Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly

Justin Voithofer, Jake Wynn, and Molly Keilty
  • 5.0 (14)
  • History
  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly - a podcast about how we share, interpret, and connect with the past. Each episode, we dig into how history is told in museums, historic sites, classrooms, and pop culture — and how storytelling can make the past relevant to the world we live in today. Between us, we've spent years in the field — from leading tours on Civil War battlefields and preserving historic landscapes to interpreting the stories of America's industrial workers and sharing local history online. We've seen firsthand how public history shapes communities, sparks curiosity, and sometimes stirs debate. Together, we'll talk with fellow historians, educators, and storytellers about how history reaches the public — on screen, on the ground, and everywhere in between. Through these conversations, we'll explore the ways history continues to inform who we are and who we want to be. The thoughts and opinions shared here are our own and don't represent those of our employers or affiliated organizations.

  1. Podcasting the Past | Fin Dwyer of the Irish History Podcast

    Apr 6

    Podcasting the Past | Fin Dwyer of the Irish History Podcast

    In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake sat down with Fin Dwyer - the voice behind the Irish History Podcast and one of the most consistent storytellers working in public history today. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to sustain a history podcast for more than a decade, this is that conversation. We talk about how Fin got started back in 2010, building an audience from scratch, and how podcasting has evolved from a niche format into one of the most powerful tools we have for sharing history. Along the way, we dig into something that sits at the center of both of our work - how to take complex, often uncomfortable history and make it accessible without losing the nuance. We also talk about the craft of public history; how we tell stories, how audiences engage with them, and what responsibility comes with putting history out into the world. And like any good conversation between public historians, we end up somewhere deeper - talking about bias, interpretation, and why the past still matters so much in the present. Check out The Irish History Podcast Check out Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: How Fin built the Irish History Podcast into a global show What podcasting looked like in 2010 - and how much it's changed The challenge of turning deep research into clear, engaging storytelling Why some of the most important stories never become books - but thrive in podcasts The responsibility of historians in public spaces, especially online How nuance gets lost and why it's worth fighting to keep it The tension between academic history and public-facing storytelling Why the past still shapes how we see the world today

    47 min
  2. Rewatching John Adams: Power, Politics, and Governing a New Nation (Episodes 5-7)

    Mar 23

    Rewatching John Adams: Power, Politics, and Governing a New Nation (Episodes 5-7)

    In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Justin, Jake, aned Molly wrap up HBO's John Adams miniseries. Episodes five through seven leave the battlefield and diplomacy behind and step into the uncertain world of governing a brand-new nation. Independence has been won - but now comes the reality of politics, power struggles, and the messy work of building a republic from scratch. John Adams finds himself on the outside looking in as vice president, then at the center of the storm as president - caught between Jefferson, Hamilton, and a political culture that already feels strikingly familiar. Meanwhile, Abigail Adams remains a steady and formidable presence, even as the personal cost of public life begins to take its toll on their family. By the final episode, the story turns inward. The urgency of revolution fades into something quieter and more human: aging, loss, legacy, and the uneasy realization that the history they lived is already being reshaped into myth. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: John Adams discovering just how little power the vice presidency actually holds The rise of political parties and the bitter divide between Jefferson and Hamilton The threat of war with France and the fragile place of the United States in a global conflict The Alien and Sedition Acts and the tension between liberty and control Abigail Adams navigating family, politics, and personal loss The devastating toll of illness and grief on the Adams family The mythmaking of the American Revolution and how quickly history gets rewritten John Adams and Thomas Jefferson reflecting on a lifetime of rivalry and legacy Other notes:  Alexis de Tocqueville and "Democacy in America": https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/democracy-in-america-english-edition-vol-1

    1h 26m
  3. Rewatching John Adams: The Revolution Goes to Europe (Episodes 3-4)

    Mar 16

    Rewatching John Adams: The Revolution Goes to Europe (Episodes 3-4)

    In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake and Molly head back into HBO's John Adams miniseries - this time following the American Revolution far beyond Boston and Philadelphia. John Adams sails for Europe with young John Quincy Adams at his side, stepping into the chaotic world of Revolutionary diplomacy. In Paris he clashes with Benjamin Franklin, struggles to win allies for the American cause, and begins the long, exhausting work of convincing Europe that the United States is a nation worth betting on. Back home in Massachusetts, Abigail Adams is fighting a very different war. With John gone for years at a time, she manages the farm, raises the family, and navigates the constant uncertainty of wartime.  Jake and Molly unpack the history behind the series, from Adams' awkward diplomacy in France and the Netherlands to Abigail's resilience and entrepreneurship on the Massachusetts home front. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: John Adams arriving in Europe as America's most stubborn diplomat Benjamin Franklin's very different approach to winning French support Young John Quincy Adams witnessing the Revolution up close Abigail Adams running the farm - and the household war effort - alone Awkward scenes with European royalty

