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

Samuel Biagetti, PhD
  • 4.8 (141)
  • History
  • Updated Monthly

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 historian 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.

  1. French Canada, pt. 1 -- Unlocking the Gates of the Continent, 1608-1648

    Jun 14

    French Canada, pt. 1 -- Unlocking the Gates of the Continent, 1608-1648

    No other American colony projected such extensive power with so few people. We recount how the French explored the vast northern region they called “Canada” for decades in pursuit of furs and the Northwest Passage, but repeatedly failed to plant a lasting colony in the harsh and forbidding land—until they found in Samuel de Champlain a leader with the shrewdness and grit to overcome the severe cold, the vast distances, and the treacherous politics of the Saint Lawrence basin. We trace the growth of Quebec from little more than a warehouse in the frozen wilderness to a thriving town, controlling the most critical gateway into the continent and serving as the hub of a lucrative trading network, a vast constellation of mission towns and outposts (including the Christianizing experiment known as Montreal), and most importantly, a formidable indigenous alliance system that dominated the continent from the Atlantic to Lake Superior. Finally, we consider the disasters of the mid-1600s, including deadly epidemics and warfare with the Five Nations, that brought Canada’s most important allies to their knees and threatened to wipe the colony off the map. Please sign up as a patron to support the podcast! -- https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632 Previous lecture discussing the history of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka the Iroquois Confederacy or Five Nations): https://historiansplaining.com/individual-episodes/the-hiawatha-belt/ Previous lecture, discussing the dynamics and importance of the fur trade: “History of the United States in 100 Objects, no. 24 – Beaver-Fur Stovepipe Hat” -- https://historiansplaining.com/individual-episodes/beaver-fur-stovepipe-hat/ Previous lecture on the first French colony on the North American mainland, Acadia: https://historiansplaining.com/individual-episodes/acadia-first-foothold-in-the-north/ Image: Engraving depicting the battle of Lake Champlain, July, 1609, published in Samuel de Champlain’s “Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain,” 1613, based on a drawing by Champlain himself Suggested Further Reading: Riendeau, “A Brief History of Canada”; David Hackett Fischer, “Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America”; Moogk, “La Nouvelle France: The Making of French Canada”; Linteau, “The History of Montreal”; Greg Koabel, “The Nations of Canada” podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nations-of-canada/id1531471267

    2h 12m
  2. Unlocked: Italy: Nation-Building Struggles & the Entry Into World War I, 1861-1915

    Jun 9

    Unlocked: Italy: Nation-Building Struggles & the Entry Into World War I, 1861-1915

    Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: We reconstruct the complex divisions and conflicts in Italian society as the new state sought to realize the Risorgimento’s unfulfilled promises of national unity and glory. We observe how the struggles among the Papacy, the Crown, and the powerful socialist movement led to Italy’s momentous decision to break with the Triple Alliance and to enter World War One with the Entente powers, and laid the groundwork for the original rise of Fascism. Please sign up as a patron at any level in order to hear patron-only lectures, including the recent part 2 on the concept of the industrial revoltion: https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632 Suggested further reading: John A. David, ed., "Italy in the Nineteenth Century”; Adrian Lyttleton, ed., “Liberal and Fascist Italy” Image: pro-intervention rally with Gabriele D’Annunzio, held at Quarto, Liguria, May 5, 1915

    1h 55m
  3. Excerpt: Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 2: Spinning the National Yarn

    May 26

    Excerpt: Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 2: Spinning the National Yarn

