Welcome to Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly - a podcast about how we share, interpret, and connect with the past. Each episode, we dig into how history is told in museums, historic sites, classrooms, and pop culture — and how storytelling can make the past relevant to the world we live in today.
Between us, we've spent years in the field — from leading tours on Civil War battlefields and preserving historic landscapes to interpreting the stories of America's industrial workers and sharing local history online. We've seen firsthand how public history shapes communities, sparks curiosity, and sometimes stirs debate.
Together, we'll talk with fellow historians, educators, and storytellers about how history reaches the public — on screen, on the ground, and everywhere in between. Through these conversations, we'll explore the ways history continues to inform who we are and who we want to be.
The thoughts and opinions shared here are our own and don't represent those of our employers or affiliated organizations.
Revolutionary Draft | Codie Eash Renders the Verdict
Three hosts. Five rounds. One judge with a hatchet.
Jake, Justin, and Molly each drafted their picks for history's most revolutionary moments, figures, and films — then handed the gavel to three-time guest Codie Eash of the Seminary Ridge Museum to rank every choice and crown a winner.
The board ran wide. Jake took the French Revolution, the summer of 1945, Band of Brothers, UMWA president John Mitchell, and the revolutions of 1848. Molly countered with Roe v. Wade, the executions after the Easter Rising, V for Vendetta, John Brown, and Bush v. Gore. Justin argued for Martin Luther's 95 Theses, the founding of CNN, Star Wars, Nathanael Greene, and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
Codie scored it all on a three-two-one system, category by category — and the final tally delivered a genuine upset. He also lays out his own "Oops, All-American Revolution" board.
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8 Jun 2026
Revolutionary Moments | Public History Draft 2026
After a long spring hiatus, Justin, Jake, and Molly are back — and they're arguing about what "revolution" actually means. With America's 250th anniversary on the horizon, the three of us turned the question into a draft: five rounds, snake order, one pick per category, and a guest judge waiting in the wings to rank the results.
We are thinking of it like building a record collection. Who walks away with the best greatest-hits album of revolutionary history?
In this episode, we draft across five categories:
Foundational Revolutionary Moments — the pivot points that changed everything.
Political Turning Points — the shifts in power and thought that bent history's course.
Cinematic Revolutions — the films and series that changed how we see the past.
Best Revolutionary — one figure who deserves the credit.
Wild Card — anything goes.
Expect some predictable picks, a few curveballs, and at least one choice nobody at the table saw coming.
Now it's your turn - vote for who drafted the best revolutionary moments here! (https://forms.gle/ReR8vMRt4R2AkdCAA)
6 Apr 2026
Podcasting the Past | Fin Dwyer of the Irish History Podcast
In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake sat down with Fin Dwyer - the voice behind the Irish History Podcast and one of the most consistent storytellers working in public history today.
If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to sustain a history podcast for more than a decade, this is that conversation.
We talk about how Fin got started back in 2010, building an audience from scratch, and how podcasting has evolved from a niche format into one of the most powerful tools we have for sharing history. Along the way, we dig into something that sits at the center of both of our work - how to take complex, often uncomfortable history and make it accessible without losing the nuance.
We also talk about the craft of public history; how we tell stories, how audiences engage with them, and what responsibility comes with putting history out into the world.
And like any good conversation between public historians, we end up somewhere deeper - talking about bias, interpretation, and why the past still matters so much in the present.
Check out The Irish History Podcast
Check out Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast
This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores:
How Fin built the Irish History Podcast into a global show
What podcasting looked like in 2010 - and how much it's changed
The challenge of turning deep research into clear, engaging storytelling
Why some of the most important stories never become books - but thrive in podcasts
The responsibility of historians in public spaces, especially online
How nuance gets lost and why it's worth fighting to keep it
The tension between academic history and public-facing storytelling
Why the past still shapes how we see the world today
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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