Mainely History

John Morton discusses how different religious networks among Wabanakis, American citizens, and British subjects created and gave meaning to the Maine-New Brunswick border after the American Revolution.

Laura Chmielewski talks about colonial Maine's earliest Catholics, including Indigenous converts, secret faithful in English towns, and loud, proud Jesuit missionaries.

Amy Fried discusses Ross Perot's history making independent bid for the presidency in 1992, and why Mainers were so receptive to the Texas billionaire's message. 

Kyle Volk discusses Maine's pioneering foray into prohibition in the 19th century.

Vaughn Joy stops by to talk about the emergence of Christmas films as a genre, and to analyze several notable movies with a Maine connection.

David Silverman talks with Ian about what the Plymouth Colonists of Thanksgiving fame were doing in Maine during the 17th Century.

The conclusion of Emerson Baker's discussion of George Burroughs and the Salem Witch Trials

Emerson Baker discusses the curious case of George Burroughs, a Harvard educated minister on the Maine frontier who found himself among the accused--and executed--in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Part One

Sara Georgini discusses John Adams's formative years as a young attorney, including his experiences riding the circuit through Maine, and how the legal system operated in the years just before the American Revolution.

Keri Holt discusses John Neal, an 19th century writer, activist, and literary influencer, who helped shape an emerging New England "Yankee" character, even while trying to challenge it.

Gina Lonati spouts off about North Atlantic Right Whales, answering Ian's questions about whale sounds and personalities, while explaining scientists' role in efforts to save this critically endangered species.

Ian Stevenson stops by to discuss Civil War veteran organizations and the rise of the modern summer vacation in Maine.

Kristalyn Shefveland, Alexandra Montgomery, and Ian present their chosen candidates before a live audience in a contest to determine the most petty, corrupt figure in colonial North America.

Tiffany Link joins Ian to discuss why the British singled out Falmouth (future Portland) for destruction in 1775, the course of the attack, and the legacy of that day.

Shennette Garrett-Scott discusses the significance of Maine-born Adelbert Ames' tumultuous time as governor of Mississippi after the Civil War.

Diana Greenwold and Ian discuss Maine's 19th century traveling painters, their customers, and what they hoped to capture on the canvas.

Rosemarie Zagarri discusses the meaning and extent of women's rights in Revolutionary America.

Andrew Wehrman discusses how the revolutionary generation thought about the role of government in public health during a continent-wide smallpox pandemic.

Carol Dana shares her experiences learning, teaching, preserving, and revitalizing the Penobscot language in Maine.

Laurie LaBar speaks with Ian about the often overlooked history of Maine communities as told by generations of women quilters.

Michael Hillard discusses the life of mill workers during the paper industry's height, and how they experienced--and now remember--its fall.

Jamie Goodall discusses the "Golden Age of Piracy" in Maine and the wider Atlantic, including the reality, the legend, and where the historical evidence is buried.

Matthew Mason and Ian discuss the hopes and fears driving the controversial Hartford Convention of 1814 and its lasting consequences down to the present day.

Stephen Nissenbaum discusses the Puritan anti-Christmas campaigns in both New and Old England

Alexandra Montgomery and Ian compare how British colonists and distant officials tried to make their vision of empire a reality in Nova Scotia and Maine