    For patrons only for 1 year: We trace how the notion of the “industrial revolution” – originally a foreign, Continental idea rooted in German dialectical history – entered into British political discourse and then into sacred national mythology, enshrined by the tourism industry and by Thatcherite politics. Then we examine the evolving debate over whether the alleged revolution was a good or a bad thing—or whether such an event happened at all, considering its narrow limitations in time, space, and scope. Finally, we weigh carefully the arguments that have been advanced in defense of the traditional myth, including the explosive growth of British cities, the wide divergence between Europe and the rest of the world, and the appearance of so-called “proto-industrialization” in the organization of labor before the rise of machines. Please sign up as a patron to hear the entire lecture, and all patron-only lectures: https://www.patreon.com/posts/myth-of-month-26-159215235 Alternatively, non-patrons can purchase the entire “Myths of the Month” playlist for one flat fee: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2031535?view=condensed Image: Museum of Sciene and Industry, Manchester, England, UK Suggested further reading: Books: Kenneth Pomeranz, “The Great Divergence”; D.C. Coleman, “Myth, History, and the Industrial Revolution”; Eric Hobsbawm, “Industry and Empire: An Economic History of Britain Since 1750” Articles: Fores, “The Myth of a British Industrial Revolution,” History, 1981; Cameron, “A New View of European Industrialization,” The Economic History Review, Feb. 1985; Quataert, “A New View of Industrialization,” International Labor and Working-Class History, Spring 1988; Razzell, “The Growth of Population in Eighteenth-Century England: A Critical Reappraisal,” Journal of Economic History, Dec. 1993; Davenport, “Mortality, migration and epidemiological change in English cities, 1600-1870,” International Journal of Paleopathology, June 2021

    13 min
  4. Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 1: Conceiving a Catastrophe

    May 14

    Myth of the Month 26: The Industrial Revolution -- pt. 1: Conceiving a Catastrophe

    Dictionaries, textbooks, and encyclopedias routinely write in grave and solemn tones about the “industrial revolution” that reportedly “transformed” society, first in Britain and then in the rest of the globe, giving painful birth to the modern world. Everything from mystical poems to demographic statistics have been martialed to support the idea of a catastrophic upheaval which disrupted what had been the agrarian, medieval life of the countryside. However, nobody can quite agree on exactly when this revolution took place, and the people supposedly living in the midst of it, in Britain in the 1700s and early 1800s, never noticed that it was happening. In this first lecture, we trace the origins of the concept of the “industrial revolution” in political debates in Restoration-era France and in the philosophical ferment of the German radical press—all before the concept finally made its way back into the country where the great upheaval allegedly took place. Please sign up as a patron to hear the next lecture, part 2 on the Industrial Revolution, "Spinning the National Yarn," and all patron-only lectures: https://www.patreon.com/posts/myth-of-month-26-159215235 Alternatively, non-patrons can purchase the entire “Myths of the Month” playlist for one flat fee: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2031535?view=condensed Image: Print of Albion Mills on fire, by Sheppard, London, 1791 Suggested Further Reading: D.C. Coleman, “Myth, History, and the Industrial Revolution”; Anna Bezanson, “The Early Use of the Term Industrial Revolution,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 36, no. 2; Rondo Cameron, “A New View of European Industrialization”, The Economic History Review, vol. 38, no. 1; Eric Hobsbawm, “Industry and Empire: An Economic History of Britain Since 1750”

    1h 36m
  5. Virginia, pt. 2 -- A Dominion on Fire, 1646-1685

    Apr 28

    Virginia, pt. 2 -- A Dominion on Fire, 1646-1685

    We consider Virginia’s tumultuous rise to wealth and prominence as the so-called “Old Dominion” and one of the largest European settler colonies in the world –from the colony’s dangerous stand in the English Civil War, through the subsequent demographic boom, and the codification of chattel slavery – as all the while, social tensions escalated, with the growing underclass of smallholders and landless laborers chafing against gentry rule. We disentangle how a trade dispute between planters and the Doeg Indian tribe on the Potomac River touched off a massive rebellion that overthrew the royal governor, laid waste to Jamestown and many of the great plantations, and threatened to destroy the English colonial enterprise, before order was restored, and the colony was set a new path towards becoming a slave society. Please become a patron to hear all patron-only lectures, including “Virginia, pt. 1,” on Jamestown and the creation of the colony: www.patreon.com/c/u5530632 Suggested further reading: Morgan, “American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia”; Wertenaber, “The Planters of Colonial Virginia”; Kupperman, “The Jamestown Project”; Billings, Selby, & Tate, “Colonial Virginia: A History” Image: Depiction of Nathaniel Bacon & the burning of Jamestown, from Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

