Ben Franklin's World
726 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 988 ratingsThis 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.
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Episodes
062 The Bill of Rights
December 29, 2015 06:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBDid you know that when James Madison originally proposed the Bill of Rights, it consisted of 36 amendments and that the House of Representatives did not want to consider or debate Madison’s proposed amendments to the Constitution? Today, we explore the Bill of Rights and its ratification with Carol Berkin, author of The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure America’s Liberties. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/062 Helpful Show Links Help Support Ben Franklin's World...
061 Edward Larson, George Washington in Retirement
December 22, 2015 06:00 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBIf you had only six years to enjoy retirement what would you do? Would you improve your plantation? Build canals? Or work behind-the-scenes to unite your country by framing a new central government? These were just some of the activities undertaken by George Washington during his brief retirement from public service between 1783 and 1789. Today, we explore the brief retirement of George Washington with Edward Larson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history and author of The Return of G...
061 George Washington in Retirement
December 22, 2015 06:00 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBIf you had only six years to enjoy retirement what would you do? Would you improve your plantation? Build canals? Or work behind-the-scenes to unite your country by framing a new central government? These were just some of the activities undertaken by George Washington during his brief retirement from public service between 1783 and 1789. Today, we explore the brief retirement of George Washington with Edward Larson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history and author of The Return of G...
060 Braddock's Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution
December 15, 2015 06:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBDid Washington really start the French and Indian War? Why should we remember a battle that took place over 260 years ago? In this episode, we investigate the answers to those questions as we explore the Battle of the Monongahela with David Preston, author of Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/060 Helpful Show Links Ask the Historian Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Frankl...
060 David Preston, Braddock's Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution
December 15, 2015 06:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBDid Washington really start the French and Indian War? Why should we remember a battle that took place over 260 years ago? In this episode, we investigate the answers to those questions as we explore the Battle of the Monongahela with David Preston, author of Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/060 Helpful Show Links Ask the Historian Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Frankl...
059 Eric Foner, Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad
December 08, 2015 06:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBBetween the 1830s and 1860s, a clandestine communications and transportation network called the “Underground Railroad” helped thousands of slaves escape to freedom. Today, we will investigate and explore this secret network with Eric Foner, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian and author of Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/059 Helpful Show Links Ask the Historian Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Jo...
059 Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad
December 08, 2015 06:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBBetween the 1830s and 1860s, a clandestine communications and transportation network called the “Underground Railroad” helped thousands of slaves escape to freedom. Today, we will investigate and explore this secret network with Eric Foner, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian and author of Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/059 Helpful Show Links Ask the Historian Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Jo...
058 Andrew Schocket, Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution
December 01, 2015 06:00 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBWhy do we refer to the men who founded the United States as the “founding fathers?” Why do we choose to remember the American Revolution as a glorious event that had almost universal, colonial support when in fact, the Revolution’s events were bloody, violent, and divisive? Today, we explore our memory of the American Revolution and how our memory of the event and its participants evolved with Andrew Schocket, author of Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution....
058 Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution
December 01, 2015 06:00 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MBWhy do we refer to the men who founded the United States as the “founding fathers?” Why do we choose to remember the American Revolution as a glorious event that had almost universal, colonial support when in fact, the Revolution’s events were bloody, violent, and divisive? Today, we explore our memory of the American Revolution and how our memory of the event and its participants evolved with Andrew Schocket, author of Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution....
057 Max Edling, War, Money, and the American State, 1783-1867
November 24, 2015 06:00 - 48 minutes - 45.2 MBDo you know what we have in common with our early American forebears? Taxes. As Benjamin Franklin stated in 1789, “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Given the certainty of taxes it seems important that we understand how the United States’ fiscal system developed. Today, we explore the development of the early American fiscal system with Max Edling, Professor of History at King’s College, London and author of A Hercules in the Cradle: War, Money, and the American State, 1783-186...
057 War, Money, and the American State, 1783-1867
November 24, 2015 06:00 - 48 minutes - 45.2 MBDo you know what we have in common with our early American forebears? Taxes. As Benjamin Franklin stated in 1789, “nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Given the certainty of taxes it seems important that we understand how the United States’ fiscal system developed. Today, we explore the development of the early American fiscal system with Max Edling, Professor of History at King’s College, London and author of A Hercules in the Cradle: War, Money, and the American State, 1783-186...
