Martha Washington Episodes

Aug. 28, 2023

"Murder Heaped Upon Murder"

A message scrawled in the leaves of an antique book may seem like a trope for a gothic novel, but it is also a hidden clue into the life of Martha Washington. Like George, Martha Washington enjoyed reading and collecting books, particularly the sensational gothic novels of the era. And these novels…
Guests: Anne Fertig, PhD , Samantha Snyder , Curt Dahl
Mapping George Washington's America
July 31, 2023

Mapping George Washington's America

In the early American Republic, nationhood represented more than just an ideal. It also required a novel approach to visualizing the space and geography of the new country. Washington wanted to literally put the United States of America on the map. And where better to do it than in one of the most …
Guests: Curt Dahl , Anne Fertig, PhD , Alexandra Montgomery
Faith and Freedom
July 17, 2023

Faith and Freedom

In the aftermath of independence, the American branch of the Church of England faced an identity crisis. The head of the Anglican Church, after all, was the King of England. So what were the faithful Anglicans to do? Make their own American prayer book, of course. In this full-length podcast episod…
Guests: Jennifer Seiter , Curt Dahl , Anne Fertig, PhD
The Case of the Missing Magazine
July 3, 2023

The Case of the Missing Magazine

When this magazine disappeared from George Washington's library, it wouldn't reappear until a hundred years later--and in the unlikeliest of places. In this episode of Secrets of Washington's Archives, research librarian Samantha Snyder uncovers the history of The Bee and its connections with Eliza…
Guests: Curt Dahl , Anne Fertig, PhD , Samantha Snyder