Kentucky Chronicles: A Podcast of the Kentucky Historical Society

Kentucky Chronicles: A Podcast of the Kentucky Historical Society

Podcast by Kentucky Historical Society

Episodes

February 7, 2025 48 mins
In the nineteenth century, individuals who wanted to study medicine often had few options for formal study, with only a handful of schools accepting students. This meant that most of those who came to Kentucky to teach at places like Transylvania were not from the state. Join us today for a discussion with a scholar who has written an article about the “Pioneer Professors” of Kentucky medicine. Dr. Christopher Willoughby is an ass...
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Richard Mentor Johnson is one of the most famous Kentuckians of the nineteenth century, having ascended to the position of Vice President of the United States in 1837. While much has been written about Johnson’s political career, nobody has uncovered the story of the enslaved woman whom he considered his wife, Julia Chinn, until now. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who wrote a book about Julia Chinn and...
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Many of us have seen images of a naturalization ceremony in the United States, where a group of individuals become citizens. Or perhaps you have participated in a naturalization ceremony yourself. But did you know that the process to become a citizen used to be quite different? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who talks about how a person could go about becoming a citizen of the United States in the nineteenth ...
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On the early morning of November 7, 1825, in Frankfort, Ky., Jereboam Beauchamp stabbed Kentucky Legislator Solomon Sharp, in an event that would become known as the Kentucky Tragedy. But did the murder really occur as Beauchamp explained in his sensational confessions? Join us today for a special discussion of one of Kentucky’s most notorious murders, and a story that inspired Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Penn Warren. Dr. Matthew...
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Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These are the four “hs” of the youth organization formed in 1912 that is known as 4-H. Although many Americans are aware of 4-H, or perhaps have been a member at some point in time, few realize its international dimensions. Join us today for a talk with a research fellow who is examining the links between Kentucky and Japan through agricultural extension programs such as 4-H. William C. Sack is a Ph...
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In 1798, Kentucky established the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Frankfort. Although prisoners were expected to remain silent, the state soon put them to work. Over time, those housed in the Penitentiary made shoes, plow irons, and an assortment of other items. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow, who will explain how the practice of inmate labor evolved over time and how it continued to shape Frankfort—...
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Drive through Kentucky today and you are likely to come across signs reading “Welcome to the Front Porch of the South.” Yet Kentucky has never been an easy state to define. During the Civil War, Kentucky straddled the line between North and South, gaining the somewhat generic classification of a “Border State.” Yet there is a region that Kentucky at one point in time was most identified with and it was neither the North or South. J...
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July 5, 2024 21 mins
Within popular culture, enslaved people are often depicted as robust, vigorous, and strong, yet enslaved people often suffered brutal injuries at the hands of their enslavers. What was lifelike for those enslaved persons who suffered devastating injuries and how did they deal with disability? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who is teasing out how masculinity, physicality, and disability shaped the worldview of...
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Have you ever visited “Mexington” Kentucky or do you know what a “Kentubano” is? Latino influences are all around us in Kentucky, but they can often be overlooked. Join us today for a discussion with a historian who has written an article on Latino migration into Kentucky and who will help us understand how Latinos are helping to remake the commonwealth. Eladio Bobadilla is an assistant professor of history at the University of Pi...
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The right to a high-school level education is something that most people take for granted. Indeed, parents today often confront an array of options when it comes to the types of educational opportunities available to their children. But this has not always been the case. Join us for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who studies the Pine Mountain Settlement School and who will talk about shifting views on education in Kentucky...
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In Episode 9, we interviewed Dr. Kevin McPartland who shares his research about a Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence before the Civil War. He also worked as a Graduate Associate at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky project which is managed by the Kentucky Historical Society. In his interview, Kevin talks a lot about his work, and he also talks a lot about the manager of the project, Dr. Charles Welsko. But, after ...
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Being a part of a close-knit neighborhood is something that many people aspire to. Barbecues, football games, and community events can help neighbors feel a sense of connectedness and community. But neighborhoods can also be places of separation and division, with boundaries drawn between families and neighbors. Join us today for a discussion with a former graduate research associate who has written an article about one Kentucky co...
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In 1925, Americans focused their attention on the Scopes Trial, a court case in Tennessee where a teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution. Yet three years before the infamous trial, the state of Kentucky nearly passed a law that would have forbidden the teaching of evolution. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is writing a dissertation about the evolution debates that roiled Kentucky in 1922. Emi...
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On August 12, 2022, noted author Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times as he was about to deliver a talk at the Chautauqua Institute, in Chautauqua, New York. Popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Chautauquas have declined in popularity over the years, although they are still held throughout the United States. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about a Black Chautau...
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January 5, 2024 18 mins
The issues of birth control and reproductive rights are familiar today to most Americans, but did you know that over a century ago these issues were being debated? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is examining the legacy of eugenics and who helps explain why these debates from over a century ago have a continuing relevance today. Dr. Pietra Diwan holds a Ph.D. in history from the Pontifical Catholic Un...
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December 1, 2023 37 mins
The Kentucky Historical Society was founded in 1836, but did you know that it soon lapsed? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article examining the origins of the Kentucky Historical Society and who explains why it struggled to survive as an institution in the nineteenth century. Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at...
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In the election of 1864, which took place in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln only lost three states: Delaware, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written a book about the Democratic party in the Civil War. He will help us understand why so many Kentuckians embraced the Democratic party, and the course the Democrats hoped the Civil War would take. Kentucky Chronic...
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October 6, 2023 14 mins
In the United States, several stereotypes dominate the popular imagination regarding Kentucky: horses, bourbon, fried chicken, and bluegrass. But what is the perception of Kentucky from outside of the United States? Join us for a discussion with Simon Buck, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, as we discuss aging, music, and how a person who grew up in the United Kingdom became interested in studying Kentucky. Kentucky Ch...
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Throughout the history of the United States, several court cases have gripped the attention of the entire nation. In 1894, one such case occurred when Madeleine Pollard, a young woman from Frankfort, Kentucky, sued Kentucky Congressman William C.P. Breckinridge for breach of promise. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about Madeleine Pollard and who argues that we should see her as ...
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From December 1811 until March 1812, a series of three major earthquakes along the far western border of Kentucky shook the North American interior. The earthquakes were felt from as far away as South Carolina. Join us for a discussion with a former KHS Research Fellow who recently published a book with the University of North Carolina Press based on his research at KHS that discusses the earthquakes as we explore the pages of Kent...
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