Teaching history to a middle schooler is a very different task than teaching a university student, but those doing the teaching have a lot in common (and could probably learn a lot from each other). In this episode, recorded as part of a live event sponsored by the Tennessee Council for History Education, Ben is joined by his MTSU colleague (and friend of the show) Andy Polk, 6th grade teacher Rupa Charles, and high school teacher Brandon Eldridge, for a conversation about what it’s like to teach history in 2025, the highs and lows of the profession, and what we wish those in our communities knew about the work we do to better our students’ lives. A special thanks to Kira Duke at TNCHE for organizing this event and to Will Ackerman at Metro Nashville Public Schools for handling the a/v. If you enjoy this episode, make sure to check out our conversation with Andy Polk about his book, Faith in Freedom: Propaganda, Presidential Politics, and the Making of an American Religion in RTN episode number 216. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
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#348 Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer w/ Jake Tapper
The War on Terror that followed the 9/11 attacks took place on battlefields across the globe, but it also took place in our legal system. In this episode, CNN’s Jake Tapper joins us to discuss his new book, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War, and how dedicated public servants saved countless lives by bringing a terrorist to justice. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War w/ Robert K.D. Colby
The American Civil War and the end of slavery in the US may seem like one and the same from our modern perspective, but for those living through the conflict, the abolition of human bondage was anything but certain. Even into the last days of the war, slave traders in Confederate-held cities continued to auction off human beings, realizing handsome profits as they imposed violence and family separation on their subjects. In his new book, An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War South, Robert K.D. Colby brings together a wide variety of sources to offer up a never-before seen look into the slave trade during the American Civil War. In this episode, he joins Ben and guest co-host Tim Talbott to explain how the slave trade evolved, why slave traders remained confident in the future of slavery even during the Civil War, and how the combined trauma of slavery and war impacted enslaved Americans long after their freedom had been secured. Robert K.D. Colby is Assistant Professor of History at Ole Miss who specializes in the Civil War and the history of slavery. His newest book, An Unholy Traffic was published by Oxford University Press in April 2024 and is available in both print and audiobook. Tim Talbott is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust in Fredericksburg, Virginia and founding member and President of the Battle of New Market Heights Memorial and Education Association. Tim holds a MA in Public History from Appalachian State University, where Ben had the great fortune to study alongside him. Relevant Links: · The Smithsonian Digital Volunteers Transcription Center website · RTN Episode 270: Women & American Slavery w/ Stephanie E. Jones Rogers · RTN Episode 117: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism w/ Edward Baptist This is a rebroadcast of RTN #308, which originally aired on June 17, 2024. Edited by Ben Sawyer.
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#347 A Graphic History of the Civil War w/ Andrew Fialka & Anderson Carmen
Guerilla violence in the American Civil War was once considered a fringe topic of study, but the scale of the violence and its impact on society had a tremendous impact on the US during and after the conflict. In this episode, we speak with historian Andrew Fialka and illustrator Anderson Carmen about their new book, Hope Never to See It: A Graphic History of Guerilla Violence during the American Civil War (University of Georgia Press), how new approaches to the Civil War allow us to reimagine one of the most consequential moments in American history. Andrew Fialka is Associate Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University. Anderson Carman is an Atlanta-based illustrator. You can see his illustrations from Hope Never to See It and other projects by following him on Instagram at @andersoncarman and subscribing to his Substack, Drawing Conclusions. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
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#346 A Forgotten History of Chinese Life in the United States w/ Beth Lew-Williams
Chinese immigrants helped establish America’s foothold on the western coast, yet few of us know what life looked like for those Chinese people who came to live in the US. In this episode, Beth Lew-Williams joins us to discuss her new book, John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law, which blends extensive archival research with new technologies to illuminate stories that have long been buried in our history. Beth Lew-Williams is Professor of History at Princeton University and a recipient of the 2025 Dan David Prize. If you enjoy this episode make sure to check out our conversations with previous Dan David Prize winners: Women and American Slavery w/ Stephanie E. Jones Rogers (#270) and The Archaeology of Dust w/ Anita Radini (#269). This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers) & Dr. Ben Sawyer (MTSU History) share conversations with great thinkers from a variety of backgrounds – historians, artists, legal scholars, political figures and more –who help us uncover the many roads that run between past and present.
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