Ben Franklin's World
Ben Franklin's World is an award-winning podcast about early American history hosted by historian Liz Covart, Ph.D. It's for people who love and enjoy history and want to know more about the people, places, and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Ben Franklin's World also offers a weekly newsletter "History Behind the Headlines." Each week, Liz explores the early American origins and precedents of a topic from our modern-day headlines.
The White House: The People’s House and the President’s Mirror
Hello, Reader! Gold cherubs from Mar-a-Lago, custom-designed flagpoles, and a $200 million ballroom modeled after one of his golf clubs… President Trump's White House makeover, the most extensive in decades, revives a founding-era question: Should the president's house reflect the man or the nation? 🖼️ The Big Picture What's Happening: President Trump has launched the most extensive White House renovation in decades. The renovation includes a 90,000-square-foot ballroom modeled after his...
Power, Politics, and the Smithsonian: Who Decides the Nation's Story?
Hello, Reader! Who decides how the United States tells its story? Recent scrutiny of the Smithsonian raises a question as old as the institution itself: What is the Smithsonian for, and who guides its mission? 🖼️ The Big Picture What's Happening: The Smithsonian Institution, the United States' national network of museums and research centers, is facing federal review over how it presents U.S. history. [1] ⚠️ Why It Matters: With 21 museums and over 155 million objects, the Smithsonian is...
⚔️ The Last Time Troops Patrolled Our Cities, Revolution Followed
Hello, Reader! This week, President Trump deployed approximately 800 members of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., echoing strategies used by the British in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia after the Seven Years' War. History shows us how stationing soldiers among civilians often ignites tensions rather than quells them. 🖼️ The Big Picture What's Happening: The White House ordered National Guard soldiers into the nation's capital and placed the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under...
Why America’s First Union Almost Didn’t Happen
Hello, Reader! This week's newsletter is a little different.Tomorrow I'm presenting at Boston History Camp 2025. Most of my week has been spent deep in my research on the Articles of Confederation and the origins of the American Union. So instead of unpacking a headline, I'm giving you a preview of my talk. 🖼️ The Big Picture What's Happening: We're stepping back from present-day news to examine a foundational question: How did the 13 British American colonies, after 150+ years of failed...
🦎 What Texas Just Did Isn't New, Gerrymandering Started Here
Hello, Reader! What links today's redistricting fight in Texas to a founding father you may not know? This week, Texas lawmakers released a new electoral map that critics say distorts representation to favor one political party. But this tactic isn't new. It dates back to 1812 and to a man named Elbridge Gerry. 🖼️ The Big Picture What's Happening: Texas Republicans released a new election map this week that some analysts say may favor incumbents and limit the influence of demographic change...
🗞️The Epstein Case Reignites an Old American Fear: Hidden Power
Hello, Reader! The Epstein files are back in the news--and so is the question that haunts every democracy: 👉 What happens when power hides behind closed doors? New reports say President Trump's name appears repeatedly in sealed Justice Department records related to Jeffrey Epstein. The DOJ has declined to release the full contents, sparking concern over elite protection and selective justice. But this isn't new. From the founding era to today, Americans have long feared shadowy influence,...
"God Saved the President": History Warns Us What That Means
Hello, Reader! This week, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) marked the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Trump. At a House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson stated "Assassins...tried to kill him, but God miraculously spared the president's life. I think it's undeniable. And he [God] did it for an obvious purpose. And his presidency and his life are the fruits of divine providence." The Speaker's remarks invoked a long historical...
A New Chapter for Ben Franklin’s World 🎙️
Announcement Dear Reader, As a Ben Franklin's World insider, I wanted you to be the first to know our big news! We're Going Independent--Again. Ben Franklin's World is now produced by Clio Digital Media, a small, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that I co-founded with fellow historians Joe Adelman and Karin Wulf. Our mission? To create high-quality, independent history content and to build a community of curious minds like yours. This move brings us back to our roots. It gives us complete...
120+ Dead in Texas: What the First U.S. Disaster Relief Teaches Us
Hello, Reader! Natural disasters don't just test emergency systems. They test our values, priorities, and sense of community. As historic flooding devastates parts of Texas--killing more than 120 people and leaving entire neighborhoods submerged-- we pause not just to grieve, but to understand. What happens when the unthinkable strikes? Who helps? And how have Americans answered these questions before? This week, we trace the evolution of U.S. disaster response from bucket brigades to FEMA....
📜 The Founders Feared This — It Just Passed the House 🗽
Hello, Reader! It is an unusual moment to be studying the American Revolution. If you've been listening to Ben Franklin's World, you know the Revolution had many causes. But one big idea that connected them all: 👉 People believed the British government had become corrupt and tyrannical in its use of taxes, military force, and unchecked power in the colonies. This concern drove the Founders to create something radically new: a government derived from the people, structured with checks and...