America's Utopian Mores
This season has been about good and bad ideas, and we are concluding with Jon's thoughts on a journey he's been on through early American history. In his 1989 book Albion's Seed, Dr. David Hackett Fischer describes how four groups of English settlers brought utopian ideals to the New World and created the foundations of what became the United States. Jon takes us through these English "folkways" and identifies some good and bad ideas that were part of America's cultural identity and how we still see them today.
23 Jun 16min
Pop Quiz | The Future of Warfare
This week, Joe and I discuss how warfare is evolving on the battlefields of Ukraine, the role drones and other new technologies are changing the battlespace, and whether or not we are headed directly into the world of the Terminator!
19 Jun 4min
"Dieu et mon droit" | A discussion on the Divine Right of Kings
Join us for a discussion on the Divine Right of Kings and how it continues to shape modern political systems in our world today!Leave a comment below with any questions--we love to hear from our audience!(Also, please forgive us for the rather abrupt end with no closing comments--Jon forgot to include that in the recording!)
16 Jun 27min
Sketches in History | A Silent Symphony
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she visits a grand symphony hall filled with anticipation, as the audience eagerly awaits the performance of one of the most celebrated pieces of music in history. Your kids will learn about triumph and will be present to hear some of the most beautiful music ever written.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!
12 Jun 9min
"Dieu et mon droit" | The Divine Right of Kings
Throughout history, leaders have claimed their positions in a variety of ways: military conquests, electoral mandates, revolutionary uprisings, and more. But probably the most common and certainly the furthest from modern democratic sensibilities is the divine right of kings. While it is present in a variety of religious and social traditions, most audiences today are familiar with the Judeo-Christian concept that originates from both the Old and New Testaments. Using the words of Jesus Himself -- "Render unto Caesar that which is his" -- and those of His apostles Peter and Paul, Christian rulers from Late Antiquity to the Enlightenment proclaimed themselves beyond criticism because their thrones had come from Almighty God.___Join us as we explore the idea of the divine right of kings and how two nations, England and France, took different paths in their political cultures--to very different ends.
9 Jun 18min
Pop Quiz | Answering an Audience Question & The Overton Window
In this double pop quiz, Jon answers a question from an audience member and then discusses the Overton Window and how the range of "acceptable" political discourse changes over time.Join us every other week for these pop quizzes during the summer, and comment below with any topics you'd like us to cover!
5 Jun 9min
The Magna Carta | A Discussion on Power, Politics, and the Birth of Liberty
Join us as we discuss the history of the Magna Carta, how it changed English governance, and its influence on all democracies and constitutional federal republics that came after.
2 Jun 35min
Sketches in History | Connecting Continents
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she travels aboard a ship with a mission. Sailors are working frantically to drop a cable into the Atlantic Ocean while two men review plans and a map. Your kids will learn about connection and be present for the moment when two continents are connected.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!
29 Mai 9min
