Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus sit down with cultural historian Dr. Kelly J. Baker to explore America’s enduring obsession with a zombie apocalypse. What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, values, and survival instincts? And how do imagined apocalyptic scenarios shape—or reflect—our responses to real-world crises? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia Description: Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftu...
Jul 01, 2025•59 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by historian Dr. Zara Anishanslin to uncover the overlooked world of non-elite painters—women, nonwhite men, and others who used their brushes to make bold political statements. While elite artists shaped the iconic images of the Revolution that we know today, these lesser-known figures painted a different picture—one that’s only now coming into view. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia ...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by John Wyatt Greenlee to dive into the surprising history of one slippery creature—the eel. Once a delicacy, currency, contraband, and even a spiritual symbol, this elusive fish finally gets its moment in the spotlight. You’ll never look at eels the same way again. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 1:49 - What is a cartographic historian? 4:15 - How did ...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Louee Dessent to discuss his hit YouTube series Survive History. Taking the goal of making history relevant to another level, Dessent puts himself into the harrowing, life-threatening scenarios of history and asks: Could you survive? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 3:49 - Aspirations of Writing About History 4:49 - What is Survive History 6:04 - What...
May 13, 2025•55 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Elizabeth Reese to discuss the 1824-1825 visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States. The last surviving general of the Revolutionary War, Lafayette brought together a divided nation as a universally beloved hero of America. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 2:13 - Who was Lafayette? 5:45 - Lafayette’s Early Life and Motivation 11:02 - Lafay...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Surekha Davies to explore the history of humanity through the study of monsters. Created by humans to explain their world and each other for centuries, monsters not only tell a story of human history, but they offer a glimpse into our future as well. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 10:29 - Boundaries of Humanity and Otherness 22:47 - The Role of ...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Innovation Historian Jason Voiovich to explore how many of today’s iconic products, entertainment, and cultural heroes trace their origins to the Great Depression. This era once again demonstrates that hardship often paves the road to innovation. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 1:12 - The Role of a Fractional Chief Officer 3:54 - Understanding Innova...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Megan Kate Nelson to explore the history of Yellowstone, America’s first national park, and its pivotal role in shaping the nation’s identity in the aftermath of a brutal civil war. As the country’s vision expanded westward, however, not everyone was included in the new national narrative. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 2:13 - What First Interes...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Mills Kelly to explore the origins of the Appalachian Trail, the lives it touched, and a long-forgotten section in Virginia. While the trail invited people into the wilderness, it also fostered connections among them. As one poet aptly put it, "In the mountains, the mind becomes the heart." Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Introductions 3:21 - The Appalachian T...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by John G. Turner and Lincoln A. Mullen, creators of the new podcast “Antisemitism U.S.A.,” to explore the history of antisemitism in the United States. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:38 - How Did the Podcast Come to Be? 6:08 - Why Do You Think The History of Antisemitism Has Been Overlooked? 11:52 - What Was It Like for Aaron ...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Barbara Vorndick to explore the life of Eliza Monroe and the story that has been told about her for two-hundred years—and why it is false. Now the push is on to bring James Monroe’s daughter home. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:39 - Why Barbara Started The Biography 7:12 - Who Was President James Monroe? 13:25 - Eliza Monroe...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Philip Thompson to discuss the history of espionage and the psychological motivations behind becoming an international spy. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Coming Up 1:09 - Introductions 3:48 - The M.I.C.E. Framework: Understanding Spy Motivations 7:21 - The Background of Spies: Who Becomes a Spy? 10:05 - Psychological Factors in Espionage 1...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Jane E. Calvert to discuss the lesser known and under appreciated founder John Dickinson. Find out why Dickinson should be placed alongside the names Washington, Adams, and Jefferson in U.S. history books. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Sneak Peak/Introductions 2:22 - Why John Dickinson? 5:48 - Who Was John Dickinson 9:24 - How Prolific...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 20
We have had a particularly cursed month over at 2C4H. In order to do right by our guests and audience we are sharing a historical ghost story as we work to finish some of the episodes that have had some really unfortunate technical difficulties. Thanks for all the support and understanding! Links: John A. Lomax Bio - https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200196225 Archive of American Folk-Song - https://www.loc.gov/collections/john-a-lomax-and-alan-lomax-papers/about-this-collection/ Lomax’s works and l...
Oct 29, 2024•9 min
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Kathleen DuVal to discuss the history of Native Americans over a millennium. Dr. DuVal reveals history from natives’ perspectives, turning the well-known eurocentric view of world history on its head. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:25 - What Made You Decide to Take On Such a Large Timeline? 4:14 - Where Do You Start? 8:4...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Patrick Spero to discuss an obscure French scientist who became a spy in the newly formed United States. Who was Andres Michaux? And how did Thomas Jefferson participate in the conspiracy that history forgot? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 4:08 - The Document That Inspired The Book 7:45 - Who was André Michaux 13:16 - Andr...
