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<div>From the Bill of Rights Institute, Fabric of History weaves together U.S. history, Founding Principles, and what all of this means to us today. Join Mary, Gary, and Eryn as they delve into the most controversial, inspirational, and hilarious moments of history and strive to find the common thread between them.</div>

Fabric of History Podcast

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In our first episode, Mary, Gary, and Eryn break down the frenzy in a colonial Massachusetts town that left nineteen people dead. Approaching the subject on both a micro and a macro level, they trace the origin story, discover motives of accusers and authority figures, and discuss the broader cultural implications.

Visit our episode page for additional resources: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/fabric-of-history/malleus-maleficarum-the-salem-witch-trials/

Malleus Maleficarum: The Salem Witch Trials

Join Mary, Gary, and Eryn as they choose to go to the moon. They'll discuss the true motivations behind the famous "space race," the future of humans in space, and reveal which one of them would make a terrible lab partner in the process.

View our episode page for additional details: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/fabric-of-history/space-and-beyond/

Space and Beyond

Mary, Eryn, and guest Kirk will discuss who exactly the bearded presidents of the late 1800s were and why they are largely forgotten today. They'll tie facial hair to a broader question of how appearance in our leaders has changed throughout the years, and what it says about society.

Beyond the Beard

In the final episode of season one, Mary, Gary, and Eryn travel back in time to the 1960s and listen to some of the most iconic songs from the period. They'll discuss how music and protest influenced each other during these pivotal years in American history, and how those involved in social change use music to convey their messages. What about this music made it so powerful back then and continues to inspire people today? 

1960s: Songs for a Generation

Season 1

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The 4th has many different meanings for many different groups in America. Some see it as a time to celebrate with barbecues, others ask deep questions about the prevalence of slavery conflicting with the ideas of freedom for all presented in the Declaration of Independence, many do both! Mary, Gary, and Eryn explore these themes and more.

Why Do We Celebrate the Fourth of July?

Join Mary, Gary, and Eryn as they celebrate and reflect on the fascinating life of Amelia Earhart, a true American trailblazer. They’ll delve into the famed aviator’s cultural influence as a pioneering female figure, as well as the mysterious—and still unresolved—circumstances surrounding her disappearance in 1937, in the midst of a daring effort to circumnavigate the globe.

Amelia Earhart: The Legend and the Person

We hear the phrase "The American Dream" all the time, but what does it actually mean? In this episode of Fabric of History, Mary, Gary, and Eryn explore this question by tracing the origins of one of the most successful families in American history, the Vanderbilts. What do the legacies of some of its most prominent members teach us about integrity and human nature?

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/

The Vanderbilts and the American Dream

With the Democratic and Republican National Conventions fast approaching, Mary, Gary, and Eryn take a look at the history behind these pivotal electoral systems. From the elitist presidential nominating processes that defined much of the 19th and 20th centuries, to the more inclusive systems of the modern era, the roles of party caucuses, primaries, and conventions have shifted considerably over time. How have today’s elections come to represent the voice of the people?

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/

Caucuses to Conventions

Season 2

To continue our celebration of the 19th Amendment's ratification, Mary, Gary, and Eryn discuss the seminal works of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter, Mary Shelley. They’ll explore how both women were icons in their own rights, as Wollstonecraft famously advocated for enhanced female education in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, while Shelley authored the sci-fi classic, Frankenstein. Learn how this mother-daughter pair proved to be an empowering force in the early struggle for women’s rights and equality!

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/


The Two Marys

For our first ever Fabric of History interview, Mary brings fellow BRI staff member Tony Williams on to discuss his book The Pox and the Covenant, a fascinating look at Boston’s 1721 smallpox epidemic and the far-reaching effects it had on colonial society and the relationship between science and religion. How did Puritan minister Cotton Mather and others employ new scientific methods to mitigate the epidemic? And what unlikely role did a young Benjamin Franklin have in response to them?

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/

The Pox and the Covenant

The start of the school year prompts Mary, Gary, and Eryn to reflect on the broader concept of education and how schooling has evolved throughout history. They'll explore how educational structures reflected the times during which they were implemented and what modern-day schooling says about our values today. Has the purpose of education changed over time? And what should the future of education look like?

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/

Why Educate?

Gary, Mary, and Eryn reflect on a particularly important moment in the civil rights movement, the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. They'll explore how the events of Selma fit into the bigger picture of the civil rights movement and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. What can this march teach us about the significance of turning points in a movement? And what lessons from it are still very relevant today?

Check out our Fall Seminars and Events: https://billofrightsinstitute.arlo.co/w/upcoming/

Selma, Montgomery and “Good Trouble”

Why do certain moments in time stand out to us? Today, Mary, Gary, Eryn, and special guest Joshua Schmid explore this question by tracing the sinking of the Lusitania and how it fit into the complicated state of foreign affairs in 1915. Was the German U-boat torpedo of the British ocean liner an act of evil or of defense? With two years separating the tragedy and America’s entrance into World War I, was this really a turning point in the war?

Check Our Our YouTube Channel: https://rb.gy/7u4pxs

Remember the Lusitania

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Fabric of History

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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Bill of Rights (1791)

The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 resulted in the New Deal he proposed, a fundamental shift in the American political economy and a new conception of the relationship between the government and the governed.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Debating matters of public concern is essential in a free, self-governing society. If citizens were not free to decide after listening to opposing views self-government would be distorted. At the core of the Declaration of Independence is the principle that government exists to protect individual rights for us, not that we exist to serve the government. Therefore the people are the master and the government is the servant. If the government can dictate what we can and cannot discuss, then it would imply that the servant can tell the master what to do.

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Fabric of History Podcast