Western Civ

Western Civ

A fast-moving history of the western world from the ancient world to the present day. Examine how the emergence of the western world as a global dominant power was not something that should ever have been taken for granted. This podcast traces the development of western civilization starting in the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome, past the collapse of the Western Roman Empire into the Dark Ages, and then follows European and, ultimately, American history as the western world moved into a dominant world position.

Episodes

July 18, 2025 35 mins
After two more military debacles, the Duke of Buckingham is ingloriously assassinated, leaving Charles alone.

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Charles I ascends the English throne and almost immediately things turn south. 

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July 4, 2025 20 mins
In what is perhaps one of the most infamous episodes in all of American history, in the winter of 1692 the tiny village of Salem, Massachusettes descends into paranoia and chaos. The cause? Witches...

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June 27, 2025 16 mins
Virginia finds itself torn apart by the first rebellion in North America by colonists against their own government. Spoiler alert, it won't be the last. Nathaniel Bacon finds himself leading disgruntled farmers, indentured servants, and Africans (both enslaved and free) against the wealthy planters of the coast. 

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June 23, 2025 21 mins
We finish our coverage of the First Nations of North America (for now) with the Great Lakes and upstate New York. 

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June 20, 2025 21 mins
Today we turn our attention to the tribes of the southeast and southwest United States.

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June 18, 2025 21 mins
European farms are not the only kind... In this episode, I explore Native American farming in general and hunting.

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June 13, 2025 20 mins
Today I begin a short series on pre-Columbian North American Indian history and culture. In this episode, I give a broad overview of several aspects of Native American culture and their use of fire to craft the world around them.

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June 6, 2025 13 mins
Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson found Rhode Island.

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In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Colonel Joseph Molyson Jr and discuss the second book in his series on World War Two: Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France

In this groundbreaking analysis, retired Air Force Colonel Joseph T. Molyson reveals how a year of strategic bombing and aerial warfare created the conditions necessary for D-Day's success. Drawing on his th...
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    June 3, 2025 46 mins
    Today I sit down with advocate and author Maria Foscarinis and discuss her latest book: And Housing for All: The fight to End Homelessness in America.

    In And Housing for All, founder of the National Homelessness Law Center Maria Foscarinis reveals the human impact of the housing crisis by sharing personal stories and examining the flawed policies that have perpetuated it. As millions face rising housing costs and encampments spread ...
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    May 30, 2025 14 mins
    John Winthrop and others found the Massachusetts Bay Company.

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    Jamestown was not the only English colony. Enter stage left: the Pilgrims. (Well, really Separatists but you get the point...)

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    May 16, 2025 57 mins
    The English at Jamestown finally find a savior. It just turns out that savior is tobacco...

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    May 2, 2025 51 mins
    Jamestown survives as James Smith guides the colony. Meanwhile, in London, new plans are hatched to turn Jamestown profitable.

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    April 25, 2025 37 secs
    A reminder that every other episode of the series on Jamestown will be available only to patrons. To try a free membership for a week or to support the show and get access to all the materials, check out the link below.

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    April 22, 2025 44 mins
    Today, I sit down with Tom McMillan and discuss his most recent book: The Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence, 1775-1776.

    This gripping account reveals the precarious path to American independence through a series of pivotal dates that history has nearly forgotten. While July 4th claims the glory, the actual vote for independence came on July 2nd—and even that historic moment almost didn't happen. From January's p...
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    April 20, 2025 43 mins
    Today I interview Historian John Bicknell about his newest book: The Pathfinder and the President.

    In 1856, John C. Frémont—the famed "Pathfinder" of the American West—became the Republican Party's first presidential nominee on an anti-slavery platform. Five years later, now a Union general under President Lincoln, he sparked a national crisis by unilaterally declaring emancipation in Missouri. Drawing from extensive research, autho...
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    April 18, 2025 67 mins
    Today we begin an in-depth look at Jamestown - England's first successful colony in North America. I will examine the situation in England and along the Chesapeake leading up to 1607. Then John Smith and the rest of the English arrive and the real fun begins.

    To listen to Part Two, you will need to be a Patreon member. To become one, click this LINK for a free trial. 
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    April 11, 2025 12 mins
    I briefly cover the Dutch East and West Indies Companies plus Dutch colonization efforts in the Americas.

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