Ben Franklin's World

Liz Covart

American Revolution

Slavery

Declaration Of Independence

Thomas Jefferson

Boston Tea Party

Philadelphia

British Empire

Rhode Island

Benjamin Franklin

George Washington

Early American History

Haudenosaunee

Boston

Genealogy

Continental Army

Tea

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial America

Loyalism

France

This is a multiple award-winning podcast about early American history. It’s a show for people who love history and who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world. Each episode features conversations with professional historians who help shed light on important people and events in early American history.

1.8k ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	520	Founded	12 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	HistorySociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

BFW Revisited: The Reintegration of American Loyalists

What would it take for you to forgive a neighbor who sided against you in a civil war? And what would you say to win back a community that you had fought against?

In our last episode, we explored loyalism across the Atlantic World and met Loyalists ... more

29 Sep 2026 • 48 min

YouTube

BFW Bonus: We Want More History

American history is in the news a lot these days. We see and hear about fights over monuments, textbooks, and the stories we should include or exclude from our museums and historic markers.

What these stories overshadow is the great demand for more ... more

18 Sep 2026 • 20 min • Popular

YouTube

451 The Court-Martial That Put The American Revolution on Trial

In December 1777, Continental Army Colonel David Henley climbed off his horse to discipline a drunk British prisoner of war who was screaming epithets about Americans and vowing to fight for his king. Henley struck the prisoner, one of 6,000 in his c... more

15 Sep 2026 • 1 hr 5 min • Most popular

YouTube

BFW Revisited: The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

What caused the American Revolution?

Taxation without representation? Colonies that had outgrown their dependence on the British Empire? Or something harder to see: a quarrel about power itself and about what a government may rightly do to the peop... more

8 Sep 2026 • 51 min

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Beth English

Executive Director of the Organization of American Historians

Organization of American Historians

Episode: BFW Bonus: We Want More History

Kate Masur

John D. MacArthur Professor of History at Northwestern University

Northwestern University

Episode: BFW Bonus: We Want More History

Timothy Breen

William Smith Mason Professor of American History, Emeritus, Northwestern University

Northwestern University

Episode: 451 The Court-Martial That Put The American Revolution on Trial

Bernard Bailyn

Adams University Professor Emeritus and James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History Emeritus at Harvard University

Harvard University

Episode: BFW Revisited: The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

Jeremy Johnson

Cultural Education Director of the Delaware Tribe of Indians

Delaware Tribe of Indians

Episode: 450 Whose Revolution? The Delaware and the War for Independence

Brooke Bower

Indigenous historian, Catawba Nation expert

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Episode: BFW Revisited: The Brafferton Indian School, Part 1

Fallon Berner

Indigenous Historian for Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Episode: BFW Revisited: The Brafferton Indian School, Part 1

Buck Woodard

Senior professorial lecturer, Anthropology

American University

Episode: BFW Revisited: The Brafferton Indian School, Part 1

Lorén Spears

Enrolled Narragansett Tribal Citizen and Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum

Tomaquag Museum

Episode: 449 Stealing America: Indigenous Slavery and the American Revolution

Host

Elizabeth Covart

Lead host and historian focused on early American history with extensive archival and scholarly collaboration.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 1.8k ratings

Please, Fix the guest audio!
I enjoy the content but every guest has audio issues. Some sound like they are on a speaker phone in 1995. Some sound like they are eating the mic. Sometimes it's close to unbearable.
Apple Podcasts
3
amywagner
United States4 months ago
Not Woke Enough
Please, I need more shows about slavery.
Apple Podcasts
1
craneshaft
United States5 months ago
Excellent podcast
This is a very informative podcast. I have learned so much new stuff about our history. Liz is a great host with good questions for her excellent guests. Enjoying it so much!
Apple Podcasts
5
Twin brook Farm
United States5 months ago
Too much Valley-Speak!
The Civilian Life in Occupied Cities episode is un-listenable! The vocal fry and Valley Girl accent are so grating and unprofessional.
Apple Podcasts
1
SaraB3301
United States6 months ago
I like History & this Podcast
Excellent podcast. Liz is a real powerhouse and has created an extensive library of interviews that offer engaging listening. Highly recommended!
Apple Podcasts
5
Bill R.
United States6 months ago

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Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listener feedback shows desire for high-quality audio and balanced perspectives.

