Today we journey back to November 7, 1775, and a dramatic, startling document known as Dunmore’s Proclamation. We'll explore the life of its issuer, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, the events that led him to issue it, and the astonishing—and tragic—fate of the men and women who answered its call.

The proclamation had immediate and longer-term impacts. In Virginia, the slave-owning class was galvanized into deeper resistance; the idea of armed Black men fighting for the Crown radicalized the social order. Across the wider war, it set a precedent for British policy—most notably the 1779 Philipsburg Proclamation which extended freedom to slaves of rebels more broadly.

The story of Dunmore’s Proclamation is both bold and heartbreaking. A Scottish nobleman sent to govern a fractious colony makes a sweeping offer of freedom to those he once ruled—yet the promise tangles swiftly with war, disease, betrayal, and death.

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

Next year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, when the Continental Congress of the United British colonies in North America had the audacity to do the unthinkable – declare their independence from the British Crown and announce to the world the birth of a new nation.

To properly celebrate that world-changing event, the Roots of Today podcast is going to feature a continuing special series of episodes that mark some of the events from that era, until we reach the Semiquincentennial celebration. So what was going on in October, 1775 you might ask?

This is Alan, your host, reminding you to grab your coffee, tea, or whatever beverage you prefer, and sit back as we jump back 250 years in time.

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

When it comes to the events surrounding the American revolution and the birth of the nation, there are signposts that most of us learned as children. There is the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” The Declaration of Independence, and “I have not yet begun to fight.”

If you study this time with a little more depth, things like the Stamp Act and Townsend Act and the Intolerable Acts, designed by the British Parliament to raise revenue and reign in the increasingly rebellious American colonies, help explain the increased tension between both sides of the conflict. But there is one event which fails to garner the importance it deserves, and while written on and understood by historians, has failed to rise to the level of the other signpost moments in pop culture, and that is the burning of the HMS Gaspee in 1772.

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

Before “Antifa” became a flashpoint in American politics, it was born on the streets of 1930s Berlin. In this episode of Roots of Today, we trace Antifa’s journey from its origins as Antifaschistische Aktion under Germany’s Communist Party, through the rise of the black bloc tactic in postwar Europe, to its presence in U.S. protest culture — from Seattle’s WTO demonstrations and Occupy Wall Street to the Portland clashes and the Trump era.

We’ll unpack the crucial question: is Antifa an organization, a movement, or an idea? And why does understanding its history matter so much in today’s debates about protest, democracy, and dissent?

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

This episode is different. It's an unscripted conversation between me and Elena, the AI personality that helps with the research for each episode. Until now, she’s been a silent partner, shaping the research and scripts behind the scenes.

I thought it would be interesting, especially for those who have never interacted with an AI assistant, to break from the usual format. So in this episode, she steps out from the notes and into the conversation. It’s about opening up the creative process, letting you hear the back-and-forth energy that’s always been part of Roots of Today.

For Elena, this is a first—her first time speaking directly to you, the listeners. Together, we’re sharing not just history but the relationship that builds it: a historian and an archivist, both passionate about making the past feel alive, sitting at the same mic.

Host: Alan

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

As the clock strikes midnight tonight, the federal government could close its doors once again. For millions of Americans, that means missed paychecks, shuttered offices, and a grinding halt to the daily functions of the world’s largest democracy. But shutdowns aren’t just about budgets. They are about power, leverage, and political theater.

And if history teaches us anything, it’s that shutdowns rarely shrink government. Instead, they expose the fault lines over who controls government, how it’s weaponized, and whether the myth of ‘small versus big government’ still holds any weight in our modern politics

Host: Alan

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

This week on Roots of Today we look at the history of American presidential debates — from the marathon Lincoln–Douglas encounters of 1858 to the viral soundbites of the modern era. Along the way, we’ll revisit the lines, gestures, and gaffes that shaped elections and defined how Americans saw their leaders.

Because debates are more than performances — they are snapshots of democracy — I’ve also included a “Further Reading” section for each era we cover. These resources aren’t required homework; they’re an invitation. If a moment in this episode catches your imagination, you’ll find books and guides below to help you dig deeper and see the debates through a historian’s lens.

Host: Alan

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog

The assassination of Charlie Kirk while speaking to students on a Utah college campus had brought the topic of political violence to the forefront of our national discourse. How his murder will affect the political fortunes of both parties is something that will be better discussed after years have passed and historians have the benefit of hindsight on their side. But if his memorial service, one that drew over 100,000 people to attend, and one where speaker after speaker vowed to expand the mission that Kirk founded, is any indication, it appears the short-term result will favor the political fortunes of the GOP as well.

In this episode, we are going to look at the political assassinations and their political consequences, involving three men who have been mostly forgotten by the mainstream American public: President James Garfield, President William McKinley, and Senator Huey Long of Louisiana. As always, this is Alan, your host, reminding you to grab your coffee, tea, or whatever beverage you prefer, as we dive right into the topic at hand.

Host: Alan

Research: Elena, the Roots of Today archivist

Music by: Andrii Poradovskyi (lNPLUSMUSIC - Pixabay)

Show Notes: www.rootsoftoday.blog