Empire: World History

75. Catherine the Great: The Golden Age

74. Peter the Great: The First Emperor

73. Ivan the Terrible and the Founding of Russia

72. The Russian Empire and the Great Game

The podcast introduces its new series on the Russian Empire, aiming to explore the historical context behind contemporary Russian geopolitics. It highlights Russia's expansionist history, noting its growth of 20,000 square miles per year between the 17th and 20th centuries. The series will cover Russia's westward and e...

71. Nazis, reparations, and laws 'just for the English to see'

The podcast episode addresses listener questions about slavery across different empires and historical periods. It begins with a discussion on Zanzibar's role in the Arab slave trade, highlighting Tipu Tip's involvement and the continuation of slavery in the Gulf until the 1970s. The hosts then explore the complexities...

70. The Haitian Revolution, Dutch royals, and what happened to the Caribs?

The podcast episode centers on answering listener questions related to the slavery series, particularly focusing on indentured labor and its comparison to slavery. The discussion clarifies that while slaves have no choices and are considered property, indentured laborers enter agreements to work off debt with the possi...

69. A Reckoning with Slavery

The podcast explores the legacy of slavery through the lens of Alex Renton's personal journey detailed in his book, Blood Legacy. Renton, an investigative journalist, uncovers his family's involvement in the slave trade by examining archives in his ancestral Scottish home. The discussion highlights the moral complexiti...

68. The Long Death of Slavery

In this episode of Empire, hosts Anita Anand and William D'Urban interview Kris Manjapra, a professor of history at Tufts University and author of "Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation." The discussion centers on challenging conventional understandings of slavery and emancipa...

67. Slavery's Demise

In the second part of their series on the abolition of slavery, Anita Arnon and William Durhampool, along with historian Michael Taylor, delve into the shift in abolitionist strategy, moving from ending the slave trade to advocating for the complete emancipation of slaves. They discuss key figures like Thomas Fowell Bu...

66. Wilberforce and the Fight for Freedom

Anita Anand and William Dalrymple host Michael Taylor, author of "The Interest," to discuss the history of British abolitionism, focusing on William Wilberforce and the anti-slavery movement. They debunk the myth that Britain single-handedly ended slavery, highlighting that the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 did ...

65. When the Enslaved Took on Napoleon

In this episode of Empire, Anita Anand and William Durhampool discuss Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution, focusing on the complex political landscape of the time. They detail L'Ouverture's rise to power, his pragmatic alliances with the Spanish and later the French, and his efforts to maintain Haiti's eco...

64. The Black Spartacus

In this episode of Empire, Anita Arnand and William Turnbull discuss the life and legacy of Toussaint L'Ouverture, also known as the Black Spartacus, who led the Haitian Revolution, the only successful slave rebellion resulting in an independent state. They highlight Saint-Domingue's significance as the richest colony ...

63. Creating Sierra Leone: The Land of the Free

In this episode of the "Empire" podcast, Anita Anand and William Dalrymple interview historian Maya Jasanoff about the establishment of Freetown in Sierra Leone. The discussion covers the initial failed attempt by Granville Sharp to create a colony for freed slaves, the involvement of Thomas Peters in recruiting black ...

62. When Slaves Fought for the British Empire

Anita Anand and William Dalrymple host Maya Jasanoff to discuss the complex backdrop of the American Revolutionary War and its implications, focusing on the economic and ideological factors that united disparate colonial interests against British rule. The conversation explores the significance of the Caribbean and Ben...

61. The Black Abolitionist

In the second part of their series "An Extraordinary Life," Anita Arnon and William Durhampool delve deeper into the life of Equiano, a former slave. They discuss his experiences in the Seven Years' War, his betrayal by Pascal, and his eventual purchase of freedom from Robert King, a Quaker. The hosts explore Equiano's...

60. Britain's Most Famous Slave

In this episode of Empire, Anita Arnon and William Durhampool discuss the extraordinary life of Olaudah Equiano, a prominent black Englishman of the 18th century. They delve into Equiano's autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," which details his capture from his Igbo homeland in Sout...

59. Francis Barber: Abolition, the Navy, and the Enlightenment

In this episode of Empire, Anita Anand and William Durhampool are joined by Peter Moore to discuss Francis Barber, Samuel Johnson's black servant, and his influence on Johnson's views on slavery and British society. The discussion covers Barber's early life, his role in Johnson's household, his brief stint in the Royal...

58. Dr Johnson's Black Heir

In this episode of Empire, Anita Anand and William Durham-Poole are joined by Peter Moore to discuss the life of Francis Barber, a figure largely unknown despite his close relationship with Samuel Johnson. The conversation begins with an introduction to Samuel Johnson, his moral philosophy, and his complex views on col...

57. Tacky's Revolt: An Atlantic Slave War

In this episode of Empire, hosts Anita Arnon and William Dalrymple interview Vincent Brown, author of "Tacky's Revolt," about the 1760 slave uprising in Jamaica. The discussion delves into Tacky's background as a Ga chieftain, his role as a driver on a sugar plantation, and the coordination and military strategies empl...

56. Tacky's Revolt: Causes of the Rebellion

Anita Anand and William Durham-Poole interview Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard University, about his book "Tacky's Revolt," which details the largest slave revolt in the 18th-century British Empire. The discussion begins with the destabilization of West Africa due to the slave trade, focusing on militariz...