Guests come from top universities and museums, adding credibility.

Deep-dive history with strong scholarly rigor.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#157	United States/History
Apple Podcasts	#60	South Korea/History
Apple Podcasts	#81	Russia/History
Apple Podcasts	#227	Saudi Arabia/History
Apple Podcasts	#228	Hong Kong/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

450 Whose Revolution? The Delaware and the War for Independence

Q: What do you think might have happened if the United States had invited Native Nations to form an Indigenous State within the United States, with the Delaware at the head?

The guest suggested that while it's a compelling ideal, it would have been unlikely to sustain a unified government if the Delaware led a 14th state; he imagined a truly unique governance rooted in shared decision-making but warned that power dynamics and internal factions would still pose challenges.

450 Whose Revolution? The Delaware and the War for Independence

Q: Now, as you know, Jeremy, we're in the 250th year of American independence, and many states are reconsidering the meaning of the Revolution. How are the Delaware people thinking about the 250th anniversary and what it means to them?

There are diverse views within Lenape communities about the anniversary: some celebrate veterans and resilience while others emphasize the trauma of displacement and treaties that did not hold, underscoring the need for reconciliation and acknowledgement of past harms.

448 The Declaration of Independence as American Scripture

Q: What role would you like to see in 2026 for the parchment copy of the Declaration in American life? Is there still a usefulness to having it serve as a form of Scripture?

The parchment copy serves as a beacon of enduring principles—equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and as a public, moral standard that communities refer to in debates over rights and national identity; it remains a symbol and reference point rather than just a historical artifact.

448 The Declaration of Independence as American Scripture

Q: How does Pauline interpret the weeks in June when Jefferson was drafting and the committee and then the full Congress were revising and adopting the Declaration?

Norton explains that Pauline stresses the collectivity involved, noting Jefferson drew on ideas from various sources and that the Congress and its editing committees refined and improved the draft, illustrating a collaborative process rather than a lone author's revelation.

448 The Declaration of Independence as American Scripture

Q: So Mary Beth, can you situate us in the 1990s? Before Pauline's book, what was the state of historians thinking about the declaration?

Norton explains that the dominant framework followed Becker's early 20th-century perspective, which treated the Declaration largely as Jefferson's product and as an intellectual document. Pauline Maier reframed this by situating the Declaration within a broader social and political context, emphasizing collective authorship, the participation of many people in drafting, and the idea that the Declaration reflected wider currents of thought and action across colonies, not just Philadelphia's Congress.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Ben Franklin's World

What is Ben Franklin's World about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show presents meticulous, historian-led explorations of early American history, with a strong emphasis on the founding era, revolutionary diplomacy, and the lived experiences of people from Indigenous nations to enslaved communities. Episodes often center on documentary-era documents, archival sources, and the interpretations of leading scholars, producing rigorous, source-driven conversations that connect past events to contemporary debates about sovereignty, rights, and national identity. Noteworthy traits include a scholarly guest roster drawn from top universities, museums, and national institutions, plus a clear focus on contextualizing foundational documents and institutions within broader social and political histories. Potentia... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Ben Franklin's World?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Ben Franklin's World:

1. American Revolution Podcast
2. For the Ages: A History Podcast
3. American History Hit
4. History Unplugged Podcast
5. Listening to America

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Ben Franklin's World launched 12 years ago and published 520 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Ben Franklin's World?

Recent guests on Ben Franklin's World include:

1. Beth English
2. Kate Masur
3. Timothy Breen
4. Bernard Bailyn
5. Jeremy Johnson
6. Brooke Bower
7. Fallon Berner
8. Buck Woodard

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