Kentucky Chronicles

VOL.01, NO.09 | A Cold Case in Caldwell County

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.

VOL. 01 NO 08 | Evolution and Kentucky Before Snopes

In 1925, Americans focused their attention on the Scopes Trial. Yet three years before the infamous trial, 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. 

VOL. 01 NO. O7 | Owensboro's Black Chautauqua

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.

VOL.01 NO.06 | The Eugenics Debate, with Dr. Pietra Diwan

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 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.

VOL.01 NO.05 | Our Own History, with Dr. Derek Kane O’Leary

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.

Vol. 01, No. 04 - Politics in the Civil War Kentucky, Dr. J. Matthew Gallman

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 a discussion with Matthew Gallman, emeritus professor at the University of Florida and former KHS Research Fellow, as we discuss the politics of Civil War Kentucky.

VOL.01 NO.03 - Aged Well in Kentucky, Dr. Simon Buck

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 a discussion with Simon Buck, researcher at the University of Edinburgh and former KHS Research Fellow, as we discuss aging, and music in Kentucky.

Vol. 01, No. 02 – More Than a Congressman’s Mistress, with Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe

Several court cases have gripped the attention of the U.S. In 1894, Madeleine Pollard 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.”

VOL.01 NO.01 - The New Madrid Earthquakes, with Dr. Jonathan Hancock

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 on his research at KHS that discusses the famous earthquakes.