Langdon Moss

The Savage West

History EN ↓ 6 episodes

In 'The Savage West,' researcher and storyteller Langdon Moss unravels the complex web of early western expansion, taking listeners beyond the basic narrative to expose the raw realities of America's savage origins. What truths lie beneath the legends of violence, greed, hope, and courage? What do the history books get right, and what ideas, events and people deserve re-examination? Through dynamic, unscripted episodes, Moss explores divergent perspectives to challenge what we thought we knew about our past, inviting listeners to question and re-examine the stories at the heart of American his...

Author

Langdon Moss

Episodes

A Port at the Edge of the World V 17.10.2025 1:56:00

Send a text John C. Fremont & The California and Oregon Trails (1841 – 1845): As the fur trade collapses, mountain men push into Oregon, carrying violence and disease in their wake. California, thinly held by a faltering Mexican government, stands exposed—vast, remote, and still largely unknown. Into this shifting frontier rides John C. Frémont, an obscure topographical engineer with powerful...

A Port at the Edge of the World IV 03.08.2024 2:40:51

Send a text John Sutter & the Land of Squatters (1836 - 1841): As new waves of settlers trickle into the west, California is propelled to the brink of chaos. Amid horse raids, propaganda, and ambition, the narratives of Texas' revolt and California's vulnerability collide. John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant, dares to carve out an empire in the volatile Sacramento Valley, while tensions b...

A Port at the Edge of the World III 26.03.2024 2:04:07

Send a text Two Decades of the Don (1821 - 1836): In the wake of Mexico's newfound independence, California finds itself at a crossroads. The dismantling of the missions leaves Native Americans facing a precarious future, while the California Dons ascend to prominence, and the archetype of the American Cowboy takes root. The groundbreaking journey of a mountain man across the Sierras interwea...

A Port at the Edge of the World II 12.02.2024 1:21:57

Send a text The Pacification of Alta California (1769 – 1821): As Spain's hold weakens, Alta California stands at a crossroads, with missions burgeoning and San Francisco coming to life. Amidst this era of change, what propels these pioneers into the heart of the unknown, and what are the stakes? This episode ventures into perilous sea voyages, shipwrecks that scar the coast, and pivotal enco...

A Port at the Edge of the World I 03.02.2024 54:42

Send a text The Age of Discovery (1400 - 1769): Spanish conquistadors meet the advanced native civilizations of the Americas, leading to a clash akin to an invasive species disrupting a longstanding ecosystem. Tens of millions will perish before the dust settles. As English colonization builds, powerful new threats will set the stage for the birth of a city that will become the heart of the Mani...

Introduction 02.02.2024 2:23

Send a text Preview of The Savage West Podcast and Season 1, "A Port at the Edge of the World," which focuses on the colonial evolution of San Francisco through the discovery of gold in California in 1848. Apple Podcasts Spotify