Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly

Podcasting the Past | Fin Dwyer of the Irish History Podcast

In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake sat down with Fin Dwyer - the voice behind the Irish History Podcast and one of the most consistent storytellers working in public history today. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to sustain a history podcast for more than a decade, this is that conversation. We talk about how Fin got started back in 2010, building an audience from scratch, and how podcasting has evolved from a niche format into one of the most powerful tools we have for sharing history. Along the way, we dig into something that sits at the center of both of our work - how to take complex, often uncomfortable history and make it accessible without losing the nuance. We also talk about the craft of public history; how we tell stories, how audiences engage with them, and what responsibility comes with putting history out into the world. And like any good conversation between public historians, we end up somewhere deeper - talking about bias, interpretation, and why the past still matters so much in the present. Check out The Irish History Podcast [https://www.irishhistorypodcast.ie/] Check out Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast [https://www.irishhistorypodcast.ie/podcast-series/transatlantic-an-irish-american-history-podcast] This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: * How Fin built the Irish History Podcast into a global show * What podcasting looked like in 2010 - and how much it's changed * The challenge of turning deep research into clear, engaging storytelling * Why some of the most important stories never become books - but thrive in podcasts * The responsibility of historians in public spaces, especially online * How nuance gets lost and why it's worth fighting to keep it * The tension between academic history and public-facing storytelling * Why the past still shapes how we see the world today

Rewatching John Adams: Power, Politics, and Governing a New Nation (Episodes 5-7)

In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Justin, Jake, aned Molly wrap up HBO's John Adams miniseries. Episodes five through seven leave the battlefield and diplomacy behind and step into the uncertain world of governing a brand-new nation. Independence has been won - but now comes the reality of politics, power struggles, and the messy work of building a republic from scratch. John Adams finds himself on the outside looking in as vice president, then at the center of the storm as president - caught between Jefferson, Hamilton, and a political culture that already feels strikingly familiar. Meanwhile, Abigail Adams remains a steady and formidable presence, even as the personal cost of public life begins to take its toll on their family. By the final episode, the story turns inward. The urgency of revolution fades into something quieter and more human: aging, loss, legacy, and the uneasy realization that the history they lived is already being reshaped into myth. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: * John Adams discovering just how little power the vice presidency actually holds * The rise of political parties and the bitter divide between Jefferson and Hamilton * The threat of war with France and the fragile place of the United States in a global conflict * The Alien and Sedition Acts and the tension between liberty and control * Abigail Adams navigating family, politics, and personal loss * The devastating toll of illness and grief on the Adams family * The mythmaking of the American Revolution and how quickly history gets rewritten * John Adams and Thomas Jefferson reflecting on a lifetime of rivalry and legacy Other notes: Alexis de Tocqueville and "Democacy in America": https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/democracy-in-america-english-edition-vol-1

Rewatching John Adams: The Revolution Goes to Europe (Episodes 3-4)

In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake and Molly head back into HBO's John Adams miniseries - this time following the American Revolution far beyond Boston and Philadelphia. John Adams sails for Europe with young John Quincy Adams at his side, stepping into the chaotic world of Revolutionary diplomacy. In Paris he clashes with Benjamin Franklin, struggles to win allies for the American cause, and begins the long, exhausting work of convincing Europe that the United States is a nation worth betting on. Back home in Massachusetts, Abigail Adams is fighting a very different war. With John gone for years at a time, she manages the farm, raises the family, and navigates the constant uncertainty of wartime. Jake and Molly unpack the history behind the series, from Adams' awkward diplomacy in France and the Netherlands to Abigail's resilience and entrepreneurship on the Massachusetts home front. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: * John Adams arriving in Europe as America's most stubborn diplomat * Benjamin Franklin's very different approach to winning French support * Young John Quincy Adams witnessing the Revolution up close * Abigail Adams running the farm - and the household war effort - alone * Awkward scenes with European royalty

When War Reaches the Past: Heritage Sites and Modern Conflict

In this emergency episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake and Molly step away from their regular programming to talk about a war unfolding in real time - and a part of that war that few are discussing. During airstrikes in Iran, damage was reported near the Golestan Palace in Tehran, a UNESCO World Heritage site with roots stretching back centuries. That moment raises a larger question: what happens to history when modern war arrives? Jake walks through the international effort to protect cultural heritage during conflict, including the 1954 Hague Convention - an agreement created in the shadow of World War II's destruction. The conversation traces the long history of armies destroying culture, from Nazi looting in Europe to the bombing campaigns of World War II, the looting of museums in Iraq in 2003, and the deliberate destruction of ancient sites by ISIS in the 21st century. But the episode also widens into something more personal and immediate. The duo reflects on the historical echoes of the Iraq War, the dangers of conflicts launched without clear purpose, and the human consequences that follow when governments rush into war without understanding what comes next. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: * The damage to Tehran's Golestan Palace and why UNESCO heritage sites matter * The 1954 Hague Convention and the laws meant to protect culture in wartime * World War II, Nazi looting, and the origins of cultural protection treaties * The destruction of museums and archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria * The historical parallels between the Iraq War and the current conflict * Why protecting history in wartime is ultimately about protecting humanity itself

Rewatching John Adams: Law, Revolution, and Abigail's America (Episodes 1-2)

In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, we begin our rewatch of HBO's 2008 miniseries John Adams — and it feels different this time. Jake, Justin, and Molly dive into the first two episodes of John Adams, beginning with the Boston Massacre and John Adams' controversial defense of British soldiers. It's a legal drama rooted in principle and ambition - a reminder that the rule of law has always been contested in American history, even in 1770. From there, the conversation moves into the Continental Congress, the long road to independence, and the fragile coalition that produced the Declaration. Along the way, the trio unpacks the radicalization of John Adams, the diplomacy of Benjamin Franklin, the complicated legacy of George Washington, and the indispensable role of Abigail Adams - moral compass, political strategist, and intellectual equal. This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores: * The Boston Massacre and why Adams defended the British soldiers * "Facts are stubborn things" and the meaning of the rule of law * The violence and instability of revolutionary Boston * The Continental Congress and the messy politics of independence * Jefferson, Franklin, and the drafting of the Declaration * The slavery clause that didn't survive * Smallpox, inoculation, and medicine in wartime * Abigail Adams as the quiet force behind the Revolution