High School History Recap

We delve into some Irish history with Prof Liam Kennedy. Liam has published a myriad of books on Irish history. We look closely at his 2020 book "Who was responsible for the Troubles".

These are some of the questions we try to answer:

Link to Untextbooked.

Have you ever heard about the East Bank Location Massacre on 9 November 1952? Neither have we. Dr Mignonne Breier joins us to talk about her book Bloody Sunday in which she uncovered the gruesome details of this massacre that upends the conventional apartheid narrative.

Here are some of the questions we consider:

In this episode, we get our hands dirty with some military history. Prof Timothy Stapleton of the University of Calgary joins us to discuss South Africa's turbulent past. We look at wars from the earliest colonial times to the end of apartheid.

These are the questions we try to answer:

How should we combat misinformation in the history classroom? What does it take to stop misinformation at the outset? Dr Jon Roozenbeek is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge and joins us to discuss his team's latest research on "prebunking" misinformation.

Some of the questions we try to answer:

Many streets and clinics bear Lilian Ngoyi's name, but who was she and what was the nature of her accomplishments as an anti-apartheid activist? Dr Martha Evans is working on a substantive biography of Ma'Ngoyi and joins us to share some interesting insights about Lilian's remarkable life. 

Here are some of the questions we try to answer:

Prof Bob Bain joins us, probably one of the biggest names in history teaching. This conversation brought a whole new dimension to what effective history teaching should look like.

Questions we set out to answer:

In this first episode of our fifth season, we explore the field of learning. Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel is a cognitive psychologist who specialises in how we learn best. She is part of an inspiring initiative called the Learning Scientists. She shares some of her valuable insights with us.

Questions we explore:

The following twitter post accompanies this episode of The Cradock Four.

https://mobile.twitter.com/valavoosh/status/1276826105740169218

The historian, Zikhona Valela, joins us to talk about the Cradock Four and, more specifically, misinformation around the supposed famous photo of the Cradock Four. Zikhona tells the story of the four men who were murdered on June 27th, 1985. How did it happen that two of the four men, and the trauma of their families, were actually erased from the historical record? Why do we continue sharing convenient narratives that are, on closer inspection, inaccurate and untrue? Zikhona...

Join us for a conversation with Prof Sean McMeekin on his new book Stalin's War: A New History of World War II. This is a very timely discussion in light of the unfolding war in Ukraine.

Some of the points of discussion:

Michael joins us again to challenge some widely held beliefs about the causes of WWI. The long-term causes of World War One are often conveniently taught using the acronym MAIN, which stands for militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism. It is often argued that the presence of these ingredients in Europe made the First World War inevitable, or to use a term Michael taught us, overdetermined.  But by looking at each one of these factors, we learn that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism might have only really come to...

In this episode we explore Civic Online Reasoning in more depth. We are joined by Dr Joel Breakstone of the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG). This is in an effort to effectively fight misinformation. 

Taylor Downing joins us again for another discussion - this time about his newest work entitled 1942: Britain at the Brink. The book and this discussion delves into the fateful year of 1942 when British morale reached a new low - military defeats abroad saw the British public lose faith in their leadership and it seemed as though wartime prime minister Winston Churchill was facing his darkest hour. Well, let me not spoil it here...let historian, writer and broadcaster, Taylor Downing tell you all about it!

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We are super excited about this new jingle! It was written and performed specifically for our show by Alwyn Bekker. When it comes to acoustic guitar chops, his guy is the real deal! It's like he has fifty fingers!
I recommend you guys go and check out his band, Bad Peter, as well. Our favourite song is definitely "On This River".

I hope you guys enjoy it! And thanks again, Alwyn!

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In this episode Prof Peter N Stearns of the George Mason University provides an overview of the Industrial Revolution. The 5th edition of Peter's book, The Industrial Revolution in World History, was published in 2021.

This is what we've discussed:

In the third part of the series, Dr Dooling tells us about the various ways in which the people of South Africa resisted the oppressive Apartheid regime.  Dr Dooling delves into the different political currents in 20th century South Africa, touching on organisations such as the the ICU, the ANC, the PAC as well as the various affiliated organisations such as the ANC Youth League, MK and Poqo. We also discuss a few of the pivotal events in South African resistance history such as the Defiance Campaign, the Congress of the People and the Freedom Charter, the Women's March a...

At the end of 2021, we are very fortunate to talk to Dr Joel Breakstone of the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) about their Reading Like a Historian lesson plans and Beyond the Bubble history skills assessments. We also find out more about SHEG's Civic Online Reasoning curriculum which will greatly benefit history learners in identifying misinformation.

