Ben Franklin's World
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Ben Franklin's World
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🔍 Curious about the past? So are we! 🎧 Join award-winning historian @lizcovart@bsky.social as we time-travel through early America to uncover the people, ideas & stories that shaped our world. New eps every other Tuesday! 🇺🇸 #HistoryMatters
🎧 The first shot in that war will bankrupt France, a warning to Louis XVI before aiding the U.S.

In Ep 432, John Ferling explains how French aid was a gamble, and how close it came to unraveling.

Start listening: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #America250 #AmericanRevolution
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:12 AM
“Liberty of conscience” wasn’t just a slogan—it was Roger Williams’ life’s work.

Discover how he redefined church, state, and freedom in early America.

🎧 Episode 417: www.benfranklinsworld.com/417

#EarlyAmerica #ReligiousFreedom #Podcasts #USHistory #RhodeIsland
www.benfranklinsworld.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Too often, LGBTQ+ lives are left out of the stories of the American Revolutionary Era.

We change that in Ep. 414 with John McCurdy. Join us.

👉 www.benfranklinsworld.com/414

#PrideMonth #EarlyAmericanHistory #Skystorians
February 7, 2026 at 5:36 PM
The American Revolution was global.

🇫🇷 In Ep 432: We explore how France and Spain tipped the balance
🇫🇷 Next Week: The Marquis de Lafayette returns in a special Revisited episode
🇭🇹 In 2 weeks: The Chasseurs-Volontaires of Saint-Domingue

Start the series now: benfranklinsworld.com/432
February 7, 2026 at 4:44 PM
France didn’t rush to help the U.S. in 1776. They debated, delayed, and nearly backed out entirely. 😮

Find out what changed their minds (and how close we came to losing it all) in Episode 432 with John Ferling.

🎙️ benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #AmericanRevolution #Diplomacy
February 6, 2026 at 9:34 PM
“Complicity is the baseline condition of the human experience.” – Seth Rockman

Hear how ordinary goods reveal the national scale of slavery in early America.

🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/422
February 6, 2026 at 8:27 PM
💡Ben Franklin’s famous stove wasn’t just about comfort; it was about conservation. In the 1740s, wood was disappearing fast, and he saw the crisis coming. So he built a better way to heat a room.

Explore the science, the stakes, and the stoves: 🎙️ benfranklinsworld.com/412
#History
412 Joyce Chaplin, The Franklin Stove
How did Benjamin Franklin’s stove save energy? What does it reveal about wood, trees, and attempts to control the climate?
benfranklinsworld.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Colonial firewood wasn’t just about heat. It fueled:
🏠 Homebuilding
🚢 Shipbuilding
🍲 Cooking
⚔️ Conflict over land

Ben Franklin saw the danger. His stove was part of a bigger energy story we’re still living today. 🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/412

#ClimateChange #History #VastEarlyAmerica
412 Joyce Chaplin, The Franklin Stove
How did Benjamin Franklin’s stove save energy? What does it reveal about wood, trees, and attempts to control the climate?
benfranklinsworld.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Was American independence really won on the battlefield?

In our newest episode, historian John Ferling reveals the secret diplomacy, foreign aid, and fragile alliances that nearly brought the revolution to a halt before it began.

🎧 Listen: benfranklinsworld.com/432
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Is it possible to survive a violent system without becoming part of it?

Drivers—enslaved people forced to discipline others—walked this tightrope every day.

In Ep. 418, historian Randy Browne brings us into their world.

🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/418

#SlaveryStudies #EarlyAmerica #History
February 4, 2026 at 8:25 PM
👀 Love history with high stakes?

John Ferling’s new episode dives deep into the diplomacy and near-disasters behind American independence. You’ll never see the Revolution the same way again.

🎧 Listen here: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#America250 #Revolution250
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:11 PM
🎧 The first shot in that war will bankrupt France, a warning to Louis XVI before aiding the U.S.

In Ep 432, John Ferling explains how French aid was a gamble, and how close it came to unraveling.

Start listening: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #America250 #AmericanRevolution
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:41 AM
The American Revolution was global.

