Chalkboard History: The Official Podcast of the Battle of Franklin Trust

Join Joseph, Bill, and Assistant Curator Bailey Lawrence for this bonus episode of Tour Guide Talk. To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations For a link to our online store, click here: https://store.boft.org/books-and-dvds

In today's episode, Joseph and Eric share the Civil War sites they love most, why these places matter, and how visiting them brings history to life. From well-known battlefields to lesser-visited corners across Tennessee and beyond. Please like, subscribe, and comment to support BOFT and Civil War history! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the st...

In Episode 3 of Chalkboard History, Joseph Ricci and Eric Jacobson unpack wartime legends, ghost-stories, and family histories passed through generations. Learn how folklore intersects with fact, why certain myths persist, and how public historians work to tell fuller, more truthful stories about the past - and why it matters to remember the real lives behind the names. Please like, subscribe, and...

Join Joseph, Bill, and David for an episode of Tour Guide Talk. The Civil War is one of the most widely written about historical events, but what are our favorite books? Listen to find out!  To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations Check out our YouTube video with Joseph and CEO and Historian Eric Jacob...

Join Joseph Ricci and Eric Jacobson for Episode 2 of Chalkboard History as we dive into the leadership of the Army of Tennessee. Discover the key figures who shaped the Confederate army’s decisions, examine their successes and failures, and explore how command dynamics influenced the course of the Western Theater. Please like, subscribe, and comment to support accessible and engaging Civil War his...

Join Joseph Ricci and Bill Clark for Tour Guide Talk as they unpack some of the myths about the Battles of Spring Hill and Franklin. We hear some of these mentioned in conversation all the time and every good myth, deserves a good myth busting!  To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations

Please like, subscribe, and comment. The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Civil War. ⌲Website: https://boft.org ⌲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boft1864/?h... ⌲Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarntonTN/?e...

Join Joseph Ricci and Bill Clark for an episode of Tour Guide Talk as they discuss the life and times of theologian, abolitionist, writer, statesman, scientist, and soldier, Jacob Cox! To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations

Join Joseph Ricci and the Battle of Franklin Trust's Assistant Curator, Bailey Lawrence, as they discuss the evolution of the domestic slave trade in the United States.  To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the link below: https://boft.org/general-donations

Joseph and Battle of Franklin Trust Curator, Joanna Stephens, discuss the ongoing mission to preserve historic structures at each of the three sites. In addition to the structural conservation of the homes and properties, the curatorial department oversees the material collection of the Battle of Franklin Trust and is instrumental in the maintenance and restoration of artifacts.  For more on the B...

Join CEO Eric Jacobson and Joseph Ricci as they discuss the formation of the McGavock Confederate Cemetery located at Carnton. In the years immediately following the American Civil War and the Battle of Franklin, John and Carrie McGavock  became the caretakers for the remains of the Confederates killed on November 30, 1864.  To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust,...

Shelia and Joseph finish up their three part discussion of the families featured in our day to day interpretation with an episode on the McGavock family of Carnton. A politically connected, wealthy, slave-holding family before secession and conflict, witnesses to some of the worst moments of the Battle of Franklin, the McGavocks were forever impacted by the war. Their home bore the scars of the im...

Join your Dispatch host, Joseph Ricci, and special guest, David Stumpfl, as they discuss the all too often misunderstood topic of Reconstruction. Why is such an integral period of history so easily overlooked or dismissed? Find out with this episode! 

Joseph and Shelia discuss the Cheairs family of Rippavilla. Following Nathaniel Cheairs IV, his wife, and four children throughout the war, this episode includes conversations about how the Cheairs existed prior to 1861, how the family was impacted by the war, and how they continued life in the postbellum years.  For more on the Cheairs family, follow this link to BOFT Films: https://www.youtube.c...

Join Joseph Ricci and the CEO and Historian of The Battle of Franklin Trust, Eric Jacobson, for a conversation about the 1858 Illinois Senate race and the now famous Lincoln-Douglas debates that redefined American politics and shaped the discourse in the nation in the immediate years before the Civil War.    To support The Dispatch and the efforts of the Battle of Franklin Trust, please visit the...

Shelia and Joseph discuss the experiences of prisoners of war in the American Civil War. Members of all three families, the Cheairs, Carters, and McGavocks, were imprisoned during the war and each family dealt with that experience in different ways. 

The Carters lived in Franklin before, during, and after the American Civil War and their lives were transformed by the war and the Battle of Franklin which raged across their property on November 30, 1864. Learn more about their story with Joseph and Shelia in this episode and check out our most recent YouTube video on the family by following the link below: https://youtu.be/Y2mzzpgL-8w

For decades the story of Confederate Captain Tod Carter dominated the narrative of the Battle of Franklin. The Dispatch hosts, Shelia and Joseph, discuss the lives of six other soldiers who fought in the battle. Historical interpreters at all three sites tell various individual stories of the soldiers in both the Federal and Confederate Armies engaged here. By telling their stories, we continue ou...

Your new hosts, Shelia Mullican and Joseph Ricci, sit down to discuss the Fuller Story Initiative with Historian and CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, Eric Jacobson, and Senior Pastor of the Strong Tower Bible Church, Dr. Chris Williamson. Jacobson and Williamson, along with Pastors Hewitt Sawyers and Kevin Riggs were recently named Tennessee's People of the Year for their work reckoning with F...

"The Dispatch" hosts, Shelia and Joseph, discuss the evolution and role of the United States Colored Troops and their impact on the American Civil War.  Hear their stories and follow their march to freedom. __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story o...

After nearly four years of hosting "TENN in 20," Brad Kinnison says farewell but the podcast is not going anywhere. Be sure to stay up to date as the podcast undergoes a few changes and get all the details of what to expect in the future from this episode! __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is...

Join us as we discuss the latter half of Mariah Reddick's life.  Link to The Dispatch article about the Franklin Race Riot (page 8): https://boft.org/vol-6-no-2 __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impacted by the American Ci...

Join us as we discuss the life of Mariah Otey Reddick, a woman who was born into slavery and spent many years of her life at Carnton. This is the first of a two part series on Mariah. __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preserve, understand, and interpret the story of a people forever impa...

In May of 2021, The Battle of Franklin Trust took over management of Rippa Villa, a historic home that sits on the Spring Hill Battlefield. In this episode, BOFT CEO Eric A. Jacobson discusses the history of Rippa Villa and the BOFT's goals with the site. __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is t...

"TENN in 20" returns!! Thank you for your patience and for your support. The first new episode of the show will premier on December 7. Learn more about the anniversary commemoration of the Battles of Spring Hill & Franklin at https://boft.org. __________________ Please like, subscribe, and comment to support The Battle of Franklin Trust! The mission of the Battle of Franklin Trust is to preser...