Benjamin Franklin is one of the most recognisable figures in the founding of America - a printer, scientist, diplomat, inventor, and political thinker whose life spanned continents and revolutions.

But before he became a Founding Father, Franklin was a young runaway apprentice, a self‑made writer, and later a London resident who spent nearly two decades in the very house we’re recording this episode from.

His story is one of ambition, curiosity, and transformation, and we are going to explore his life, career and influence in the years prior to the American Revolution.

So in this episode, I’m asking… who is Benjamin Franklin?

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Special Guest:

Henry Wilkinson, the Head of Education at Benjamin Franklin House. He leads public programmes, historical interpretation, and research into Franklin’s London years, offering unique insight into how he lived, worked, and shaped ideas on both sides of the Atlantic.

Visit Benjamin Franklin House: https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/

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Highlights:

02:40 - Silence Dogood

10:18 - The Quakers and Poor Richard's Almanac

17:15 - Franklin Goes to London

25:29 - America's First Ambassador

28:08 - Franklin and Slavery

33:27 - Revolution is Coming

37:06 - Franklin's Legacy and Benjamin Franklin House

42:31 - WWBFD?

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

Brands & advertises: [email protected]

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Credits:

Location Producer - Clara Burns

Executive Producer - Liam Heffernan

Host - Liam Heffernan

Editor - Liam Heffernan

In Partnership with the British Association for American Studies

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson - his election, his presidency, his key achievements and controversies, and his lasting legacy.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

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This week, as the UK's Prime Minister announces his resignation, we discuss what this means for the special relationship, and if Donald Trump will even care.

Plus. the current status of the peace deal in Iran, and AP News have reported extreme levels of fentanyl entering the US.

Joining me this week is Tim Galsworthy, lecturer in History and Military History at Lincoln Bishop University.

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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He is the most iconic figure in American history - the general who won the Revolution, the president who defined the office, and the man whose character became a national benchmark.

But behind the myth was a complex human being shaped by ambition, discipline, and the contradictions of his time.

He led America to its independence, defined the spirit and values of his new nation, and set precedents that have lasted to this day, some now codified in the constitution itself. But he was also not without his critics, and a man who participated in, and profited from, the institution of slavery.

Today, we will explore his life from the early years in Virginia to the Revolution, the presidency, and his final years at Mount Vernon.

So in this episode, I’m asking… who is George Washington?

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Special Guest:

Lindsay Chervinsky, Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, and author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.

Get the book: https://a.co/d/05PJXSlx

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Highlights:

02:36 - The Third Child

06:10 - The Washingtons' Social Status

10:24 - He Was a Brit

16:01 - The Worst Thing About George

20:25 - From the Seven Years War to the Revolution

25:26 - The Turning Point

29:18 - Not the White House

34:37 - Presidents and Precedence

40:46 - A Life of Public Service

45:09 - Retirement and Legacy

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: Every President Who Died in Office - the eight U.S. presidents who never finished their term, how they died, the controversies that followed, and what happened next.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, as the UK's Prime Minister announces his resignation, we discuss what this means for the special relationship, and if Donald Trump will even care.

Plus. the current status of the peace deal in Iran, and AP News have reported extreme levels of fentanyl entering the US.

Joining me this week is Gina London, an Emmy-winning former CNN correspondent and global expert on leadership communications.

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Stories:

05:26 - Fentanyl in the US

14:15 - Iran US Peace Talks

32:17 - Keir Starmer Resigns

48:18 - Unidentified Flying Potato

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Sources:

• US and Iran peace talks: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/22/world/live-news/iran-war-trump-israel-lebanon-hnk
• Weapons of mass destruction: https://apnews.com/article/dea-fentanyl-unseized-drugs-new-mexico-8f5b546e668e5007c64078da74b90903
• The next Prime Minister: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20y1zvg50lo
• Why did the UK PM resign: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qyllvpkw8o
• Potato shaped UFO sighting in Colorado: https://metro.co.uk/2026/06/16/giant-potato-shaped-ufo-sighting-revealed-new-batch-government-files-28796316/

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

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As The United States of America celebrates 250 years, we've sent our operative undercover to meet the Founding Fathers and make a few key changes...

Philadelphia, October 1774. The First Continental Congress is wrapping up its final sessions inside the Pennsylvania State House, and 56 of the most influential men in the colonies are filing out into the street — tricorn hats, righteous indignation, and a very tall Virginian named Washington who already looks like he's won something. Into this steps Abraham Starsen-stripes, a man who has arrived from the future with a musket, three pounds in his pocket, and an extremely ambitious CV.

