Posts by Professor Buzzkill
The Myth of Seneca Falls
Nearly every history book, encyclopedia entry, and news items pins the exact origin of the women’s rights movement in the United States to the meeting at Seneca Falls, New York in July 1848. But can a movement as big as the women’s rights one have one specific geographic origin at only one meeting? It turns…
Read MoreIrish Symbols and Hidden Hibernians
Ever wonder how the shamrock, the Celtic Cross, and the Claddagh Ring became symbols of Irish culture? And which Irish people deserve more historical attention and shouldn’t remain “Hidden Hibernians”? Professor Edward O’Donnell explains all in this St. Patrick’s Day episode! —Buzzkill Bookshelf Edward T. O’Donnell, 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish-American History
Read MoreWhen Women Won the Right to Vote: an American Fiction
Do women have a constitutional “right to vote” in America? Didn’t the 19th Amendment resolve that issue? Professor Lisa Tetrault enlightens us about this very thorny issue in American history and politics. One of our best episodes ever!
Read MoreLevi and Catherine Coffin: the Underground Railroad
In 1876, an elderly man decided to write his memoirs. As we’ll see during this show, he and his wife were very important in 19th century America. They helped a great many people achieve freedom, but very few people have heard of them. As he was writing his autobiography, this old man wanted to stress…
Read MoreRoy Cohn: Piece of Sh*t Saturday
Our inaugural POS Saturday episode is dedicated to the one of the biggest pieces of s**t in 20th century American history — Roy Cohen. Cohen’s influence on American politics and society from the 1950s to the 1980s was almost completely negative. Along with a handful of others, he is responsible for the toxic tone and…
Read MoreGeorge Patton Conquers the World!
We hear this all the time in the US: “George Patton should have been unleashed and taken care of the Soviets in 1945 when we had the chance.” And from the movie, Patton: “We’re gonna have to fight them sooner or later anyway. Why not do it now, when we got the army here to…
Read MoreBen Franklin, “A Republic, if You Can Keep It.” Quote or No Quote?
These are heady times for historians in the United States. The Trump impeachment saga has made Lady Buzzkill and I even more highly desired guests at dinners around town than we usually are. People in our social set have lots of questions about the history of impeachment, and all the historic references dropped by politicians…
Read MoreThe Unknown Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King did so much more for American society, and wanted so much more from the US government and US elites, than most people realize. Popular history has airbrushed out far too much about his life and work. Professor Phil Nash reminds us of the importance of King’s work, especially during the forgotten period…
Read MoreRepublicans and Impeachment: Nixon and Now
A Republican Senator is in his office, thinking about material he’s just seen regarding the sitting President from his own party. He’s troubled, because the evidence indicates a clear violation of US law and an abuse of Presidential power. The problem is that the rest of the Senator’s party is staunchly behind the President, is…
Read MoreMartin Luther King: Arc of the Moral Universe Bends Toward Justice
All too often, researching the origins of well-known quotes leads to a kind of dead end. Famous people are credited with expressions and sayings that were in common use during their time, and those quotes are only attached to, for instance, Churchill or Gandhi, by later generations of admirers. Half the time, the humorous ones…
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