As we get closer to the country’s celebration of “America 250,” the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, you may be looking for things to help get you in the spirit of 1776. If podcasts are your thing, I’ve got some good recommendations.
The first is one I like called Ben Franklin’s World, hosted by creator Liz Covart. Liz is a historian, and her podcast has won several impressive awards, but for me, the podcast itself is all that matters. Is it good?
This one is. She’s posted 439 episodes so far, each on a different aspect of early American history. Stories are factually accurate, sprinkled with factoids and information you may never have heard before.
To be sure, over the course of the podcast’s 439-episode catalogue, you will find a share of wokeness, but like anything entertainment related, that’s to be expected. I’d recommend spending the time perusing the list of episodes to find the one that piques your interest. Liz has spent a good amount of time on the Declaration of Independence itself, and that’s an interest of mine.
In fact, when I started my own podcast called Shaping Opinion in 2018, Liz was one of my early guests. We talked about Thomas Jefferson’s writing of the iconic document.
American History Tellers is a one-stop shop for people who like to binge-listen to episodes on specific American history topics. Host Lindsay Graham (not the U.S. senator) has broken his popular podcast down into seasons – 94 so far – with each season representing a particular era or area of focus. One season might be about the Prohibition era, while another might be about Lewis and Clark.
Graham is a professional audio talent, and the production values of his podcast are as good as it gets. Subjects are well researched, and stories are told in a conversational tone. Graham doesn’t waste a second of your time.
American History Tellers produced seven episodes on “The American Revolution,” two episodes on “Benjamin Franklin,” six episodes on “First Ladies,” five episodes on “The Insurrection of Aaron Burr.”
Revolutions is another podcast that is done well, but does not focus specifically on American Revolutionary War history. In fact, it expands beyond American history, but as its name indicates, the common thread is revolution.
Mike Duncan created this one; it ran from 2013 to 2022. Episodes are still available for download. If you’re looking for some content that will get you in the mood for “America 250,” I’d recommend this episode as a launching point. It’s called, “The Thirteen Colonies,” and what I like about it is how it really sets the stage for discussion of what happened in the American Revolutionary War. Once you listen to this one, you’ll want to hear more from Duncan.
If battles are your thing, and you want to learn more about all of the battles that took place during the course of the Revolution, I’d recommend a podcast from James Early and Scott Rank called Key Battles of the Revolutionary War. Each episode digs deep into one battle or campaign from the Revolutionary War.
Episodes run 25 to 60 minutes, depending on the topic. The podcast gets into tremendous detail, along with a good bit of discussion on major battles, and even the context for those battles. Political issues from the time period, cultural and social norms are also added into the mix.
Our final recommendation on this list is one called the Patriot Power podcast. Ron Kern created it, and it’s different from the others on this list, because it doesn’t limit itself to simply retelling and analyzing history. Kern, who has a family connection to the Revolutionary War, puts history into the context of the world in which we live today, and he puts these times into better perspective by talking about certain historical topics.
One example of this is a short, seven-minute episode that reminds us that if we think the country is divided today, we need to learn more about American history – America Was More Divided in 1776 Than It Is Today — Here’s the Truth.
Kern has expanded his platform beyond the podcast, though that is the engine that drives his enterprise.
I’ve found myself re-listening to some of these episodes of late just to get in the mood for a big year, commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary. It’s still amazing to me that after all these years, we’re still learning from the American Revolution.