What we discuss:

About a month ago, the University of Pretoria celebrated the life of Chief Albert Luthuli. At these celebrations, Prof Benda Hofmeyr gave a presentation on the philosophical legacy of Albert Luthuli with specific emphasis on his charismatic leadership style.

What we discuss:

Join our history geek-out session with Kevin Manzel. Kevin is the senior director of content development at Wondrium. Colin and I are both big fans of Wondrium's history courses and use them as resources in our history classrooms.

We cover the following:

William talks to the learning expert, Donald Clark, about the history of learning theory and about the best way to teach and learn history.

Questions covered:

In the second episode of the Apartheid Series we transition from the policies of Segregation in South Africa towards the implementation of Apartheid. In this episode Dr Dooling discusses some of the motivations behind the National Party's choice to put such a rigid system of racial segregation and separation in place. Topics such as Afrikaner Nationalism takes center stage as we look at why and how the NP won the 1948 elections. Some of the Apartheid laws are discussed and we look at how these laws affected the every day lives of South Africans, which will then lead us to...

In the first episode of our Apartheid Series, Colin is joined by Dr Wayne Dooling from  the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. The conversation deals with the concept of segregation in South Africa, where it comes from and how it was implemented. As an expert on Race, Segregation, and Apartheid in Twentieth-century South Africa, Dr Dooling helps us make sense of the systems of racial separation that would lead to the overarching system of Apartheid.

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A great collaboration with Kelly Chase of the History Detective! The perfect way to start Season 4. 

In this episode we aim give an overview of the policy and practice of apartheid in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Here are some of the questions we cover.

In this episode, Colin is joined once again by the American military historian, Michael Neiberg. This time they discuss a little thing called D-Day a.k.a. the Normandy Invasion a.k.a. Operation Overlord. Operation Overlord is one of the largest operations in military history and in this discussion Michael and Colin delve into not only the events of June 6th, 1944, but also the logistical challenges faced by Dwight Eisenhower and his team of planners, French involvement in the operation, as well as the living legacy left on the beaches.
So if you know a few things...

In this episode Colin speaks to the author of  Choreomania: Dance and Disorder, Dr Kelina Gotman. Kelina is from King's College in London and her research interests include theatre, dance and performance history, and philosophy. In this episode we tackle  the formation of the concept of the ‘dancing disease’ in nineteenth-century colonial medical, psychiatric and anthropological circles. What is choreomania really all about? Did people truly go mad and dance themselves to insanity? Well, Kelina sets the record straight!

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In this episode William discusses the neglected narrative of Dr Abdullah Abdurahman with Stephen Langtry. Dr Abdullah was South Africa's first elected black politician.

Here are some of the questions we look at:

·         The life and times of Dr Abdullah
·         We discuss Martin Plaut's biography of Dr Abdullah
·         Are there many lost figures in South African history?
·         Why are some stories remembered at the expense of others?
·         What is the balancing point in writing history?
·         A short biography of Dr Abdullah
·         The friendship between Dr Abdullah and Mahatma Gandhi
·         The schools set up by Dr Abd...

In this episode, William discusses the life and legacy of the enigmatic Khoi woman, Krotoa, with Professor Shanade Barnabas of the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The discussion is based on the award-winning 2017 film made to commemorate her life. 

Some of the questions include:

In this episode William is in conversation with Dr Precious Mncayi about research she has done into South Africa's unemployment crisis.  We have an unemployment rate of at least 29% and it is therefore vital to look at the mismatches between education and the demands of the labour market.

Read her article here.

Questions asked in this podcast:
Is SA facing an unemployment crisis?
Is the focus on STEM warranted?
How does SA’s unemployment figure compare to other countries?
What is the link bet...

In this episode Colin is joined by HSHR researcher, Gemma Mills, to discuss Ancient Greek mythology and religion. To help them understand the topic better, they have employed the help of an expert in the field in the form of the Roy D. and Margaret B. Wooster Professor of the Classics from Colgate University - Professor Robert Garland.  At the hand of a few examples, Prof Garland explains the difference between myth and religion, why mythology and religion was so important to the Ancient Greeks, why these myths are still around, and a few other interesting things about grieving m...

Archaeologist, Dr Tim Forssman, joins William to talk about San Rock Art. These are some of the questions they look at.

Who are the San? Were they the only southern Africans that left behind rock art?
How do archaeologists find rock art sites?
How many rock art sites are there in southern Africa?
Tim's favorite rock art site.
How did the San go about painting their images? How did they mix their paint?
How do you date San rock art? What are some of the oldest sites?
What does San rock...