    1h 10m
  4. When War Reaches the Past: Heritage Sites and Modern Conflict

    Mar 5

    When War Reaches the Past: Heritage Sites and Modern Conflict

    In this emergency episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake and Molly step away from their regular programming to talk about a war unfolding in real time - and a part of that war that few are discussing. During airstrikes in Iran, damage was reported near the Golestan Palace in Tehran, a UNESCO World Heritage site with roots stretching back centuries. That moment raises a larger question: what happens to history when modern war arrives? Jake walks through the international effort to protect cultural heritage during conflict, including the 1954 Hague Convention - an agreement created in the shadow of World War II's destruction. The conversation traces the long history of armies destroying culture, from Nazi looting in Europe to the bombing campaigns of World War II, the looting of museums in Iraq in 2003, and the deliberate destruction of ancient sites by ISIS in the 21st century. But the episode also widens into something more personal and immediate. The duo reflects on the historical echoes of the Iraq War, the dangers of conflicts launched without clear purpose, and the human consequences that follow when governments rush into war without understanding what comes next. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: The damage to Tehran's Golestan Palace and why UNESCO heritage sites matter The 1954 Hague Convention and the laws meant to protect culture in wartime World War II, Nazi looting, and the origins of cultural protection treaties The destruction of museums and archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria The historical parallels between the Iraq War and the current conflict Why protecting history in wartime is ultimately about protecting humanity itself

    33 min
  5. Rewatching John Adams: Law, Revolution, and Abigail's America (Episodes 1-2)

    Feb 23

    Rewatching John Adams: Law, Revolution, and Abigail's America (Episodes 1-2)

    In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, we begin our rewatch of HBO's 2008 miniseries John Adams — and it feels different this time. Jake, Justin, and Molly dive into the first two episodes of John Adams, beginning with the Boston Massacre and John Adams' controversial defense of British soldiers. It's a legal drama rooted in principle and ambition - a reminder that the rule of law has always been contested in American history, even in 1770. From there, the conversation moves into the Continental Congress, the long road to independence, and the fragile coalition that produced the Declaration. Along the way, the trio unpacks the radicalization of John Adams, the diplomacy of Benjamin Franklin, the complicated legacy of George Washington, and the indispensable role of Abigail Adams - moral compass, political strategist, and intellectual equal. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: The Boston Massacre and why Adams defended the British soldiers "Facts are stubborn things" and the meaning of the rule of law The violence and instability of revolutionary Boston The Continental Congress and the messy politics of independence Jefferson, Franklin, and the drafting of the Declaration The slavery clause that didn't survive Smallpox, inoculation, and medicine in wartime Abigail Adams as the quiet force behind the Revolution

    1h 17m
  6. A Governor's Scandal: Sally McDowell, Francis Thomas, and A Very Public Divorce in the 1840s

    Feb 16

    A Governor's Scandal: Sally McDowell, Francis Thomas, and A Very Public Divorce in the 1840s

    In this episode, Jake and Justin are joined by public historian Travis Shaw for a story that feels very modern - and yet unfolds in the 1840s. It begins with a marriage between Sally Preston McDowell, the daughter of a powerful Virginia political family, and Francis Thomas, a rising Maryland political star. Within weeks, suspicion, jealousy, and accusation turn that marriage into one of the most explosive public scandals of the antebellum era. What follows is a cascade of drama: alleged infidelity, a miscarriage, public accusations of infanticide, private letters turned into political weapons, and - at one point - two sitting governors physically fighting on a train platform in Virginia. Francis Thomas published a 52-page pamphlet detailing the intimate collapse of his marriage and places it on the desk of every member of Congress. State legislatures in Maryland and Virginia debated the case. Crowds packed the galleries. The press leapt at the chance to spill ink about this unfolding drama.  But beneath the spectacle is something more human - and more revealing. This episode explores how marriage, divorce, reputation, and gender operated in the 19th century. It traces how a woman navigated public shame in a world that gave her few legal protections. And it follows the strange afterlife of a political career that seemed permanently destroyed - only to be resurrected during the Civil War. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: Marriage, jealousy, and power in the 1840s political elite Divorce through state legislatures in antebellum America Public scandal before tabloids and reality TV - broadsides, pamphlets, and packed galleries Two governors fighting on a train platform The Civil War redemption arc of Francis Thomas Sally McDowell's second act - and a life reclaimed Want to learn more? Here's this episode's reading list and more information about Travis Shaw:  The Great Catastrophe of My Life Divorce in the Old Dominion by Thomas E. Buckley  If You Love That Lady Don't Marry Her: The Courtship Letters of Sally Mcdowell and John Miller, 1854-1856 (Volume 1) Statement of Francis Thomas  Historians on Tap Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area

