The Rogue Historian

Well if you're unfamiliar with the term "Boothie" now's your chance to learn something new...and quite fascinating. Dave is indeed a self-styled Boothie. Once a derogatory term used to dismiss those who studied Lincoln's assassin, he's reclaimed it and has dedicated his historical pursuits to the study of the man and the conspiracy - as part of a serious scholarly effort to add to the comprehensiv...

Well...we start with all this, but there is a lot more to the show including the discussion of an NYC literary movement and the movie biz...good stuff to be sure. Kevin is the author or editor of seven books all dealing with New York history in the teens and twenties

Jamie Goodall gives us a ton of insight about public history...and then we talk about pirates. Because pirates.  Listen!! You'll learn about things ranging from pirate subterfuge to personal branding...who knew??

Historical interpretation is something near and dear to my heart so I am especially pleased to welcome Jake Wynn to the show. Jake is the Director of Interpretation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland...and we have tons to discuss when it comes to public history. Listen!!! You can thank me later :)

Wow! If you've ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to the publication of the founders' historical papers - this show is for you. And we don't stop there. I'm a big fan of popular culture - so we talk about how John Adams on the screen stacks up to John Adams the man. Good stuff, my friends.

Soul Food. Southern Food. American Food. Adrian describes a cuisine...

Fashion fiends, history buffs, political junkies - the show you've all been waiting for has arrived. I am very happy to be able to speak with Roxy Haji and Kimi Gallegos of Old News Company about the intersection of fashion, history, and political discourse. We bring it all in...bi-partisanship, controversy, the fine line between commemoration and trivialization, and maybe a few words about James...

There a whole lot more to community activism and the Black Panther Party than what you might know from the iconic photographs - and I speak with Holly Genovese (who by the way has mad time management skillz) about this fascinating group and their efforts supporting the Angola Three in Louisiana.

Taking history to the streets. Why the hell not. I mean, what better way to learn about the past than by going to check it out in person? Maybe grab a beer? Maybe talk some smack? Count me in 100%. There are few things more tantalizing to yours truly that getting together with the public and walking in the footsteps of those who made history. Doug and I see eye to eye on this. This is what history...

Have you ever stopped to wonder if that thing from history you knew to be true was just a bunch of bullshit? A famous quote...a questionable detail about someone's life...a significant theme in the historical narrative? Man...just imagine if all of that was just important sounding nonsense. Today I talk with Joseph "Professor Buzzkill" Coohill about myths in history - why they are important and ho...

I will talk about history books all freakin' day. This is why I am especially happy to welcome Bob to the show. I noticed recently that he was giving a talk on three significant authors and their contributions to Confederate historiography...so naturally, I had to have him on the show. Under the microscope today: Douglas Southall Freeman, T. Harry Williams, and C. Vann Woodward. 

It might be easy to overlook the Dakota War of 1862...as the conflict is greatly overshadowed by the Civil War. But John Legg, soon to embark on the journey to obtain his master's degree in history, helps us correct this issue...by connecting the war to the broader Civil War era historiography. We discuss commemoration and reconciliation in the Minnesota River Valley - and even get down to brass t...

John and I talk about all kinds of things including...tattoos of course, and lots of other stuff. Most important, how we see the future of the discipline, what it means to challenge the tradition of academia, and how we reach a broader audience.

We are shifting focus as of 2018...new episodes will feature interviews AND movie reviews AND book reviews AND lots of other interesting things beyond the standard history podcast format. Yay. For this episode, co-host Coni Constantine, creator of Lady Balls Nation and joins me for a discussion of a truly remarkable film: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. There's lots of insight on this episode...ch...

This week we talk with George Mason University Ph. D. candidate Eric Gonzaba about his work with two absolutely fascinating digital archives: Wearing Gay History and the Rainbow History Project . If there has ever been a great case for exploring how textiles and other material culture can help us understand currents of history, this is it. We also get into Eric's research on African American and Q...

Peeps - this is a super fascinating story...tracing the history of Asian Americans from Chinese immigration and the exclusion act to Japanese internment and well beyond. Ellen explains how Asians went from being mostly reviled in the United States to the "model minority." You need to listen to this. Seriously.

Holla!!! We're back!!! After a second semester hiatus I am very happy to return to the podcasting world with Maggie Yancey. Maggie is a Ph. D candidate at the University of Tennessee (her home state) and is finishing up her dissertation on Civil War era liquor and identity. As you might imagine, there is so much more to this than I had expected, and Maggie certainly fills me in. But we talk about...

Wow - so if you ever wanted to know about mid-19th century Irish immigration and Irish involvement in the American Civil War this is your guy. We discuss all kinds of stuff, including Damian's most recent book, The Forgotten Irish . I had a great time speaking with Damian - I am more than certain you will enjoy the talk too. SO LISTEN UP :)

I could talk about this stuff all day (well, I sort of do...) and so I am thrilled to offer this fascinating conversation with Alexis Hlavaty. I think most are unaware of how vibrant the free black community was in New Orleans during the antebellum years - and we talk about why these folks are relatively unknown today. We also get way into the radicals after the war in the Reconstruction period an...

I love speaking with my fellow high school teachers - and I am thrilled to have such an inspiring educator on the show. Chris and I have collaborated in the past, and I am looking forward to some upcoming projects - we talk about those AND how he gets his students actively engaged both in and out of the classroom. You'll want to listen especially to Chris's experiences with a Rogue Historian alum...

There is really no way that we, as Americans in the 21st century, will ever know what it was really like to experience what slaves did in the Ante-Bellum South. However, we can get closer to understanding it - archival research is a good start. But, as Joe McGill illustrates, the actual slaves dwellings, many of which are still standing, offer a great deal of the story - and engaging with the phys...

Toni is a historian and genealogist who is doing some outstanding work researching the lives of slaves and former slaves in the so-called Low Country. If you do not know where that is then you need to listen - like right now. I am really happy to finally get to talk with Toni about how she connects people with their ancestors and all of the things she is doing with African American public history.

Okay so we took a short break to recover from the election. 'Nuff said. But we're back and I am freakin' stoked to be talking digital history with Patrick Lewis - director of the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary project. Yo, this is some of the most innovative work in the digital humanities that I have ever encountered. Peeps - pay attention and follow suit. State archivists sho...

The 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation , is about as controversial as a film can get. Why? Because racism. What you might not know is that the film is based in part on a novel - a historical romance, really - written by Thomas Dixon. The name of the book is The Clansman... and it is some of the most vile racist propaganda of its day. Today we talk to historian Lynn Lyerly, who is currently wo...

You know what? Banjo music makes me happy. So I am super stoked to have Dusty on the show - he is a first-rate banjo player and a really cool dude. Dusty plays NINE instruments - can you believe it? Today we are focusing on the banjo - its origins and some different playing styles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Cool shit, yo - have a listen.