The Extreme History Project: The Dirt on the Past

The Woman they Could Not Silence with Kate Moore

Join us as we talk with Kate Moore, a New York Times Bestselling Author about her new book, The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear. This is a narrative, non-fiction page-turner about Elizabeth Packard who was a housewife and mother of six in 1860, when her husband of 21 years has her committed to an insane asylum solely because she has differing religious beliefs. It's a fascinating story of one woman's battle to change the system and laws concerning coverture, the treatment of those with mental illness, and women's rights. Author Kate Moore is a natural storyteller and we loved talking with her about this book, but also the history of women's rights in America from the 1860s to present. 

 

We Refuse to Forget with Caleb Gayle

Caleb Gayle talks with us about his new book, We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power. This book tells the story of the Creek Nation, a group that historically owned slaves and accepted Black people as full citizens. The story is told through the lens of a few people, but most prominently a man named Cow Tom, a Black Creek citizen who rose to become chief of the Creek Nation, and his descendants who were stripped of their Creek citizenship in the 1970s. We discuss how this happened with an examination of racial and ethnic identity, challenging our preconceptions of identity as it shines a new light on white supremacy, and marginalization that continue to hamper progress for Black Americans today. Caleb Gayle is an award-winning journalist who writes about race and identity. A professor at Northeastern University, he is a fellow at New America, PEN America, Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies, and a visiting scholar at New York University. Gayle’s writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Guernica, and other publications. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Gayle is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, the University of Oxford, and has an MBA and a master’s in public policy, both from Harvard University. He lives in Boston. Join us for this fascinating discussion and then go out and buy We Refuse to Forget! 

The Chinese Experience in Montana with Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson recently published, The Middle Kingdom Under the Big Sky: A History of the Chinese Experience in Montana. We discuss the book, including experiences of Chinese women in Montana. We also talk about Mark's new project in collaboration with the Mai Wah Museum, to translate Chinese headstones in cemeteries located in Helena, Bozeman, Billings, and Butte. The translations will identify the individuals commemorated, and hopefully give us more information about their lives in Montana but also in China. For more information on Mark's book and upcoming project visit his website at bigskychinese.com.  

Ukranian Megasites with Bisserka Gaydarska

Archaeologist, Bisserka Gaydarska, discusses Ukranian Mega Sites with us this week. The Trypillia megasites of Ukraine are the largest known settlements in 4th millennium BC Europe and possibly the world. With the largest reaching 1.2 square miles in size, megasites raise questions about their origins and purpose. Current theories assume maximum occupation, with all houses occupied at the same time, and a military focus. But recent research suggests alternative views of megasites, suggesting smaller long-term occupations or seasonal assembly places, creating a sustainable settlement rather than military encampment. Listen to our fascinating discussion with Bisserka as we discuss new ideas and research diving into the understanding of these urban centers. Bisserka Gaydarska is an Honorary Research Fellow at Durham University in Durham, England. 

 

To Learn More:

Early Urbanism in Europe https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110664959/html?lang=en

Article on Megasites https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-archaeological-journal/article/trypillia-megasites-in-context-independent-urban-development-in-chalcolithic-eastern-europe/C33D85AF4EE4BA2D61AAB77D3E399E4D

American Zion with Betsy Gaines Quammen

Betsy Gaines Quammen discusses her book, American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God & Public Lands in the West. Our discussion explores how the Bundy family mix spiritualism, patriotism, and wild places to assert possession over western federal lands. We discuss the myth of the cowboy, militia conceptions of public land in the west, wilderness, and Mormon history. Dr. Betsy Gaines Quammen holds a doctorate in Environmental History from Montana State University, her dissertation focusing on Mormon settlement and public land conflicts. She has studied various religious traditions over the years, with particular attention to how cultures view landscape and wildlife. Join us for this fascinating conversation. 

