412 The Franklin Stove
It might surprise you, but in the 18th century, people across the globe were reckoning with colder-than-usual weather brought on by the Little Ice Age—a centuries-long chill that made heating homes mo...
3 Juni 202556min
BFW Revisited: The Early History of the U.S. Congress
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress, this episode revisits the origins of the United States Congress and how early Americans built a representative government from ...
27 Maj 20251h 7min
411 Philadelphia: An Early History
Two hundred fifty years ago, in May 1775, delegates from thirteen British North American colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Why was Philadelphia chosen as the sea...
20 Maj 20251h 3min
BFW Revisited: Founding Friendships
What did friendship between men and women look like in the decades following the American Revolution? Could emotional closeness and intellectual kinship flourish outside of marriage— and without scand...
12 Maj 202544min
Ben Franklin's World Trailer
This is a 30-second trailer for Ben Franklin's World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 Maj 202537s
410 The World's First Personal Advice Column
When did people begin seeking anonymous advice for their most profound personal dilemmas? What can the answers to their early questions tell us about the emotional lives of people in the past? We’re...
6 Maj 20251h 5min
BFW Revisited: Paul Revere's Ride Through History
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride is one of the most famous events in American history. On the night of April 18, 1775, Revere set out to warn the Massachusetts countryside that British regulars were marchi...
29 Apr 20251h 29min
409 The Battles of Lexington & Concord, 1775
April 19, 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the moment the American Revolution turned from protest to war. What do we really know about that fateful day? How...
22 Apr 202557min
