Caesar Augustus | From Clay to Marble
The old man lay in his bed surrounded by courtiers and family members. He had traveled from Rome to visit the place where his father had died many years ago, and now his own life was nearing its end. History records his last words as, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.” Caesar Augustus, the first citizen of Rome and the founder of an empire that outlasted him by over fourteen hundred years, departed this life peacefully. But his rise and reign had been anything but peaceful. Join us as we teach you about Ceasear Augustus, his life, and how his actions directed the rise of one of the largest empires in the history of the world.
1 Nov 202116min
Joan of Arc | A Discussion on the Peasant, Warrior, and Saint
Join us as we answer your questions and discuss Joan of Arc.
25 Okt 202120min
Mark Twain | A Discussion on Rhyming History
Join us as we discuss Mark Twain, his writings, his life, what we can learn from him, and his effect on history.
11 Okt 202115min
Mark Twain | Rhyming History
The steamboat passed the port and he looked out at the brown, muddy water. The heat was failing and the humidity began to soak his clothes. Soon it would be twilight and the lighting bugs would begin to flash on the shoreline. As the boat moved downriver, he saw an old wooden raft hitched to a tree near the shore. It had a battered steering rudder, and the logs that were tied together looked so beaten he would have guessed it impossible to serve any function other than kindling. He watched the water move the raft back and forth and smiled to himself, thinking about the hands that made it and what possible experiences someone might have on a craft like that. He turned to the north in the direction they were heading and wondered how a craft like that could get up the river without capsizing. He wondered what would have happened if he had a craft like that. It didn’t make sense now, but it would have been wonderful for his youth. He wondered how he might have used it. He wondered, and he dreamed. Join us as we teach you about Mark Twain, his life, and his contribution to the literary world.
4 Okt 202116min
What If? | The 1619 Project
In August 2019, The New York Times commemorated the four hundred-year anniversary of the first black Africans arriving in the New World by launching a long-form journalism project called the 1619 Project. Developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, the project was designed to shift the focus of American history away from the American Revolution and hone in on the experiences of black Americans both before and after the Civil War. The 1619 Project immediately attracted both praise and criticism from historians and pundits alike and became another partisan football in the ongoing culture war that rages in the United States. There isn't time to address the many controversies that arose from the project in this episode, though I expect Joe will ask me about several in our discussion. Instead, for this final "what if" bonus episode, I want to look at how American history might be changed if what the 1619 Project's authors believe was factually true—what our country might have done differently if, as Nikole Hannah-Jones and others believe, the United States of America was actually founded to protect slavery and promote white supremacy. What if, as the authors of the 1619 Project suggest, the United States was founded on oppression and slavery? Join us for our final episode in the "What if?" series as we explore this question. Season Five of 15-Minute History will begin on Monday, October 4.
13 Sep 20219min
What If? | A Discussion on The 1619 Project
Join us as we discuss the final episode in our "What if?" series, "The 1619 Project".
13 Sep 202121min
What if? | Pizzaro & the Potato
From 1531-1532, Pizzaro and his group conquered and destroyed the Inca Civilization. Climbing the Andes Mountains, they probably never questioned the ability of the Inca Empire to feed itself in the absence of cattle and wheat. That was, by most estimations, the farthest thing from the mind of the conqueror. Amongst the riches they stole and the mining they conducted, a resource emerged that McNeill believes would have altered history had it not been discovered and transplanted throughout the world. That discovery was the potato. What if Pizzaro hadn't brought the potato to Europe? Join us as we continue asking "What if", discuss what might have happened if the conquistador had left the potato behind in the ruins of his conquest, and how such a decision would have changed the world we know today.
30 Aug 20219min