Birthing the West with Jennifer Hill

Join Nancy and Crystal for a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Hill as we discuss her new book, Birthing the West: Mothers and Midwives in the Rockies and Plains. This book delves into the history of childbirth and reproduction in the west, focusing on the mid-1800s through the 1940s in the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana. We talk about Jennifer's research methodology, untold histories of birth on the western prairies, the idea of "social birth," and so much more. Dr. Hill is an assistant teaching professor of American studies at Montana State University. She serves as the executive director of the Women's Reproductive History Alliance, a digital museum dedicated to educating the public on reproductive history. She is passionate about interdisciplinary scholarship, and bringing untold and undocumented histories to the public.

A Genetic History of the Americas with Jennifer Raff

Join Nancy and Crystal as we talk with author and geneticist, Jennifer Raff, on her new book, ORIGIN: A Genetic History of the Americas. We discuss the genetic history of the first peoples in the Americas, who they were, current theories on how they arrived, and why they made the crossing. We delve into how they dispersed south and how they lived based on a new and powerful kind of evidence: their complete genomes. We also discuss the myths surrounding the peopling of the Americas, specifically the myth of the Moundbuilders, and how myths persist today in fringe theories about the origins of Indigenous people. Jennifer explains how genetics is currently being used to construct narratives that profoundly impact Indigenous peoples of the Americas and how genetics has become entangled with identity in the way that society addresses the question "Who is indigenous?" Join us for this riveting discussion with settler scientist Jennifer Raff!  

 

Echo-Hawk, Roger (2011) "Summer Soltice," The Mythic Circle: Vol. 2011 : Iss. 33 , Article 14.

Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mcircle/vol2011/iss33/14

Finding Harriet Tubman with Julie Schablitsky

Join us as we talk with Dr. Julie Schablitsky about the recent discovery of the spot where Harriet Tubman’s father, Ben Ross, had his home, and where Harriet would have spent some of her childhood. Harriet Tubman was born as Araminta Ross in March 1822 on the Thompson Farm in Maryland. She and her mother were enslaved by the Brodess family and moved away from the farm when she was a toddler. Ben Ross felled and sold timber, which was transported by free black mariners to Baltimore shipyards and used to build ships. Harriet Tubman learned to navigate difficult terrain while working with her father. Interacting with mariners also provided knowledge of waterways on the East Coast, which may have helped her lead people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Julie Schablitsky is Chief of the Cultural Resources Division at the Maryland Department of Transportation. She graduated with her doctorate from Portland State University in Oregon with an emphasis in archaeology. After graduation, Julie carried out research on the Donner Party of California and the medieval estate of Amisfield in Scotland. Her Maryland research includes African America, cemeteries, and the recovery of DNA from artifacts.

Race and the Wild West with Laura Arata

Join us as we talk with Dr. Laura Arata about her book, Race and the Wild West: Sarah Bickford, The Montana Vigilantes, and the Tourism of Decline, 1870-1930. We discuss the life of Sarah Bickford, a black woman who grew up enslaved in Tennessee and then traveled to Montana Territory after she was emancipated. Sarah settled in the gold rush town of Virginia City where she lived out the rest of her life. She married twice, both times to white men. When her second husband died, she inherited his shares of the Virginia City Water Company and eventually acquired sole ownership, which she ran until her death in 1931. In addition to Sarah, we discuss Mattie Castner and Mary Fields, two black women who grew up enslaved but moved to Montana in the late 19th century and made lives for themselves in Montana.   

 

The Dirt on Yellowstone’s ”1883”

Join Nancy and Crystal as they discuss the new series, 1883. This is a prequal to the popular, Yellowstone series that premiered in 2018. Yellowstone is an American drama created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson that follows the fictional Dutton family, owners of the largest cattle ranch in Montana. The prequal, 1883, follows the origins of the Dutton family on a a journey from Texas to Montana is another Taylor Sheridan creation. Nancy and Crystal share their insights surrounding the historical context of the show. Join us as we take a deep dive into the first five episodes of 1883!