    55 min
  7. Running Through History: Rewatching Last of the Mohicans

    Feb 9

    Running Through History: Rewatching Last of the Mohicans

    In this episode, Jake, Justin, and Molly revisit Last of the Mohicans - Michael Mann's sweeping 1992 epic set during the French and Indian War. The conversation moves between cinema and history, unpacking the real events behind the film's dramatic core, including the siege and massacre at Fort William Henry in 1757. Jake and Justin trace the historical landscape of the war itself - a global conflict sparked in North America - and walk through how a young, inexperienced George Washington helped ignite a world war. Molly brings the film critic's eye, reflecting on performances, score, and why this movie feels fundamentally different from historical epics made today. The episode also explores the deeper cultural layers behind the story: James Fenimore Cooper's 19th-century novel, the romantic myth of the disappearing frontier, and how Native nations were portrayed by early American writers. Along the way, the hosts wrestle with what the film gets right, what it simplifies, and why popular culture still shapes how Americans imagine early American history. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: The French and Indian War as the prelude to the American Revolution The real history behind Fort William Henry and its aftermath James Fenimore Cooper, frontier mythmaking, and early American literature Native nations, alliances, and survival in an imperial war Why Last of the Mohicans feels like a movie that couldn't be made today Running, cannons, heartbreak - and one of the great endings in film history Read more about Fort William Henry's history

    50 min
  8. Before Emancipation: Reconstruction Starts on the South Carolina Coast with Rich Condon

    Feb 2

    Before Emancipation: Reconstruction Starts on the South Carolina Coast with Rich Condon

    In this episode, Jake and Molly are joined by public historian Rich Condon for a deep dive into one of the most consequential and overlooked stories of the Civil War era: the Port Royal Experiment. Long before Appomattox, long before the Emancipation Proclamation, Reconstruction was already unfolding along the Sea Islands of South Carolina. After Union forces seized Port Royal Sound in late 1861, tens of thousands of enslaved people were suddenly free without a plan, without precedent, and without clear answers from Washington. What followed was an extraordinary experiment in freedom: paid labor, land ownership, schools for formerly enslaved people, and the first sustained effort to imagine what a post-slavery society might actually look like. Rich walks through how the efforts unfolded, why it mattered, and how it became the blueprint for Reconstruction policies across the South - from Black military service to education, citizenship, and self-governance. The conversation also traces how and why Reconstruction ultimately failed, how its rollback shaped Jim Crow America, and why these unfinished struggles remain painfully relevant today. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: Why Reconstruction may really begin in 1861 - not 1865 The Port Royal Experiment as a test case for freedom and citizenship Black land ownership, education, and self-governance during the war Union soldiers encountering slavery for the first time Armed Black soldiers and the transformation of the war itself How Reconstruction was defeated - not failed - and what that means today More information:  Reconstruction Era National Historical Park  Penn Center Mitchellville  Civil War Pittsburgh

    1h 19m
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About

Welcome to Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly - a podcast about how we share, interpret, and connect with the past. Each episode, we dig into how history is told in museums, historic sites, classrooms, and pop culture — and how storytelling can make the past relevant to the world we live in today. Between us, we've spent years in the field — from leading tours on Civil War battlefields and preserving historic landscapes to interpreting the stories of America's industrial workers and sharing local history online. We've seen firsthand how public history shapes communities, sparks curiosity, and sometimes stirs debate. Together, we'll talk with fellow historians, educators, and storytellers about how history reaches the public — on screen, on the ground, and everywhere in between. Through these conversations, we'll explore the ways history continues to inform who we are and who we want to be. The thoughts and opinions shared here are our own and don't represent those of our employers or affiliated organizations.

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