American history

podcast link Imagine it’s April 1849, you are a tailor from upstate New York, but after a five week journey, you and your cousin arrived in St. Louis just yesterday. It’s a stop on your way to the gold fields of California, and hopefully to riches. While your cousin is buying some supplies you’ll need at a nearby store,...

podcast link Imagine it’s January 1848, you are a construction worker building a timber mill in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Large pine trees surround you on all sides. It’s a bright winter day but cold. You can smell fried sausages nearby, as the cook prepares lunch. Your team is digging a canal to divert water from a local river to power this new mill and it’s nearly complete....