🇫🇷 In Ep 432: We explore how France and Spain tipped the balance
🇫🇷 Next Week: The Marquis de Lafayette returns in a special Revisited episode
🇭🇹 In 2 weeks: The Chasseurs-Volontaires of Saint-Domingue

Start the series now: benfranklinsworld.com/432
February 3, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Denmark Vesey's story is one of faith and resistance. Explore how his Bible influenced a planned uprising and its lasting impact. Listen here: ​https://benfranklinsworld.com/399

#DenmarkVesey #SlaveRebellion #FaithAndFreedom #BenFranklinsWorld
February 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
France didn’t rush to help the U.S. in 1776. They debated, delayed, and nearly backed out entirely. 😮

Find out what changed their minds (and how close we came to losing it all) in Episode 432 with John Ferling.

🎙️ benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #AmericanRevolution #Diplomacy
February 3, 2026 at 4:42 PM
What do you think was the real turning point of the American Revolution?

John Ferling makes the case that Saratoga mattered—but France’s fear of reconciliation pushed them into war.
Hear his take: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #AmericanRevolution #America250
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Was American independence really won on the battlefield?

In our newest episode, historian John Ferling reveals the secret diplomacy, foreign aid, and fragile alliances that nearly brought the revolution to a halt before it began.

🎧 Listen: benfranklinsworld.com/432
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Robert Newburgh didn’t leave behind sermons.

He left behind court records, rumors, and silence.

In our latest episode, we ask: What can one man’s reputation reveal about queerness and justice in early America?

🎧 Listen here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/414

#History #LGBTQHistory #PrideMonth
February 2, 2026 at 3:52 PM
👀 Love history with high stakes?

John Ferling’s new episode dives deep into the diplomacy and near-disasters behind American independence. You’ll never see the Revolution the same way again.

🎧 Listen here: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#America250 #Revolution250
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:12 AM
What can we learn by sleeping in a slave dwelling? 🛏️

In Ep. 386, Joseph McGill shares how spending the night where enslaved people once lived helps us honor their lives—and confront the legacy of slavery.

🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/386

#SlaveDwellingProject #VastEarlyAmerica #History
Episode 386: Joseph McGill, Sleeping with the Ancestors
In this Juneteenth episode, we will delve into the work of those working to preserve slave dwellings across the United States.
benfranklinsworld.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Revolutionary art wasn’t all Trumbull and Copley.
🎨 Some artists were enslaved. Some were women.
In Ep. 423, @drzara.bsky.social shares the story of Prince Demah—painter, patriot, and genius.
🎧 benfranklinsworld.com/423
#ArtHistory #AmericanRevolution
January 31, 2026 at 5:36 PM
🎧 The first shot in that war will bankrupt France, a warning to Louis XVI before aiding the U.S.

In Ep 432, John Ferling explains how French aid was a gamble, and how close it came to unraveling.

Start listening: benfranklinsworld.com/432

#Revolution250 #America250 #AmericanRevolution
Episode 432: John Ferling, How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution
When we think of the American Revolution, it’s easy to focus on famous battles like Saratoga or Yorktown, iconic leaders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence. But International a
benfranklinsworld.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The American Revolution was global.

🇫🇷 In Ep 432: We explore how France and Spain tipped the balance
🇫🇷 Next Week: The Marquis de Lafayette returns in a special Revisited episode
🇭🇹 In 2 weeks: The Chasseurs-Volontaires of Saint-Domingue

Start the series now: benfranklinsworld.com/432
January 30, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Philly was the hub where Enlightenment ideas docked, where revolutions brewed, and where politics clashed with profit.

📘 Paul Kahan’s deep dive is a must-hear: benfranklinsworld.com/411

#Podcasts #Philly #History #VastEarlyAmerica #Skystorians
Episode 411: Paul Kahan, Philadelphia: An Early History
Two hundred fifty years ago, in May 1775, delegates from thirteen British North American colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Why was Philadelphia chosen as the seat of Congress? What made the city a critical hub for
benfranklinsworld.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:27 PM
☕ Think tea was the drink of choice in colonial America?

Think again.

Our latest episode reveals why coffee — not tea — became the go-to beverage for early Americans (and no, it wasn’t just about the Boston Tea Party).

🎧 www.benfranklinsworld.com/429

#VastEarlyAmerica #BostonTeaParty #Coffee
January 29, 2026 at 5:36 PM