Kentucky Chronicles

From December 1811 until March 1812, a series of three major earthquakes along the far western border of Kentucky shook the North American interior. The earthquakes were felt from as far away as South Carolina. Join us for a discussion with a former KHS Research Fellow who recently published a book with the University of North Carolina Press based on his research at KHS that discusses the earthquakes as we explore the pages of Kentucky history with Kentucky Chronicles.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society or contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continually since 1903.

KY Chronicles

The New Madrid Earthquakes | Dr. Jonathan Hancock

Throughout the history of the United States, several court cases have gripped the attention of the entire nation. In 1894, one such case occurred when Madeleine Pollard, a young woman from Frankfort, Kentucky, sued Kentucky Congressman William C.P. Breckinridge for breach of promise. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about Madeleine Pollard and who argues that we should see her as far more than simply “a Congressman’s Mistress.” 

An interview with KHS Fellow Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe.

Read “More Than a Congressman’s Mistress: Ambition and Scandal in the Life of Madeleine Pollard” in The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 115, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 313-348.  
Available on Project Muse (account required): https://doi.org/10.1353/khs.2017.0074

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society or contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continually since 1903. 

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

If you have enjoyed our podcast, please subscribe. It really helps us to know how we are doing. You can also help us build a following by telling your friends to subscribe!

More Than a Congressmans Mistress | Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe

In the United States, several stereotypes dominate the popular imagination regarding Kentucky: horses, bourbon, fried chicken, and bluegrass. But what is the perception of Kentucky from outside of the United States? Join us for a discussion with Simon Buck, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, as we discuss aging, music, and how a person who grew up in the United Kingdom became interested in studying Kentucky. 

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society or contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continually since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

If you have enjoyed our podcast, please subscribe. It really helps us to know how we are doing. You can also help us build a following by telling your friends to subscribe!

Aged Well in Kentucky | Dr. Simon Buck

In the election of 1864, which took place in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln only lost three states: Delaware, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written a book about the Democratic party in the Civil War. He will help us understand why so many Kentuckians embraced the Democratic party, and the course the Democrats hoped the Civil War would take.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society, or who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continuously, since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

If you have enjoyed our podcast, please subscribe. It really helps us to know how we are doing. You can also help us build a following by telling your friends to subscribe!

Politics in Civil War Kentucky | Dr. J. Matthew Gallman

The Kentucky Historical Society was founded in 1836, but did you know that it soon lapsed? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article examining the origins of the Kentucky Historical Society and who explains why it struggled to survive as an institution in the nineteenth century.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society, or who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continuously, since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

Our Own History | Dr. Derek Kane O'Leary

The issues of birth control and reproductive rights are familiar today to most Americans, but did you know that over a century ago these issues were being debated? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is examining the legacy of eugenics and who helps explain why these debates from over a century ago have a continuing relevance today.

Dr. Pietra Diwan holds a Ph.D. in history from the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo. Her long-term research project focuses on “Confronting the Legacies of Eugenics.” She has published widely and won several grants from Brazilian and U.S. 	institutions. She is an Instructor of History in the History and Political Science Department at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
https://pietradiwan.com/

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

The Eugenics Debate | Dr. Pietra Diwan

On August 12, 2022, noted author Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times as he was about to deliver a talk at the Chautauqua Institute, in Chautauqua, New York. Popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Chautauquas have declined in popularity over the years, although they are still held throughout the United States. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about a Black Chautauqua that was held in Owensboro, Kentucky, as we delve into the local history of Chautauquas.

Dr. Patterson is an associate professor of English at the University of South Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from George Mason University. In 2010, she published Art for the Middle Classes: America’s Illustrated Magazines of the 1840s with the University Press of Mississippi. She has held many fellowships, including the Library Company of Philadelphia and the American Antiquarian Society. 

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have conducted research at the Kentucky Historical Society, or who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, which has been published continuously, since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

KHS Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

Owensboro’s Black Chautauqua | Dr. Cynthia Patterson

In 1925, Americans focused their attention on the Scopes Trial, a court case in Tennessee where a teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution. Yet three years before the infamous trial, the state of Kentucky nearly passed a law that would have forbidden the teaching of evolution. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is writing a dissertation about the evolution debates that roiled Kentucky in 1922.

Emily Muhich is a PhD Candidate at Louisiana State University. She earned her B.A. at 	Michigan State University and is currently working on her dissertation, which is entitled 	“In The Beginning: Kentucky's Anti-Evolution Crusade." She is a recent fellow, as she 	was here in May of 2022, so we are excited to check back in with her and see where her 	project has taken her over the last couple of months.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

Evolution and Kentucky Before Scopes | Emily Muhich

Being a part of a close-knit neighborhood is something that many people aspire to. Barbecues, football games, and community events can help neighbors feel a sense of connectedness and community. But neighborhoods can also be places of separation and division, with boundaries drawn between families and neighbors. Join us today for a discussion with a former graduate research associate who has written an article about one Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence shortly before the Civil War. 

Kevin McPartland is a visiting assistant professor in public history at the University of  Missouri—Columbia. He earned a PhD in history at the University of Cincinnati and his work focuses on the American South in the Civil War Era. In 2022, he was a Graduate Research Associate at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky. His article “‘He Has Ever  Been Considered, a Good and True Hearted Citizen’: Neighborhood and Community in the Wadlington Case” appeared in the Summer 2022 edition of the Register. This article  won the Richard H. Collins Award, a prize given annually to the article published in the Register that is deemed “to have made the most outstanding contribution to Kentucky history.”

KHS Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

A Cold Case in Caldwell County | Kevin McPartland

In Episode 9, we interviewed Dr. Kevin McPartland who shares his research about a Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence before the Civil War. He also worked as a Graduate Associate at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky project which is managed by the Kentucky Historical Society. In his interview, Kevin talks a lot about his work, and he also talks a lot about the manager of the project, Dr. Charles Welsko. But, after we recorded the interview, we realized that you, our listeners, might want to know more about CWGK (as we call it) from Dr. Welsko himself.

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for your support and guidance. Our theme music is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website: 
https://history.ky.gov

To learn more about the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, visit their website: 
https://www.civilwargovernors.org

If you have enjoyed our podcast, please subscribe. If you have questions or suggestions for future podcasts, let us know on our social media accounts. It really helps us to know how we are doing. You can also help us build a following by telling your friends to subscribe!

Chuck and the Civil War Governors of Kentucky | Dr. Charles Welsko

The right to a high-school level education is something that most people take for granted. Indeed, parents today often confront an array of options when it comes to the types of educational opportunities available to their children. But this has not always been the case. Join us for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who studies the Pine Mountain Settlement School and who will talk about shifting views on education in Kentucky.

Adrien Lievin earned his MA in American history at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Lille (in France). He has worked in France, Poland, and the United States. His dissertation focuses on the Pine Mountain Settlement School and is currently entitled: “Progressive Education and Industrial Capitalism Before and During the New Deal, in Harlan County, Kentucky, 1913-1944.” 

KHS Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Progressivism at Pine Mountain | Adrien Lievin

Have you ever visited “Mexington” Kentucky or do you know what a “Kentubano” is? Latino influences are all around us in Kentucky, but they can often be overlooked. Join us today for a discussion with a historian who has written an article on Latino migration into Kentucky and who will help us understand how Latinos are helping to remake the commonwealth.

Eladio Bobadilla is an assistant professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his PhD from Duke University. He has published articles in California History and History Now and is currently working on his first book manuscript: No More Back Doors: A History of the Immigrants’ Rights Movement. In 2023, he published “‘I Feel Like This Is My Home:’ Immigration and the Making of Latino Kentucky.” This article appeared in a special joint issue of the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Journal of Arizona History in Autumn 2023.

KHS Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-r…istorical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-re…earch-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
history.ky.gov/

history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Más que Panaderías, Paleterias, and Pupuserías | Dr. Eladio Bobadilla

Within popular culture, enslaved people are often depicted as robust, vigorous, and strong, yet enslaved people often suffered brutal injuries at the hands of their enslavers. What was lifelike for those enslaved persons who suffered devastating injuries and how did they deal with disability? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who is teasing out how masculinity, physicality, and disability shaped the worldview of both the enslaver and the enslaved.

Mia Edwards earned an MA in Atlantic History and Politics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is currently working on her PhD at the University of Warwick. She has won several research grants and the Bryan Marsden History Prize from the University of Sheffield. She is currently working on her dissertation, which is entitled: “Masculinity, Physicality, and Disability: Shifting Experiences and Ideologies within the Antebellum South, 1800-1861.”   

KHS Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

The Brutal Institution | Mia Edwards

Drive through Kentucky today and you are likely to come across signs reading “Welcome to the Front Porch of the South.” Yet Kentucky has never been an easy state to define. During the Civil War, Kentucky straddled the line between North and South, gaining the somewhat generic classification of a “Border State.” Yet there is a region that Kentucky at one point in time was most identified with and it was neither the North or South. Join us today for a talk with a former research fellow, who helps explain why Kentucky was considered to be a part of the West and why that changed after the Civil War.

Dr. Christopher Phillips is the John and Dorothy Hermanies Professor of American History and University Distinguished Professor in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Cincinnati. He holds a PhD from the University of Georgia. He has written numerous books, including Damned Yankee: The Life of Nathaniel Lyon, Freedom’s Port: The African American Community of Baltimore, 1790-1860, and The Civil War in the Border South. We are talking today about his award-winning book The Rivers Ran Backward: The Civil War and the Remaking of the American Middle Border. 

KHS Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and edited by Gregory Hardison, who also wrote the original underscoring of the interview. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

How the Civil War Remade the Border | Dr. Christopher Phillips

In 1798, Kentucky established the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Frankfort. Although prisoners were expected to remain silent, the state soon put them to work. Over time, those housed in the Penitentiary made shoes, plow irons, and an assortment of other items. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow, who will explain how the practice of inmate labor evolved over time and how it continued to shape Frankfort—and the rest of the state—long after the Civil War.

Dr. Charlene J. Fletcher is an assistant professor of history at Butler University. She is the author of ‘Home Ain’t Always Where the Heart Is: The Home as a Site of Confinement,” which was published in “Re-Visiting My Old Kentucky Home: Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State.” For the Autumn 2023 special joint issue of the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Journal of Arizona History she wrote: “Borderland Business: Slavery and Convict Leasing in Antebellum Kentucky.” Dr. Fletcher was awarded a Spring 2016 research fellowship at KHS.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, and edited by Gregory P. Meyer, with original underscoring by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Convict Leasing in Kentucky | Dr. Charlene J. Fletcher

On the early morning of November 7, 1825, in Frankfort, Ky., Jereboam Beauchamp stabbed Kentucky Legislator Solomon Sharp, in an event that would become known as the Kentucky Tragedy. But did the murder really occur as Beauchamp explained in his sensational confessions? Join us today for a special discussion of one of Kentucky’s most notorious murders,  
and a story that inspired Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Penn Warren.

Dr. Matthew Schoenbachler is a professor of history at the University of North Alabama. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Kentucky and has co-authored a book and published in the Journal of the Early Republic. We are delighted to talk with him today about Murder and Madness: The Myth of the Kentucky Tragedy, which was published in 2009.  

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, and edited by Gregory P. Meyer. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are also used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Tomb of Love and Honor | Dr. Matthew Schoenbachler

Many of us have seen images of a naturalization ceremony in the United States, where a group of individuals become citizens. Or perhaps you have participated in a naturalization ceremony yourself. But did you know that the process to become a citizen used to be quite different? Join us today for a discussion with a research fellow who talks about how a person could go about becoming a citizen of the United States in the nineteenth century and who will help us understand why that process was so complex.

Sara Egge is the Claude D. Pottinger Professor of History at Centre College. She holds a Ph.D. in history from Iowa State University. Her first book (Woman Suffrage and Citizenship in the American Midwest) won prizes from the Western Association of Women Historians and the State Historical Society of Iowa. She has articles in the Middle West Review, the Annals of Iowa, and was a co-guest editor of the Summer/Autumn 2018 issue of the Register on “Agriculture and Rural Life in Kentucky.” She is now turning her attention to her second book project: “The Nature of Naturalization: Exploring Citizenship by Consent.”

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, and edited by Gregory P. Meyer. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are also used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Citizenship by Consent in Kentucky | Dr. Sara Egge

Richard Mentor Johnson is one of the most famous Kentuckians of the nineteenth century, having ascended to the position of Vice President of the United States in 1837. While much has been written about Johnson’s political career, nobody has uncovered the story of the enslaved woman whom he considered his wife, Julia Chinn, until now. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who wrote a book about Julia Chinn and who will explain why we should remember her story.

Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers is the Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor in the Departments of History and Gender Studies at Indiana University. A historian of the Black female experience in America, she is the author of Forging Freedom: Black Women and the Pursuit of Liberty in Antebellum Charleston. In 2012-13, she received a fellowship to the Kentucky Historical Society to begin working on her second book. In 2023, she published The Vice President’s Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn. We are delighted to talk with her today about this excellent book.   

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, and edited by Gregory P. Meyer. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are also used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

The Vice President’s Black Wife | Dr. Amrita Chakrabarti Myers

In the nineteenth century, individuals who wanted to study medicine often had few options for formal study, with only a handful of schools accepting students. This meant that most of those who came to Kentucky to teach at places like Transylvania were not from the state. Join us today for a discussion with a scholar who has written an article about the “Pioneer Professors” of Kentucky medicine.

Dr. Christopher Willoughby is an assistant professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He holds a PhD in history from Tulane University. He is the author of Masters of Health: Racial Science and Slavery in U.S. Medical Schools. He is the co-editor of the collection Medicine and Healing in the Age of Slavery. He is here today to talk about his article in the Register of the Kentucky 	Historical Society: “Pioneer Professors of Kentucky Medical Education and the Spread of Racial Science, 1792-1861.”

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers from across the world who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

Our show is recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, and edited by Gregory P. Meyer. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are also used courtesy of Pixabay.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Medical Education and Racial Science | Christopher Willoughby

This Kentucky history moment is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, commemorating America’s 250th.
In February 1863, Martha Doram appeared before the Boyle County Clerk and requested a certificate of freedom, or Freedom Papers. Though this document could be easily lost, taken or rejected as counterfeit, it was her only proof of freedom from enslavement if she was questioned. 

Martha’s story is not typical of the African American experience in Kentucky during the Civil War. Her parents were wealthy and free business and landowners of color, Denis and Diadamia Doram. While free from enslavement, they still had to deal with prejudice and struggles to live during this time.

I’m Ashley Spenneberg the America 250KY Commission Administrator for the Kentucky Historical Society. Learn more at history.ky.gov.

https://history.ky.gov/america250ky

Feb 17 1863 - Martha Doram Freedom Papers (01 of 76)

Loretta Lynn rose to musical fame through songs such as “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Trouble in Paradise,” and “The Pill.” But have you ever wondered how her Kentucky roots influenced her lyrics? Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who explores how Lynn’s upbringing in Johnson County indelibly shaped her artistic output.

Dr. Brian Ward is a Professor in American Studies at Northumbria University. His previously published books include (1) Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness and Race Relations, (2) Media, Culture, and the Modern African American Freedom Struggle, (3) Radio and the Struggle for Civil Rights in the South, and (4) A&R Pioneers: The Architects of American Roots Music on Record. In this episode, he shares research from his article in the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society: “Sex, Drugs, and Country Music: Loretta Lynn, Gender Politics, and the Health Environment in Mid-Twentieth Century Rural Kentucky.”

Read more about Dr. Ward's research in Volume 122, Number 3&4, Summer/Autumn 2024 of The Register, out now, and available on Project Muse:
https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/54237

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers worldwide who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are used courtesy of Pixabay or are original compositions by Gregory Hardison.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Medicine in the Music of Loretta Lynn | Brian Ward

Kentucky is known for having a lot of counties: 120 to be exact. At the center of each county stands the county courthouse, some slightly more elaborate than others. Most Kentuckians are familiar with these, as it is where they go to register their vehicles or obtain a marriage license. In Jessamine County, however, those who visit the courthouse in Nicholasville will likely be struck by a towering statue that stands on the courthouse lawn: a statue of a Confederate soldier. Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow, who has created a podcast to explore the towering history of this Confederate monument.

David Swartz is a Professor of History at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Swartz received his M.A. and Ph.D. in American History from the University of Notre Dame. A historian of religion, he has published two books, Moral Minority: The Evangelical Left in an Age of Conservatism (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012) and Facing West: American Evangelicals in an Age of Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2020). 
In the summer of 2024, Dr. Swartz was a Research Fellow at the Kentucky Historical Society, researching Civil War Memory in Jessamine County, Kentucky. That research informed the podcast, “Rebel on Main,” about a Confederate monument in Nicholasville. 

To learn more about the Confederate Monument and Civil War memory in Jessamine County, please listen to David’s podcast, “Rebel on Main.” Also, be sure to visit David’s website, rebelonmain.com, for more content connected to each episode, and for links to the preferred podcast streaming platforms.
https://www.rebelonmain.com/

Shoutout to Dr. Sean Rost and the "Our Missouri" podcast, currently sharing episodes focused on the states that border Missouri. Listen here:
https://shsmo.org/our-missouri

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers worldwide who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are used courtesy of Pixabay or are original compositions by Gregory Hardison.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Reckoning Rebel on Main | David Swartz

Within popular culture, veterans of the Civil War are often depicted as having reconciled in reunions held throughout the nation in the late nineteenth century. Grainy images of Blue and Gray Reunions often show grizzled veterans shaking hands, symbolically pulling the nation back together as the bitter memory of the Civil War faded. Yet how accurate is this portrayal? Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow who has written a book that reveals why this often-repeated tale of reunion and reconciliation fails to accurately capture how many remembered the Civil War.

Dr. Caroline Janney is the John L. Nau, III, Professor in History at the University of Virginia. She has published 8 books, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. Her most recent monograph: Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army After Appomattox won the 2022 Lincoln Prize. We are here to talk with her today about Remembering the Civil War: Reunion and the Limits of Reconciliation (2013). Dr. Janney was a fellow at the Kentucky Historical Society in 2009-10, when she was researching Remembering the Civil War. This book would go on to win the Jefferson Davis Award 	from the American Civil War Museum and the Charles S. Sydnor Award from the Southern Historical Association.

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers worldwide who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are used courtesy of Pixabay or are original compositions by Gregory Hardison.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Commemorating the Civil War in Kentucky | Caroline Janney

When we think of border states and the Civil War, we often think about Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Delaware. When we think of fugitive slaves, we often think of the Ohio River or the Mason-Dixon line as a boundary between slavery and freedom. But did you know that similar debates over the meaning of freedom and slavery occurred in the Washington Territory? Join us today for a discussion with a former research fellow, who will explain how she came across a fugitive slave in Washington Territory, and what his story tells us about fugitivity and freedom in a border region.

Dr. Lorraine McConaghy is a public historian. She received a PhD in history from the University of Washington. In 2010-11, she received a fellowship to conduct research on Richard Dickerson Gholson, a Kentuckian who became the 3rd Territorial Governor of Washington. We are here today, however, to talk about Dr. McConaghy’s book that she co-authored with Judy Bentley: Free Boy: A True Story of Slave and Master.  

Kentucky Chronicles is inspired by the work of researchers worldwide who have contributed to the scholarly journal, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, in publication since 1903.
https://history.ky.gov/explore/catalog-research-tools/register-of-the-kentucky-historical-society

Hosted by Dr. Daniel J. Burge, associate editor of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and coordinator of our Research Fellows program, which brings in researchers from across the world to conduct research in the rich archival holdings of the Kentucky Historical Society.
https://history.ky.gov/khs-for-me/for-researchers/research-fellowships

Kentucky Chronicles is presented by the Kentucky Historical Society, with support from the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.
https://history.ky.gov/about/khs-foundation

This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison. Thanks to Dr. Stephanie Lang for her support and guidance. Our theme music, “Modern Documentary” was created by Mood Mode and is used courtesy of Pixabay. Other backing tracks are used courtesy of Pixabay or are original compositions by Gregory Hardison.

