Heading back to early America for this episode, we explore anti-Indian propaganda from the 1780s. In 1782 Colonel William Crawford led a military expedition into the Ohio Valley. His campaign was defeated by the people he had come to attack an

D.W Griffith's The Mended Lute (1909) with Audio Commentary (academic)

Oct 7th, 2013

Native America on film - in this special video presentation we examine a short film by D.W Griffith (director of The Birth of a Nation)that was made in 1909. This episode includes the entire original film with a special academic audio commenta

The Beach Boys and the (un)Making of SMiLE

Oct 7th, 2013 39m 16s

In 1966, Brian Wilson led The Beach Boys into the studio to begin work on the follow up to the critically acclaimed album, Pet Sounds. What should have been the band's masterpiece turned into their biggest calamity as the SMiLE album unraveled

Is The Lone Ranger Racist? Disney and Race in 2013

Oct 7th, 2013 36m 23s

The Lone Ranger has been no stranger to controversy since its announcement. In this episode we will examine the finished product in order to see whether or not claims of racism directed at the movie are justified.

Pink Floyd and the Cold War: British Band, American Focus

Oct 7th, 2013 22m 18s

In this episode we explore the resurgent Cold War of the 1980s through the music of Pink Floyd and their chief songwriter, Roger Waters. Starting with a critical overview of the 1983 album, The Final Cut, this episode explores how the Cold War

Racism During World War II

Oct 7th, 2013 23m 42s

In this episode we examine the argument that anti-Japanese racism was a product of World War II. This episode includes an audio only version of the short documentary "Race and Racism in Early Superhero Comics" as a bonus extra.

The Man Who Laughs: The Changing Face of the Joker, from Gangster to Terrorist

Oct 7th, 2013 38m 29s

The second American Studies lecture again looks at classic American comic books, this time turning its attention on Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker. Throughout his long career the Joker has been portrayed as everything from a Chicago-inspired

Up, up, and Away: Analysing Classic American Comic Books

Oct 7th, 2013 23m 58s

Superman first appeared during the Great Depression in 1938 in a comic book which reflected the period's strong stereotypes against women. In this episode the first superhero comic will be given a scholarly reading and compared to its modern eq

Captain America, Race, and Racism

Oct 7th, 2013 25m 9s

Captain America first appeared in 1940 but shortly after his introduction he was joined by sidekick team "The Young Allies" among whom was one of the most openly racist characters in superhero history. In this episode we explore how and why men

D.W Griffith's The Mended Lute (1909) with Audio Commentary

Sep 30th, 2013 10m 38s

The Lone Ranger

Oct 4th, 2012 14m 30s

Following the release of the first trailer for Disney's The Lone Ranger, this episode explores how this movie could impact modern western films along with some of the issues which might plague it.

John Smith's Virginia 1608

Sep 18th, 2012 18m 44s

The source for the third Atlantic History seminar. In this source, John Smith describes the first year of settlement in the new Virginia colony, including his first account of Pocahontas.

The Slave Ship

Aug 23rd, 2012 15m 58s

In this episode the source for the second Atlantic History class is given. The source is an excerpt from Olaudah Equiano's moving account of the horrors experienced by slaves upon the crossing from Africa to the Americas.

Christopher Columbus and Henry the Navigator

Aug 8th, 2012 25m 8s

A reading of two sources for the forthcoming online course exploring the "Atlantic World". These sources are extracts of Christopher Columbus's letter to the heads of European states and the Royal account of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portu