BFW Revisited: The Business of Slavery
When we think about slavery in early America, we often rightfully focus on the human toll–the violence, the exploitation, the dehumanization that defined the institution. But slavery wasn’t just a sys...
5 Aug 202552min
417 Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan
When we think of early American champions of religious liberty, one name often rises above the rest: Roger Williams. Best known as the founder of Rhode Island and a fierce advocate for the separation...
29 Jul 20251h 13min
BFW Revisited: The History of Genealogy
Why do we trace our family histories? What drives our desire to know who our ancestors were and how we’re connected to past people and events? Genealogy is often seen as a modern pursuit, spurred by ...
22 Jul 202547min
416: Lineage: Genealogy in Early America
Have you ever wondered why genealogy captivates so many people? Whether it’s tracing a family tree back generations or holding on to stories told around the dinner table, genealogy offers a powerful ...
15 Jul 20251h 5min
BFW Revisited: A Declaration in Draft
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most iconic documents in United States history. But what do we really know about how it came to be? In our most recent episode, historian Emily Sneff hel...
8 Jul 20251h 18min
Lineage Book Preview
Preview of Karin Wulf’s book, Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America. In eighteenth-century America, genealogy was more than a simple record of family ties--it was a power...
3 Jul 20252min
415: The Many Declarations of Independence
When you picture the Declaration of Independence, what comes to mind? Most people envision a single, iconic document–parchment, signatures, maybe even a scene from National Treasure. But what if I to...
1 Jul 20251h 3min
414 Queerness and Reputation in Revolutionary America
How do we uncover queer lives from the distant past, especially in an era when language and records often erased or obscured them? What did queerness look like in early America, and how might it have...
24 Jun 20251h