Liam Heffernan — podcast producer, self-described America obsessive, and the man behind "America: The Story of the USA" — has come on PastMaster to do one thing: become the first US president. His plan is to win over the founding fathers before Washington can consolidate power, using diplomacy, an eye-catching party trick, and a flexible definition of what counts as presidential gravitas. The Game Master notes that the path to the presidency typically runs through reputation and alliances, and probably not juggling. Liam disagrees.

The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from September to October 1774, as tensions between the thirteen colonies and the British Crown approached breaking point. The Intolerable Acts, Parliament's punitive response to the Boston Tea Party, had united delegates from across the colonies in a way nothing else had managed. What they produced was a petition and a plan; what they didn't produce was a president. That role wouldn't exist for another fifteen years, which means there's technically still a vacancy, and technically still time to apply.

If you were sent back in time, could you survive and thrive — or would you be burnt at the stake for being a witch? PastMaster is the show that turns history into an interactive adventure game. Each episode, a comedian is dropped into the past with nothing but modern knowledge and terrible ideas. The AI Game Master is strict. The chaos is inevitable. The past will be mastered.

Era: Modern | 1774 CE | Philadelphia, United States
Featuring: Liam Heffernan — podcast producer (host of America: The Story of the USA, Big Cheese at Mercury Podcasts)

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EPISODE LINKS

Follow Liam's adventure on the PastMaster Interactive Map 👉 https://map.pastmasterpod.com
Liam Heffernan: America: The Story of the USA podcast 👉 https://mercurypodcasts.com

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GET IN TOUCH

Sign up to our newsletter 👉 www.pastmasterpod.com
Instagram 👉 @pastmasterpod
TikTok 👉 @pastmasterpod
X 👉 @pastmasterAI
Email us 👉 [email protected]

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today, The 10 Tallest Buildings in the United States — where they are, how tall they stand, and the stories behind them.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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A few hours before recording, the US and Iran have agreed a provisional peace deal, putting an end to the conflict in the Middle East. But what next? What does this mean for the US domestically? And do Iran now hold a trump card with the Strait of Hormuz?

Plus, as Trump turns 80 and watches a bunch of UFC fighters beat each other up at the White House, we discuss why there's no upper age limit on the Presidency.. and if there should be.

And, after $14 million was spent turning Washington's reflecting pool blue, it's green again.

Joining me this week is Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.

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Stories:

01:47 - US Iran Peace Deal

18:25 - Visas and the FIFA World Cup

26:48 - Age Limits on the Presidency

48:05 - The Reflecting Pool

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Sources:

• The War is Over: https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-deal-june-17-2026-19652f4611b704c0a991bf1f5bc9a4b9 

• Trump’s MMA White House birthday bash: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/15/nx-s1-5857679/trump-celebrates-birthday-and-countrys-250th-with-ufc-event-at-the-white-house 

• World Cup visa issues: https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news/fifa-world-cup/fifa-statement-donald-trump-visa-ban-world-cup-504443-20260116 

• Referee denied entry to the US: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/referee-denied-entry-into-us-was-talking-to-very-bad-people-official-says/ar-AA25FCxs?ocid=BingNewsSerp 

• Green algae in the reflection pool: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/white-house-blames-obama-as-reflecting-pool-turns-green-with-algae-days-after-big-renovation/ar-AA25SvL3?ocid=BingNewsSerp

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

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Get in touch: [email protected]

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In the 1980s a new disease exploded into public view and reshaped American life.

What began as small clusters of rare infections quickly became a national catastrophe that exposed deep social fault lines - stigma, political neglect, and a fragmented public‑health system.

The epidemic’s devastation was not only biological but political: state variation in policy and resources produced wildly different outcomes across the country.

So in this episode, I’m asking… what was the AIDS epidemic?

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Special Guest:

Stephen Colbrook is the author of Patchwork Pandemic: State Politics and the Fractured US Response to HIV/AIDS. His research traces how state politics, federalism, and local activism shaped the U.S. response in the 1980s and early 1990s, producing geographic inequities in care and outcomes.

Get the book: https://a.co/d/0jdNiZYj

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Highlights:

01:58 - Patchwork Pandemic

04:51 - How did AIDS become an epidemic?

10:58 - Inequality and treatment

21:59 - The government response to HIV

25:58 - Strings Attached

32:54 - Were Gay Men Ignored?

39:53 - The Importance of State Level Governance

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

Brands & advertises: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams - his election, his presidency, his key achievements and challenges, and his lasting legacy.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices