Kentucky Chronicles: A Podcast of the Kentucky Historical Society

In 1798, a series of gruesome murders throughout Kentucky and Tennessee had residents on edge. For nine months, two brothers, Wiley and Micajah Harp, killed dozens across the western borderlands. But why did the Harp brothers begin this brutal killing spree? Generations of historians and folklorists often reduced their motivations to bloodlust or an Appalachian culture of violence. Join us today for a discussion with a historian whose recent book on the Harp brothers challenges these ideas, instead revealing a darker side to the effects of the American Revolution. Dr. Katherine Grandjean is an Associate Professor of History at Wellesley College. Her research explores early American and Native American history, environmental history, and violence in American history. She has been the recipient of several major research fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Antiquarian Society, and the American Council of Learned Societies, among others. Her first book, American Passage, was published in 2015. More recently, she has been writing about the long shadow of the American Revolution, for those who lived through it. Her newest book, Kingdom of Devils: A Tale of Murder in the Shadow of the American Revolution, investigates a long-forgotten series of murders in Kentucky and Tennessee and unearths hidden, violent legacies of the revolutionary era. Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, 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 This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison and edited by Clara Riggs, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. 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

The Old Regular Baptists are among the oldest religious denominations in Appalachia. In 1825, the New Salem Association formed from eight Baptist churches in Pike, Floyd, Perry, and Harlan Counties, considered to be the first official association in eastern Kentucky. Old Regular Baptist theology evolved throughout the nineteenth century, including the rejection of missionary societies and Sunday Schools, and the development of unique religious practices such as foot washing and “lined-out” singing. Join us today for a discussion with two researchers who have studied the history of the Old Regular Baptists and their influence on the religious landscape of Kentucky, Appalachia, and the United States. Brittany Goetting is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pikeville. Her research focuses on late eighteenth and early nineteenth century North American religious print culture. Her article, "“And She Threw in Two Mites”: Maine and Canadian Maritime Female Baptist Voluntary Societies and the Development of Religious Community, 1800–1830," was recently published with the Bulletin of the Canadian Baptist Historical Society. Her chapter on the evolution of Baptist ministerial education in Northern New England and the Canadian Maritimes will be released in a collaborative work with other religious historians with Mercer University Press in Spring 2027. Jeff Little is a retired high school teacher, Old Regular Baptist minister, and assistant clerk of the Union Association of Old Regular Baptist, a position he has held since 2016. Recognized as an area expert on Old Regular Baptist history, he brings both lived experience and careful historical interest to the study of the faith tradition. He was also co-compiler of From a Long Series of Experiences: Select Circular Letters of the Union Association, a work that helps preserve and share important historical writings from the association. Jeffrey is currently working on a research project with Brittany Goetting exploring aspects of Old Regular Baptist history and heritage. His perspective reflects a deep commitment to preserving the stories, practices, and religious life of the Old Regular Baptist community. Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, 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 This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. 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

If one were to open a Kentucky newspaper in the early nineteenth century, there’s a good chance you would come across an advertisement for a runaway enslaved person. Between the 1780s and the end of the Civil War, thousands of these advertisements appeared in Kentucky newspapers, placed there by individuals and organizations seeking to reclaim their property. At first glance, these advertisements reduced enslaved peoples to little more than human property. Under the surface, however, they offer important clues about enslaved peoples and the ways they resisted slavery. Join us for a discussion with a historian who has combed through hundreds of these advertisements. Tim Talbott is the chief administrative officer for the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He formerly served as the director of education, interpretation, visitor services, and collections at Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg, Virginia. Mr. Talbott received his MA in Public History from Appalachian State University, is the author of multiple articles, and contributes to Emerging Civil War. Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, 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 This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. 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

Throughout the 1880s, labor unrest shook the United States as workers demanded shorter hours, higher pay, and better working conditions. The Ohio Valley also experienced moments of conflict and violence, leading city officials in Louisville and Cincinnati to mobilize the National Guard amid fears of another civil war. Join us for a discussion with an award-winning author who has written about how memory of the Civil War shaped responses to labor unrest in the late nineteenth century. Dr. Shannon Smith is a professor of history at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota. She holds a PhD from Indiana University and a master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her scholarship focuses on the Civil War and Reconstruction, African American history, and the role of the militia in riots in the nineteenth-century United States, particularly relating to issues of gender and citizenship. She has published articles in various scholarly journals and magazines. Her 2026 article, “Labor’s Lost Cause: May Day, 1886, and Fears of a New Civil War between Labor and the National Guard,” appeared in the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society and received the 2026 Richard H. Collins Award for the most outstanding contribution to Kentucky history. Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, 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 This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. 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

Since 2010, the Kentucky Historical Society has been the proud home of the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, a digital project committed to understanding and interpreting Kentucky’s role in the Civil War. Over the past decade, CWGK has digitized thousands of letters that crossed the desks of Kentucky’s five wartime governors. The letters offer a glimpse into the lives of ordinary Kentuckians—men and women, free and enslaved, Unionists and Confederates. It’s been another busy year for CWGK, and I recently sat down with the team to discuss their new website, other achievements, and their goals for the future. Join us for a discussion with Drs. Chuck Welsko, Jacob Wood, and Chase McCarter. Dr. Welsko earned his Ph.D. from West Virginia University. He specializes in the cultural, social, and political history of the Civil War era, with a focus on border regions, loyalty, slavery, nationalism, and identity formation. Welsko has published in West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies as well as in the edited collection Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State: Revisiting My Old Kentucky Home. He is currently working on a book manuscript tentatively titled, Breaking and Remaking the Mason-Dixon Line: Loyalty in Civil War America. Dr. Jacob T. Wood is a nineteenth century political historian who works as an editorial specialist with the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2023 with his PhD under the supervision of Mark Summers. His current research focuses on party politics in the decades before the Civil War. His current book project "Any Changes, Eh?" studies the prevalence of party switching in the antebellum era. Dr. Chase H. McCarter is a historian of the U.S. Civil War era and a former editorial specialist with CWGK. His research focuses on the collapse of the Confederacy, the Lost Cause, and histories of racism. Chase received his Ph.D. in U.S. history in 2025 from the University of New Mexico under the direction of David Prior. His current book project explores the emotional underpinnings of the ex-Confederate diaspora to Latin America after the Civil War. Learn more about Civil War Governors of Kentucky: https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/ Hosted by Dr. Allen A. Fletcher, 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 This episode was recorded and produced by Gregory Hardison, with support and guidance from Dr. Stephanie Lang. 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