056 Daniel J. Tortora, The Anglo-Cherokee War, 1759-1761
November 17, 2015 06:00 - 43 minutes - 40.5 MBBetween 1754 and 1763, North Americans participated in the French and Indian War; a world war Europeans call the Seven Years’ War. As this world war raged, many South Carolinians, Virginians, Britons, and Cherokee people also fought a war for land, trade, and respect. Today, we explore the Anglo-Cherokee War with Daniel Tortora, author of Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees, Colonists, and Slaves in the American Southeast. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/056 Helpful Sh...
056 The Anglo-Cherokee War, 1759-1761
November 17, 2015 06:00 - 43 minutes - 40.5 MBBetween 1754 and 1763, North Americans participated in the French and Indian War; a world war Europeans call the Seven Years’ War. As this world war raged, many South Carolinians, Virginians, Britons, and Cherokee people also fought a war for land, trade, and respect. Today, we explore the Anglo-Cherokee War with Daniel Tortora, author of Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees, Colonists, and Slaves in the American Southeast. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/056 Helpful Sh...
055 John Jay: Forgotten Founder
November 10, 2015 06:00 - 42 minutes - 39.7 MBWho was John Jay? Jay played important and prominent roles during the founding of the United States and yet, his name isn’t one that many would list if asked to name founding fathers. Today, we explore John Jay and his contributions to the founding of the United States with Robb Haberman, associate editor of The Selected Papers of John Jay documentary editing project. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/055 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Joi...
055 Robb Haberman, John Jay: Forgotten Founder
November 10, 2015 06:00 - 42 minutes - 39.7 MBWho was John Jay? Jay played important and prominent roles during the founding of the United States and yet, his name isn’t one that many would list if asked to name founding fathers. Today, we explore John Jay and his contributions to the founding of the United States with Robb Haberman, associate editor of The Selected Papers of John Jay documentary editing project. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/055 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Joi...
054 American Exceptionalism: The History of an Idea
November 03, 2015 06:00 - 52 minutes - 48.7 MBThe United States is a diverse nation of immigrants and their ancestors. With such diversity, and no one origination point for its people, how do we describe what the United States is and what its people stand for? What is the underlying ideological current that links Americans together regardless of their ancestral or regional diversity? We explore “American Exceptionalism” and the ideas it embodies with John D. Wilsey, author of American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing t...
054 John D. Wilsey, American Exceptionalism: The History of an Idea
November 03, 2015 06:00 - 52 minutes - 48.7 MBThe United States is a diverse nation of immigrants and their ancestors. With such diversity, and no one origination point for its people, how do we describe what the United States is and what its people stand for? What is the underlying ideological current that links Americans together regardless of their ancestral or regional diversity? We explore “American Exceptionalism” and the ideas it embodies with John D. Wilsey, author of American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing t...
053 The Salem Witch Trials of 1692
October 27, 2015 05:00 - 44 minutes - 62 MBDo you believe in the supernatural? In ghosts, zombies, or perhaps witches? Today we celebrate All Hallows Eve with an exploration of the specters and witches that haunted 17th-century Massachusetts. Our guide for this exploration is Emerson W. Baker, author of A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/053 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community S...
053 Emerson W. Baker, The Salem Witch Trials of 1692
October 27, 2015 05:00 - 44 minutes - 62 MBDo you believe in the supernatural? In ghosts, zombies, or perhaps witches? Today we celebrate All Hallows Eve with an exploration of the specters and witches that haunted 17th-century Massachusetts. Our guide for this exploration is Emerson W. Baker, author of A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/053 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community S...
052 Ronald A. Johnson, Diplomacy in Black and White: Early United States-Haitian Relations
October 20, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 67.8 MBMuch like the United States, the colonists of Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti) sought their independence from France by fighting a war and waging a revolution. However, unlike the Americans, the San Dominguans who fought the war and waged the revolution were predominantly African and Caribbean-born slaves. We explore the Haitian Revolution and the quest of both the United States and Saint Domingue to establish diplomatic and trade relations with each other. Our guide for this exploration...