Oct 01, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky to examine John Adams’ presidency and the peaceful transfer of power in the nascent United States. How has Adams’ legacy echoed through successive presidential administrations? And how did Adams secure the survival of the republic? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:51 - Why Adams? 4:48 - What Do We Need t...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Charles Fournier to discuss Ernest Hemingway, his constructed identity, and vernacular landscapes. Hemingway looked up to Theodore Roosevelt and a romanticized, masculine version of the West, but he put on an entirely different persona in Europe. Who was the genuine Hemingway? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:41 - Why Ernest H...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Michael L. Thurmond to discuss James Oglethorpe, the founder of the only British American colony that prohibited chattel slavery prior to the Revolutionary War. Oglethorpe should be considered a founding father; so why is he largely forgotten today? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introductions 1:42 - Who is James Oglethorpe 2:33 - How is Ja...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Tore Olsson to explore the wildly popular video game Red Dead Redemption 2. How does it reflect the history of the West, a world of the first megacorporations, the labor movement, and infamous characters like Jesse James? And what can we learn from it today? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 3:10 - How Historically Accurate is...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Christian McWhirter to explore the world of music during the American Civil War. We still know many of the popular songs today; but what did they mean to soldiers and civilians of the 1860s? And what does Abraham Lincoln’s taste in music say about him and his era? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 3:53 - The Music Industry Dur...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Lucy Smith to explore the history of dentistry and the evolving meanings that humans have projected onto this part of the body. How were teeth extracted before dentists—and before Novocain? When did “perfect” teeth become so important? And what in the world were George Washington’s dentures made of, if not wood? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Description: Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. John A. Ragosta to discuss the transition of Patrick Henry from Revolutionary Firebrand to Federalist candidate. Did the hyperpartisanship of the 1790s fuel this apparent switch? And did it also prevent the newly created United States from plunging into a civil war? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon Note: The thoughts, views, opinions, and in...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Are you a Fridolatrist? A fan of Fridamania? An admirer of the unibrow, the surrealism, and the shocking way in which Frida Kahlo portrayed the most private parts of her life on canvas? This week's episode explores the life of a woman who has been claimed as a secular saint by artists, feminists, Chicanos, the disabled, and the LGBTQ+ communities. Whether you love her art or loathe it, she is truly one of a kind. About Her Half of History: Why don't women's clothes have more pockets? Who are the...
Jun 18, 2024•25 min
Description: Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Heather Haley to discuss sexuality and the military during the Cold War. A new "ideal of American morality” resulted in federal purges of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals that became known as the Lavender Scare. How did the individuals affected fight back? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon Note: The thoughts, views, opinions, and intellectual...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Jason Herbert to talk about Florida and Seminole history, the role of cattle in identity formation, and where the first cowpeople existed in the United States. Hint: It wasn’t in the Wild West! Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 4:42 - Florida: A Remarkable Place 5:43 - Cattle Ranching...A Product of FL? 7:33 - Explaining Semin...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by John Smith to discuss the unknown side of Abigail Adams. What made this first lady and mother of a president tick? Her letters reveal a saucier side never before seen. Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 1:42 - Choosing Abigail Adams as a Subject 6:38 - How did John and Abigail Meet? 9:29 - Abigail’s Stubbornness 11:01 - Abigail's L...
May 14, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 7
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Paul Cooper, a podcaster and author who examines the rise and fall of civilizations throughout history. What led to the ultimate collapse of previously successful civilizations, and are we making any of those same mistakes today? TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 4:01 - The Inception of The Fall of Civilizations Podcast 6:56 - How Do You Define A Civilization? 7:54 - Paul’s Style of Presenting History 13:25 - How Pau...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Lorri Glover, an expert on a little-known woman entrepreneur of the eighteenth century. She had “schemes,” negotiated with men, made a fortune, and still fulfilled the era’s ideal of a mother and a woman. Why don’t we know more about her? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE: 0:00 - Intro 1:22 - Who was Eliza Lucas Pinckney 3:25 - Eliza's Upbringing ...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus are joined by Dr. Diego Javier Luis to discuss the first Asians in the Americas as part of Pacific World history. Free and unfree migration, six months of treacherous travel, and cultural uprooting defines the Asian experience in the Spanish Americas. Who were these emigrants, and what happened when they arrived in their new world? Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon: www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia TRANSCRIPT: coming soon OUTLINE...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 4
