman, a horologist—a specialist in clocks and watches—and a scholar of horology, joins us to explore how timepieces and their makers shaped community life and craftsmanship in the 18th century. Along the way, we’ll uncover the remarkable story of Edward Duffield, a Philadelphia clockmaker who wasn’t just a master craftsman but also a close friend and neighbor of Benjamin Franklin. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/402 Sponsor Links Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Colonial Williamsburg Email Lists Complementary Episodes Episode 149: Benjamin Franklin in London Episode 175: The Revolution in Ben Franklin’s House Episode 207: Young Benjamin Franklin Episode 244: Shoe Stories from Early America Episode 292: Craft in Early America Episode 301: From Inoculation to Vaccination, Pt 1 Episode 302: From Inoculation to Vaccination, Pt 2 Episode 332: Occupied Philadelphia Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter

1h 4m
JAN 7 · BONUS

BFW Revisited: The Politics of Tea

To close out our mini-series on Tea in early America, we’re going to revisit Episode 160: The Politics of Tea. This episode was part of our Doing History: To the Revolution series with the Omohundro Institute in 2017. In this episode, we’ll revisit how early Americans went from attending tea parties to holding the Boston Tea Party. We’ll also explore more in depth information about how tea became a central part of many early Americans’ lives. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/160 Sponsor Links Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Complementary Episodes Episode 112: The Tea Crisis of 1773 Episode 229: The Townshend Moment Episode 401: Tea, Boycotts, and Revolution Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin’s World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter

1h 28m

See All (434)

Elizabeth Covart

Host

4.4

out of 5

1,488 Ratings

Read!!

11/27/2024

Nova72!!

I’m a teenager and I get bored sooooo easily, but surprisingly, this didn’t. Not only was I able to learn more abt this, but I was also feeling entertained. If ur someone who has to study abt this topic and don’t find it interesting, listen to this!!! 🤩
American History

6 days ago

Goy Orbison

Hi, were there any White people in colonial America?
So enjoyable!

10/22/2024

Haileelynn

I love this podcast! I have learned so much about my favorite time period and beyond. Great topics! Something for everyone!
Wonderful!

09/20/2024

mrglenn52

I was seeking a pod cast with historical content and found you. Such a vast array of topics that are enlightening and verifiable. Please continue to share these insights.

This is a multiple award-winning podcast about early American history. It’s a show for people who love history and who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features conversations with professional historians who help shed light on important people and events in early American history. It is produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.