To learn more about our publication of The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, or to learn more about our Research Fellows program, please visit our website:
https://history.ky.gov/

https://history.ky.gov/khs-podcasts

Fugitivity and Freedom in a Border Region | Dr. Lorraine McConaghy

168 years ago, Richard Ten Broeck sold the horse Lexington for fifteen thousand dollars, the most expensive American equine sale at the time. The horse was purchased by Robert Alexander, who owned Woodburn Farm in Woodford County. 

Lexington was originally named Darley and was bred on the farm of Dr. Elisha Warfield. Known as the “Blind Hero of Woodburn,” he was a famed thoroughbred who won seven of his eight runs, finishing second only once. While he had short-lived career as a racing horse, he was even more notable as a sire where he headed the breeding list for sixteen years. Lexington had 238 winning offspring with eighty-four classified as “top class,” an amazing legacy.  

I’m Dr. Chase McCarter, an Editorial Specialist for the Kentucky Historical Society. Learn more at history.ky.gov.


June 16, 2025 - Sale of Lexington (horse)

57 years ago, the Kentucky Historical Society was planning for its annual celebration of “Boone Day.” This event marked the anniversary of the first time Daniel Boone saw the natural beauty of what would become Kentucky in 1769. 

Today, Boone Day is celebrated at KHS as Kentucky History Day which recognizes the wide breath of the people and events that have shaped the state’s history. This annual event highlights the rich tapestry of Kentucky’s culture through a through a variety of activities that highlight our tourism, arts, and history.

I’m Casey Castro-Bracho, the Archivist for the Kentucky Historical Society. Learn more at history.ky.gov.


June 9, 2025 - Boone Day Ticket, 1968 (17 of 76)

On June 1, 1792, Kentucky was admitted as the 15th state to the Union. The first official map of what is now Kentucky was drafted by early Kentucky historian John Filson in 1784. 

Much of the Commonwealth has changed since this original map -- there have major transformations in economics, population, cities and world-changing events during Kentucky’s 233 years as a state. Kentuckians have been a part of making American history since its inception, and America250KY is charting our contribution for the next two years.

I’m Alyssa Ollier, the Digital Archivist for the Kentucky Historical Society. Learn more at history.ky.gov.


June 2, 2025 - The Map of Kentucke...

161 years ago, USCT solider Joshua Doram wrote to his father, Dennis Doram, about the “ragged” state of the Confederate soldiers who were surrendering to his company. 

Abraham Lincoln authorized African Americans to join combat as a part of the Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863. While regiments of African Americans began to form across the country, it wasn’t until 1864 that USCT recruitment began in Kentucky. 

Kentuckians, like Joshua Doram, made up almost 13% of the 179,000 African American soldiers who enlisted in the Union Army contributed greatly to the war effort.

I’m Dr. Chuck Welsko, the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Project Manager for the Kentucky Historical Society. Learn more at history.ky.gov.
 


June 23, 2025 - Joshua Doram’s Letter to his father

May 15th, 1900, the battleship, U.S.S. Kentucky, was commissioned. As a state of the art, 11,520 ton electrically powered battleship, the U.S.S. Kentucky featured full armament and stacked turrets. These qualities pushed her to the head of the Asiatic Fleet, serving as the flagship, with regular patrols near China, Japan, and the Philippines until 1904, when she became part of the Atlantic Fleet.  In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt initiated a pageant of U.S. naval power by sending the Atlantic fleet on a 14 month trip around the world. As the fleet was painted white for the trip, the group became known as the "Great White Fleet“ and consisted of sixteen battleships with 14,000 sailors aboard. The U.S.S. Kentucky was decommissioned in 1909 – only 6 months after completing its cruise around the world with the Great White Fleet.

I’m Keith Jackson, the Security and Facilities Administrator for the Kentucky Historical Society.

Learn more about us, at history dot K-Y dot G-O-V.

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