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The American IdeaAuthor: Ashbrook Center
The American Idea explores America's Founding principles and their effect on American history and government. Through thoughtful conversations with renowned academics and public figures from across the country, we examine the history and political thought behind our countrys greatest documents and debates, as well as contemporary issues, American popular culture, and political statesmanship. The podcast is a production of the Ashbrook Center and hosted by Jeff Sikkenga. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The American Revolution and the Fate of the World
Episode 1
Wednesday, 7 January, 2026
Was the American Revolution just a regional rebellion on the eastern seaboard, or something far larger? Professor Richard Bell, author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, argues it was a geopolitical earthquake that reshaped the global order. In this episode, Bell explores how France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the conflict for their own strategic reasons, why Jamaica mattered more to Britain than Virginia, and how foreign intervention proved decisive at battles like Yorktown. Along the way, he shares remarkable stories: Benjamin Franklin organizing his own privateering fleet from Paris, 50,000 ordinary Americans taking to the seas as state-sponsored pirates, and Harry Washington, a man enslaved at Mount Vernon who escaped to British lines and eventually led his own anti-colonial revolution in Sierra Leone. A fresh perspective on America's founding as a truly global event.Timestamps00:54 The American Revolution as a Global Conflict04:55 The British Empire and the Value of Jamaica07:27 Expanding the Patriot Coalition Beyond 13 Colonies09:44 Why France Joined the War13:21 Spain's Strategic Goals: Gibraltar and the Caribbean17:16 Dutch Financial Support and the St. Eustatius Arms Trade19:34 How Foreign Intervention Boosted British Morale24:06 From Philadelphia to Yorktown: Foreign Aid on the Battlefield27:11 Patriot Privateers and the War on British Commerce38:28 Harry Washington: From Mount Vernon to Sierra LeoneHost: Jeff SikkengaExecutive Producer: Jeremy GyptonSubscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanideaHomepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/