William is joined by one of his Grade 12 learners, Justine Naude, to discuss a question that appeared in last year's final IEB History paper. The question asked to critically evaluate whether or not the National Party undermined the negotiation process from 1990 to 1994. We discuss the NP's insistence on power sharing and whether their involvement in black-on-black violence in townships purposefully undermined negotiations for a democratic government. Justine reads her introductory paragraph to a discursive essay on the question and we use this to navigate some of the content of this important topic in South African history. Find us on...

"Never stop working for humanity" - Nina Jablonski

American anthropologist, Prof Nina Jablonski, joins us to discuss the evolution of skin colour. We discuss the biological concept of race and the social construct of racism. We differentiate between racial categorization and racial identification. Were the ancients indifferent to race? Did you know that neither Carl Linnaeus nor Charles Darwin placed people in a power hierarchy? Philosophers David Hume and Immanuel Kant had definite racist views. What might have been the reason for this? Racism took on its destructive modern form from the 18th century - the heydays...

William is joined by one of his Grade 11 students, Emma Theron, to discuss the causes of the Mfecane. This is a period of intense transformation amongst the African tribes in southern Africa. The Mfecane is dated to between 1750 and the 1830s and saw the rise of famous kingdoms like that of Shaka's Zulu kingdom. We look at the internal, environmental and external factors that played a role in bringing about the dramatic events of this turbulent time. Join us and find out more about the Madlatule famine, Shaka's amabutho and the beef and slave trade at Delagoa Bay. Emma...

This is Part 2 of an interview William did with Ayanda Nenemba on the Ilibo Village Community YouTube channel. Ayanda's aim to build the South African community through conversation. Ayanda isn't someone who shies away from talking about the hard issues, but she wants to show the magnanimity of the South African nation. We want to extend an invitation to those of you who have something meaningful to add to the South African story. Please find Ayanda on twitter @restored_80. Alternatively visit her YouTube channel at Ilibo Village Community Cast. 

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This is our interview with the team of Bones and Stones. Tim Forssman is an archaeologist at the University of Pretoria and he and his team is on a mission to make archaeology more accessible. They invited us for an episode on their YouTube channel, Bones and Stones. We hope to collaborate with them on an ongoing basis and bring archaeology into the high school history classroom. Find Tim on twitter @Tim4sman. 

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In this episode we explore the history of Tanzania with East African historian, Dr Derek R Peterson of the University of Michigan. We start by looking at the early history of this East African state: from the ancient Swahili to the creation of the East African slave trade. We also compare the legacies of German and British colonization (including a discussion of the Maji Maji Rebellion). We also trace the development of the Tanganyika African National Union (or TANU). Ultimately, we consider the socialist policy (called Ujamaa) of Tanzania's first (and long-reigning) president, Julius Nyerere. What should we make...

In this second episode with archaeologist Dr Tim Forssman of the University of Pretoria, we take a closer look at his excavations at Little Muck and Dzombo and how the findings are shedding new light on the social relations between the San hunter-gatherers and early farmers of southern Africa. William finds out more about the "Kalahari debate" and the significance of Mapungubwe as an archaeological site. We also try our hand at the motto on South Africa's coat of arms. It is written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people and is written as !ke e: /xarra //ke...

In this episode of HSHR, Dr Nisa Paleker from The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the University of Pretoria, talks to us about the value of film in the study of History. Dr Paleker sheds some light on how film can be used in historical study by focusing on  film as a source of history, film as history and film in history.

Our discussion mostly centres on film as a representation of the social structures of the time, mostly focusing on the South African context. Topics explored range from African cinema and the B-scheme film s...

In this episode of HSHR, Colin speaks to  American military historian and Chair of War Studies at the US Army War College, Michael Neiberg. Michael specialises in 20th-century military history and has written numerous award-winning books including the  acclaimed 2018 The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History. So it seemed only appropriate that the topic for discussion would be the post-World War I negotiations. The episode delves into the challenges faced by especially the European powers following the carnage and destruction of World War I, and how the leaders involved attempted to deal with the issues. 

The majority of...

In this episode, William talks to archaeologist Dr Tim Forssman about the early history of southern Africa. Tim is a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria and hosts his own YouTube channel Bones and Stones.  Tim helps us define archaeology and explains why Indiana Jones is probably not the best example of what it means to be an archaeologist. We discuss the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa, namely the San hunter-gatherers, and what the archaeological record has to say about them. Why did the San not take up farming? We also take a look at the earliest archaeological e...

In this episode Colin speaks to foreign relations expert and author of Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala, about the CIA-backed overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz , the democratically elected leader of Guatemala. Was this episode merely a Cold War incident or was there more to it than fears of communist insurrection? Was this a spontaneous revolt by frustrated Guatemalans, in which the US simply supported the will of free peoples,  or was there a more sinister plot unfolding? The discussion centers on the involvement of American government agents, especially the CIA and those with ties to t...