052 Diplomacy in Black and White: Early United States-Haitian Relations
October 20, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 67.8 MBMuch like the United States, the colonists of Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti) sought their independence from France by fighting a war and waging a revolution. However, unlike the Americans, the San Dominguans who fought the war and waged the revolution were predominantly African and Caribbean-born slaves. We explore the Haitian Revolution and the quest of both the United States and Saint Domingue to establish diplomatic and trade relations with each other. Our guide for this exploration...
051 Catherine Cangany, Frontier Seaport: A History of Early Detroit
October 13, 2015 05:00 - 53 minutes - 74.3 MBLocated 600 miles inland from Philadelphia and over 700 miles from Québec City, early Detroit could have been a backwater, a frontier post that Europeans established to protect colonial settlements from Native American attacks. Yet Detroit emerged as a cosmopolitan entrepôt filled with many different peoples and all of the goods you would expect to find in early Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, or Charleston. Today, we explore the early history of Detroit with Catherine Cangany, an a...
051 Frontier Seaport: A History of Early Detroit
October 13, 2015 05:00 - 53 minutes - 74.3 MBLocated 600 miles inland from Philadelphia and over 700 miles from Québec City, early Detroit could have been a backwater, a frontier post that Europeans established to protect colonial settlements from Native American attacks. Yet Detroit emerged as a cosmopolitan entrepôt filled with many different peoples and all of the goods you would expect to find in early Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, or Charleston. Today, we explore the early history of Detroit with Catherine Cangany, an a...
050 Betsy Ross and the Making of America
October 06, 2015 05:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBHow did every day men and women experience life in colonial America? How did the American Revolution transform their work and personal lives? Today, we explore the answers to those questions by investigating the life of Betsy Ross with Marla Miller, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/050 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben...
050 Marla Miller, Betsy Ross and the Making of America
October 06, 2015 05:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBHow did every day men and women experience life in colonial America? How did the American Revolution transform their work and personal lives? Today, we explore the answers to those questions by investigating the life of Betsy Ross with Marla Miller, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/050 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben...
049 Malcolm Gaskill, How the English Became American
September 29, 2015 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBWhy did England want to establish colonies in North America and how did Englishmen go about establishing them? We explore the early days of English settlement in North America with Malcolm Gaskill, Professor of History at the University of East Anglia and author of Between Two Worlds: How the English Became American. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/049 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Fra...
049 How the English Became American
September 29, 2015 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBWhy did England want to establish colonies in North America and how did Englishmen go about establishing them? We explore the early days of English settlement in North America with Malcolm Gaskill, Professor of History at the University of East Anglia and author of Between Two Worlds: How the English Became American. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/049 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Fra...
048 Dangerous Guests; Enemy Captives During the War for Independence
September 22, 2015 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBWhen we think about the War for American Independence many of us conjure images of Washington crossing the Delaware, Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown, or perhaps the freezing winters at Valley Forge or Jockey Hollow. What we don’t tend to think about are enemy prisoners of war, the British and German soldiers the patriot militia and Continental Army units captured during and after battles. Today, we explore the day-to-day experiences of British and German POWs during the War for Indepen...
048 Ken Miller, Dangerous Guests; Enemy Captives During the War for Independence
September 22, 2015 05:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBWhen we think about the War for American Independence many of us conjure images of Washington crossing the Delaware, Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown, or perhaps the freezing winters at Valley Forge or Jockey Hollow. What we don’t tend to think about are enemy prisoners of war, the British and German soldiers the patriot militia and Continental Army units captured during and after battles. Today, we explore the day-to-day experiences of British and German POWs during the War for Indepen...
047 Christian Imperialism: Converting the World in the Early American Republic
September 15, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBWhere did the United States fit within the world between 1810 and 1847? After the United States secured its independence from Great Britain, many Americans looked at the world and wondered about their place within it. What role would early Americans play in shaping the world around them? Today, we explore early American conceptions of the world with Emily Conroy-Krutz, an Assistant Professor of History at Michigan State University and author of Christian Imperialism: Converting the Wor...
047 Emily Conroy-Krutz, Christian Imperialism: Converting the World in the Early American Republic
September 15, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBWhere did the United States fit within the world between 1810 and 1847? After the United States secured its independence from Great Britain, many Americans looked at the world and wondered about their place within it. What role would early Americans play in shaping the world around them? Today, we explore early American conceptions of the world with Emily Conroy-Krutz, an Assistant Professor of History at Michigan State University and author of Christian Imperialism: Converting the Wor...
046 John Ferling, Whirlwind: The American Revolution & the War That Won It
September 08, 2015 05:00 - 56 minutes - 78.3 MBWhat caused the American Revolution? Can we use the term “American Revolution” to describe both the revolution and the War for Independence? What was the greatest challenge that George Washington and his Continental Army faced during the War for Independence? In this listener-requested episode, we dive deep into the American Revolution with John Ferling, professor emeritus at the University of West Georgia and author of Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It. Show...
046 Whirlwind: The American Revolution & the War That Won It
September 08, 2015 05:00 - 56 minutes - 78.3 MBWhat caused the American Revolution? Can we use the term “American Revolution” to describe both the revolution and the War for Independence? What was the greatest challenge that George Washington and his Continental Army faced during the War for Independence? In this listener-requested episode, we dive deep into the American Revolution with John Ferling, professor emeritus at the University of West Georgia and author of Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It. Show...
045 Joseph Smith and the Founding of Mormonism
September 01, 2015 05:00 - 43 minutes - 60.8 MBMany Americans associate the state of Utah with Mormons. But did you know the Mormons almost settled in Texas? Spencer McBride, an editor with the Joseph Smith Papers Documentary Editing Project, joins us to explore the life of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism and the Church of Latter Day Saints. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/045 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette New...
045 Spencer McBride, Joseph Smith and the Founding of Mormonism
September 01, 2015 05:00 - 43 minutes - 60.8 MBMany Americans associate the state of Utah with Mormons. But did you know the Mormons almost settled in Texas? Spencer McBride, an editor with the Joseph Smith Papers Documentary Editing Project, joins us to explore the life of Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism and the Church of Latter Day Saints. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/045 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette New...
044 Adam Shprintzen, The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement
August 25, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBDo you know which early American reform movement pushed for abolition, women’s rights, pacifism, and economic growth? Today, Adam Shprintzen, Assistant Professor of History at Marywood University and author of The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement, 1817-1921, takes us on a journey through the origins of vegetarianism and the Vegetarian reform movement in the United States. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/044 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin'...
044 The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement
August 25, 2015 05:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBDo you know which early American reform movement pushed for abolition, women’s rights, pacifism, and economic growth? Today, Adam Shprintzen, Assistant Professor of History at Marywood University and author of The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement, 1817-1921, takes us on a journey through the origins of vegetarianism and the Vegetarian reform movement in the United States. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/044 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin'...
043 Matthew Osborn, Rum Maniacs: Alcoholic Insanity in the Early Republic
August 18, 2015 05:00 - 52 minutes - 72.8 MBHow and when did doctors become respected professionals in American society? The answer lies in early Americans’ fascination with delirium tremens, or alcoholic insanity, and the Temperance Movement of the early-to-mid 19th century. Matthew Osborn, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and author of Rum Maniacs: Alcoholic Insanity in the Early Republic, leads us on an exploration of early American medical history and reform movements. Show Notes: htt...
043 Rum Maniacs: Alcoholic Insanity in the Early Republic
August 18, 2015 05:00 - 52 minutes - 72.8 MBHow and when did doctors become respected professionals in American society? The answer lies in early Americans’ fascination with delirium tremens, or alcoholic insanity, and the Temperance Movement of the early-to-mid 19th century. Matthew Osborn, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and author of Rum Maniacs: Alcoholic Insanity in the Early Republic, leads us on an exploration of early American medical history and reform movements. Show Notes: htt...
Bonus: The Boston Stamp Act Riots
August 14, 2015 05:00 - 46 minutes - 64.6 MB“No Taxation Without Representation!” August 14, 2015 marks the 250th anniversary of the first Boston Stamp Act riot. Today’s bonus episode commemorates the anniversary with a conversation about the Stamp Act, the Boston riots, and the American Revolution with J.L. Bell, proprietor of Boston1775.net. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/stampact Ask the Historian
042 A History of the Republican Party
August 11, 2015 04:30 - 1 hour - 93.9 MBIs the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln? The United States has entered presidential primary season, which means it won’t be long before a Republican presidential candidate or a reporter mentions the birth of the ‘Grand Old Party’ in 1854 and its association with Lincoln. We explore the history of the Republican Party with Heather Cox Richardson, Professor of History at Boston College and author of To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party. Show Notes: http://www...
042 Heather Cox Richardson, A History of the Republican Party
August 11, 2015 04:30 - 1 hour - 93.9 MBIs the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln? The United States has entered presidential primary season, which means it won’t be long before a Republican presidential candidate or a reporter mentions the birth of the ‘Grand Old Party’ in 1854 and its association with Lincoln. We explore the history of the Republican Party with Heather Cox Richardson, Professor of History at Boston College and author of To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party. Show Notes: http://www...
041 Canada and the American Revolution
August 04, 2015 05:00 - 45 minutes - 62.6 MBDid Canada almost join the American Revolution? In September 1775, Major-General Philip Schuyler launched the Patriot’s invasion into Canada. The Patriots hoped to end the threat of a British invasion from the north by occupying Canada and bringing the colony into the American Revolution. Did the Patriots’ plans work? Today, we discuss Canada and how the American Revolution played out there with Bruno Paul Stenson, an historian and musicologist with the Château de Ramezay historic site...
041 Bruno Paul Stenson, Canada and the American Revolution
August 04, 2015 05:00 - 45 minutes - 62.6 MBDid Canada almost join the American Revolution? In September 1775, Major-General Philip Schuyler launched the Patriot’s invasion into Canada. The Patriots hoped to end the threat of a British invasion from the north by occupying Canada and bringing the colony into the American Revolution. Did the Patriots’ plans work? Today, we discuss Canada and how the American Revolution played out there with Bruno Paul Stenson, an historian and musicologist with the Château de Ramezay historic site...
040 For Fear of an Elective King: George Washington & the Presidential Title Controversy of 1789
July 28, 2015 05:00 - 43 minutes - 60.9 MBToday we address the President of the United States as “Mr. President.” But did you know that the proper title for the office was almost “His Highness the President?” Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon, author of For Fear of an Elective King, leads us on an exploration of the presidential title controversy of 1789, the first controversy to wrack the United States Congress. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/040 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Fran...
039 Eric Nelson, The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding
July 21, 2015 05:00 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MBThe American Revolution was a revolution against Parliament not a king. This is the idea offered by Eric Nelson in his new book The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding. We explore the royalist revolution and how it affected the American Revolution with Eric Nelson, Professor of Government at Harvard University. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/039 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sig...
039 The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding
July 21, 2015 05:00 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MBThe American Revolution was a revolution against Parliament not a king. This is the idea offered by Eric Nelson in his new book The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding. We explore the royalist revolution and how it affected the American Revolution with Eric Nelson, Professor of Government at Harvard University. Show Notes: http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/039 Helpful Show Links Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Join the Ben Franklin's World Community Sig...
038 Carolyn Harris, Magna Carta & Its Gifts to North America
July 14, 2015 04:30 - 50 minutes - 70.2 MBAre you ready to time travel? 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a document created to limit the powers of King John of England and his successors in 1215. Today, Magna Carta and its four key principles continue to influence and inspire the governments of English-speaking countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. We explore Magna Carta and its long legacy with Carolyn Harris, author of Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada: Democracy, Law, and Huma...
038 Magna Carta & Its Gifts to North America
July 14, 2015 04:30 - 50 minutes - 70.2 MBAre you ready to time travel? 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a document created to limit the powers of King John of England and his successors in 1215. Today, Magna Carta and its four key principles continue to influence and inspire the governments of English-speaking countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. We explore Magna Carta and its long legacy with Carolyn Harris, author of Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada: Democracy, Law, and Huma...
037 Kathleen DuVal, Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution
July 07, 2015 05:00 - 45 minutes - 62.6 MBWhat battle proved to be the turning point of the American War for Independence? If you answered Saratoga, you are in general agreement with most scholars of the American Revolution. General John Burgoyne’s surrender to the Continental Army on October 17, 1777 demonstrated to France that the American had what it took to defeat the British Army and France entered the war on the behalf of the United States. And with France came Spain. Today, we explore the consequences of Spanish invo...