Welcome to Ben Franklin's World,

Podcast about Early American History with Liz Covert.

The study of history is key to understanding who we are

and how we can affect a better future.

Van Franklin's world will introduce you to historical people and events that have impacted

and shaped our present day world.

And now, here's your host, Liz Colarn.

Hello and welcome to episode 67 of Ben Franklin's world.

The podcast dedicated to helping you,

learn more about how the people and events of our early American

past have shaped the present day world we live in. Happy Groundhog's Day.

If you're like me and you live in a region with cold temperatures, you're probably wondering when winter will end. But I wouldn't rely too much on what

Puncte Phil has to say. During my last year at Penn State I convinced a couple of friends that we should wake up at two or three in the morning and drive the two hours out to Punctsatani so that we could witness the Groundhog's Day festivities from a top gobblers knob.

About 30 or 40 minutes before we saw Phil, the organizers of the event launched fireworks.

Then they turned on these bright stage lights and brought out Phil. I have no idea how

Phil avoided seeing his shadow. state of mind. Today we will explore the early American histories of California

and Hawaii. Our guide for this exploration, John Ryan Fisher, author of

cattle colonialism and environmental history of the conquest of California and Hawaii.

During our exploration, Ryan reveals what environmental history is and what it can teach us about the past.

Native American culture in both California and Hawaii before and after European contact.

And how both the landscapes and Native Americans in California and Hawaii

responded to the European introduction of Spanish long horn cattle.

...