Empire: World History

Latest Episodes:

167. Paradise Lost: The Taking of Hawaii Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

On 7th July 1898, President McKinley formally annexed Hawaii, making it a colonial territory of the USA. It was not until 21st August, 1959, that it became the 50th state. Orchestrated by the American planter class in Hawaii, led by Sanford Dole, this annexation was the culmination of a process throughout the 19th century which pushed the native Hawaiian population to the side for commercial gain. Listen as William and Anita look at the taking of the 50th state and the attempts by the last Queen of Hawaii, Lili’uokalani, to fight against the Americans.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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166. How To Hide An Empire Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Not everyone agrees that the USA should be classed as an empire. But in the late 1800s, after white settlers had colonised western states, America turned to acquiring overseas territories in what could be described as an imperial project. And one surprising commodity catalysed the project… bird poo. Joining Anita and William to answer questions like “how did shit shape the American empire?” and more, is Daniel Immerwahr, author of How To Hide An Empire.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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165. A Massacre at Dawn Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Arizona Territory, April 30, 1871. The canyon known as Aravaipa lies still in the predawn darkness, the only sounds to be heard in the early-morning calm the song of birds and the lilt of running water as it courses its way toward the nearby San Pedro River. But upon this paradise all hell is about to break loose.

With Native American land being squeezed and squeezed by settlers, and relations becoming more and more violent as indigenous customs are degraded and exterminated, things are at breaking point in Arizona. Nearly 500 native men, women, and children have moved into the US military base, Camp Grant, for protection, yet, the Tucson Committee of Public Safety still see them as a threat. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Karl Jacoby as they discuss the Camp Grant Massacre and finish the story of 'How the West was Won'.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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164. How the West was Won: The Truth Behind the Westerns Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

A whole genre of movies is based on a relatively short period of nineteenth-century American history. But what is the real story behind battles between Native Americans and white settlers during westward expansion? In the aftermath of the Mexican-American War, settlers flooded to the newly acquired territory and before long, violence was commonplace. Images of battles fought on horseback continue to shape our popular understanding, yet have often overshadowed the cultures and lives that were decimated during this period. Listen as Anita and William are joined by Karl Jacoby to discuss the interactions between Native Americans, settlers, and the US army in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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163. The Tattooed Girl: From Mormon to Native American Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

In 1850, 13-year-old Olive Oatman and her family set off on the perilous journey by foot from Missouri to Arizona. Olive and her little sister were captured by a group of Native Americans and then sold to another. Yet rather than being treated as slaves, the girls were treated with kindness and welcomed as kin. But her version of her story was to be twisted and rewritten in the years that followed… Listen as Anita and William are joined once again by Katie Hickman to discuss the extraordinary experiences of Olive Oatman.

Alongside Katie Hickman's, Bravehearted, available here (https://coles-books.co.uk/pioneering-women-of-the-american-wild-west-by-katie-hickman-hardback), a key source for Olive Oatman's life is The Blue Tattoo by Margot Mifflin, available here (https://coles-books.co.uk/the-blue-tattoo-the-life-of-olive-oatman-by-margot-mifflin).

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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162. The Oregon Trail & the Gold Rush Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Fort Laramie was once a stockade where European fur traders and Native Americans lived together peacefully. But by the 1850s it became a stop-over along the busy trail of emigrants moving westwards seeking gold and religious utopias. Their effect on the environment increased tensions with the local Lakota, and peace crashed down in 1854 all thanks to the death of a Mormon cow… Listen as William and Anita are joined by Katie Hickman to discuss life at Fort Laramie and the First Sioux War.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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161. The Trail of Tears Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

Despite having fought alongside them, President Andrew Jackson hated Native Nations. In the early 1800s, he sought to deceive Cherokee tribes into giving up their lands. How did Jackson overturn the precedent of respecting Native sovereignty and force thousands of Native Americans to migrate west? Listen as Anita and William are joined once again by Kathleen DuVal to explore the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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160. Native Nations vs Thomas Jefferson Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

North America was never virgin territory. For thousands of years it has been home to established nations of Indigenous people who founded ancient cities like Cahokia. When European settlers arrived on the eastern seaboard, Native Americans never saw them as a threat. But as the United States established itself, how did its notion of a new republic affect those who had always lived there? Listen as Anita and William are joined by Kathleen DuVal to discuss interactions between Native Nations and American settlers.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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159. The American Revolution: Building The New Rome (Ep 4) Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

The British have surrendered, they’ll be leaving soon. Now the Americans have a new and arguably harder task than before. They have to meld those 13 states, each with their own sense of independence and unique characteristics, into a country. Taking inspiration from Rome, the Enlightenment, and their own experience of British rule, the Founding Fathers created a republic that lasts until today. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Maya for the last of our episodes on the American Revolution.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

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Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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158. The American Revolution: Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness (Ep 3) Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

The Declaration of Independence establishes the ideals on which this break away nation founds itself on. But it’s full of contradictions. It complains of white colonists being enslaved by King George III, yet its signatories own enslaved Africans. It declares all men are created equal, but what about women? Listen as Anita and William are joined by Maya Jasanoff as they explore the war, from the evacuation of Boston, to the battle of Yorktown.

Twitter: @Empirepoduk

Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com

Goalhangerpodcasts.com

Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis

Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

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