History and Technology

Our land was "discovered" during the age of exploration, our nation grew with that same spirit: intrepid voyagers led to adventurous colonists and pilgrims, frontiersmen, scouts, and pathfinders blazed new trails into the unknown. In this podcast, host Stan Ellsworth looks at the pioneers and explorers that opened up America to mass migration and the great Westward Expansion.

The American Civil War goes by many names; the war between the States, the war of the rebellion, and the war of Southern independence. It is also the bloodiest war in American history. To this day, the Civil War is romanticized by society. From movies to re-enactments, people seem to want to be connected to this dark time of American history. Host Stan Ellsworth looks at what led up to the American Civil War and how the war meant an end to one American era and the beginning of another.

In the mid 1800's, Texas was battling for independence from Mexico. At a small fort, called the Alamo, around 200 defenders stood up to almost 6,000 Mexican troops in a battle that lasted 13 days and became a rallying cry for independence. In this episode of History and Technology, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the battle for the Alamo and what it was really all about. The truth is far more colorful than the legend. 

At Christmas time, it's important to remember those men and women who have put themselves in harm's way in times of war. From the Revolutionary War to today, soldiers have spent time away from families during the holiday season. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks at the sacrifices of our military during Christmas from George Washington and the attack at Trenton to the Screamin' Eagles of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne.

Most people might know the term "taxation without representation" which came out of the Boston Tea Party that occurred on December 16, 1773. On that night, American patriots dumped 342 chests of tea belonging to the British into Boston Harbor. But what was it really all about? How did it start and how did we get here? In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at why the Boston Tea Party happened, how it shaped our country and what it means to us today.

Christmas is easily the biggest holiday of the year for most of the people in the world. For some people, it is a holy day and for others, it's about giving and receiving gifts. But how did Christmas get its start? In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth takes a look at the origins of the Christmas holiday from its cultural and religious roots all the way to how we celebrate Christmas today.

On December 7, 1941 the American Army and Navy base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese Navy which pulled the United States into World War 2. It was a national tragedy but also the dawn of a new age of awareness, intelligence and technological innovation. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks at the events that led up to the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor as well as how this infamous event forged the future of the United States.

The American Industrial Revolution started with a bang and grew with the westward expansion of the United States. After the Civil War slowed things down, it took the sheer entrepreneurial will of 4 men to get things moving again. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth delves into the lives of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and John P Morgan whose determination and drive took industry to new heights and who all left their mark on American commerce.

World War 1 was called "The war to end all wars." 65 million combatants, 9 million KIA, 21 million WIA, 12 million civilian casualties, $186 billion in direct costs, and $151 billion in indirect costs. Why was this war fought and what did it mean? In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks at how and why World War 1 started, its impact on the world and how Veterans Day came out of this terrible conflict.

The American Industrial Revolution created the American Dream and changed American politics forever. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the start of the American Industrial Revolution. From its humble beginnings in Great Britain to the textile mills in New England, the shift from handmade to machine-made products started a new era in America that has an impact that is still happening today.

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical and mechanical engineer, as well as a futurist who had a huge impact on the world and whose inventions are still used today. In this episode of History and Technology, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the life of Nikola Tesla and how his ambition and drive led him to impact the world with his design of our current electric system, the radio, and other electrical marvels.

From the early days of the steam locomotive to the sleek, electric diesel giants of the Golden Age the railroad has been the "native son" of the American nation. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the history of the American railroad from the paths it forged through the nation and how the American railroad is a symbol the technology and ingenuity of the United States.

Our capacity and appetite for communication and information seems almost limitless. Not so long ago, people were trying to figure out how to communicate and share information. Host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the history of how we disseminated information as well as how the mediums of communication have evolved and helped us truly reach one another.

Diplomat, revolutionary, world traveler, and “observationist," Benjamin Franklin had amazing perspective, humor, a decisive manner, and some pretty remarkable contributions to science. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the remarkable life of Benjamin Franklin from his humble beginnings to his scientific inventions to his role as a founder of the United States.

From high school dropouts to pioneers of a new technology that changed the world, the Wright brothers demonstrated vision, ambition, and drive to get their invention off the ground and into the air. In this episode of History and the Highway, host Stan Ellsworth looks back at the Wright brothers' humble beginnings, how they made their dream a reality and the legacy they left behind.