    1h 47m
  6. Excerpt: Virginia, pt. 1 -- The Successful Failure, 1607-1646

    Apr 17

    Excerpt: Virginia, pt. 1 -- The Successful Failure, 1607-1646

    Virginia began from a small, undersupplied wooden fort immersed in a brackish and malarial marsh to become, after 30 years, the largest and most valuable colony in North America, pulling in thousands of indentured workers and African slaves each year and pumping out millions of pounds of tobacco. In achieving this shocking metamorphosis, the colonists had to contend with the Powhatan Confederacy, one of the strongest indigenous states in the Americas, which ruled the Tidewater region; and they had to to choose among different forking paths that might have led to an entirely different relationship between Indians and English. We consider the unrealized possible histories that iconic figures like John Smith and Pocahontas came to symbllize, and the reasons why the English backers poured so many resources and human lives into this endeavor of conquest and colonization, ultimately supplanting Powhatan civilization and creating a cash-crop colony. Please become a patron to hear all patron-only lectures: www.patreon.com/c/u5530632 Suggested further reading: Morgan, “American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia”; Wertenaber, “The Planters of Colonial Virginia”; Kupperman, “The Jamestown Project”; Billings, Selby, & Tate, “Colonial Virginia: A History” Image: Portrait of Matoaka / Pocahontas / Rebecca Rolfe, by WL Sheppard, 1891, based on an unknown original allegedly from life, 1616

    11 min
  7. Unlocked: History of United States in 100 Objects -- Beaver Fur Hat, 1590-1670

    Apr 11

    Unlocked: History of United States in 100 Objects -- Beaver Fur Hat, 1590-1670

    Unlocked after 1 year for patrons only: A tall “stovepipe” hat, which was made in the 1600s out of felt from beaver fur and likely belonged to a powerful member of the English Parl A tall “stovepipe” hat, which was made in the 1600s out of felt from beaver fur and likely belonged to a powerful member of the English Parliament, illustrates the extraordinary value of finely made hats, which fueled centuries of colonization, exploration, diplomatic feuding, and warfare all across North America, as European empires and Native American nations competed fiercely for control of the lucrative fur trade. Costume history blog post on beaver hats, with comtemporary artworks, by Gail Kellogg Hope: https://artbeautyandwell-orderedchaos.blogspot.com/2011/04/beaver-hats.html Dissertation by Elizabeth McFadden, on “Fur Dress, Art, and Class Identity in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century England and Holland,” at: https://escholarship.org/content/qt79w6n34n/qt79w6n34n.pdf?t=q6z2rg Alice Morse Earle’s “Two Centuries of Costume in America,” vol. 1, 1620-1820: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10115/pg10115.txt Weiss Gallery page with portrait of Sir Rowland Cotton (1581-1634) holding a felt hat: https://www.weissgallery.com/artworks/categories/2/9411-paul-van-somer-c.1577-1622-sir-rowland-cotton-1581-1634-of-alkington-painted-1618/

    51 min
  8. The Elizabethan Dream: How England Became a Sea Power

    Mar 20

    The Elizabethan Dream: How England Became a Sea Power

    We follow the adventures and the atrocities of the English “sea dogs,” from raiding ports in West Africa and Spanish mule trains in Central America to scrounging for gold in the Canadian tundra, as the Tudor regime exploited England’s expertise in sailing and navigation to undermine the Spanish empire and try to turn the Atlantic into a massive free-trade zone. We uncover why Elizabethan England never created lasing colonies of their own, until the accession of the first Stuart king in 1603 led to a profound shift in policy, paving the way for the first English colonies beyond Ireland and the extension of the “British empire” to America. Patrons: comment on this post to let us know which country or state you are in: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tell-me-where-153392904 Please become a patron to hear all patron-only lectures: https://www.patreon.com/c/u5530632 My previous lecture on England in the Tudor Age: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/age-of-absolutism-2-tudor-england-1485-1603 My interview with historian Melissa Morris on the early European colonies in Guiana, South America: https://soundcloud.com/historiansplaining/before-jamestown-when-england-colonized-the-amazon-a-conversation-with-melissa-morris Image: the “Armada Portrait” of Queen Elizbeth I, version probably commissioned by Francis Drake; notice English & Spanish ships seen over queen's shoulders, & queen’s hand resting on North America on the globe, representing her purported claim to that land Suggested further reading: Armitage, “Ideological Origins of the British Empire”; Kupperman, “The Jamestown Project”

    2h 7m
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4.8
out of 5
141 Ratings

About

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 historian 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.

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