The History in Motion Podcast

Joseph Brant lived at the crossroads of Indigenous politics, British imperial power, and the American Revolution. A Mohawk leader, warrior, and diplomat, Brant spent much of his life trying to protect the interests of his people as war and settlement transformed the world around them.In this episode, we follow Brant from the Mohawk Valley to the battlefields of the American Revolution, through his alliance with Britain, and eventually to the Grand River in what is now Ontario. Along the way, we look at the difficult choices he faced, the divisions within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the complicated legacy he left behind.

John D. Rockefeller built Standard Oil into one of the most powerful business empires of the industrial age. We follow Rockefeller from his early days as a Cleveland bookkeeper to his relentless consolidation of the American oil industry. How did discipline, cost-cutting, railroad deals, and a desire for control turn a regional refiner into an industrial giant? And what happened when competitors, journalists, and the federal government pushed back?Along the way, we explore the contradictions of a man known for both ruthless business practices and extraordinary philanthropy. Rockefeller’s life opens a window into the rise of big business, the changing power of corporations, and the forces reshaping America during the Gilded Age.

Andrew Carnegie rose from a poor Scottish immigrant to one of history's richest industrialists—and then gave almost his entire fortune away. We explore Carnegie Steel, the bloody Homestead Strike, the Gilded Age and his controversial Gospel of Wealth. Was Carnegie a visionary philanthropist—or the ultimate robber baron trying to solve the problems his own empire helped create?

In this episode of The History in Motion Podcast, we explore the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt — the ruthless transportation titan who helped connect America.Vanderbilt did not invent the railroad or the steamboat, but he understood something just as powerful: whoever controls transportation controls the market. From his early days ferrying passengers across New York Harbor to his rise through steamboats, railroads, price wars, stock battles, and strategic consolidation, Vanderbilt became one of the most influential businessmen of the 19th century.But his story is bigger than one man getting rich. Vanderbilt’s career helps explain how America became connected, how New York became a commercial powerhouse, and how private wealth began to shape the infrastructure the public depended on.Was Vanderbilt a builder, a robber baron, or both?

How do we write the biography of someone whose voice survives only through the writings of those who conquered her?Join us for an in-depth conversation with author Andrew Rowen as we examine the life and legacy of Anacaona, the Taíno ruler of Xaragua, during the pivotal years of 1498–1502. We discuss the strengths and limitations of Spanish chroniclers such as Las Casas and Oviedo, the contributions of modern archaeology, the political landscape of pre-contact Hispaniola, and the downfall of Christopher Columbus as governor.This episode explores not only the history of Anacaona but also the broader challenge of recovering Indigenous perspectives from the colonial record.https://www.facebook.com/andrewsrowen/https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rowen-611180128https://www.andrewrowen.com/