#50 Novo Albion and Drake’s Legacy
The History of the Americans
Jack Henneman
4.9 • 632 Ratings
🗓️ 4 December 2021
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode we look at the tangled debate over the location of Drake’s “fair and good bay.” Was it in California? Or do we only believe that because of unbelievably unscrupulous behavior by famous California academics? We recount the story of Drake’s “plate of brass,” and discuss the connection between that fraud and the “Dare stone.” Along the way we take a close look at academic conspiracy, California’s “national myth,” and the brilliant woman who revolutionized the history of Drake’s circumnavigation only to be denounced by some of the leading lights in the profession of history.
Finally, we consider the legacy of Sir Francis Drake, and the matter of changing the names of high schools.
Oh, and the recording sounds a bit weird in places — I recorded it in a hotel room in Boston, and had to edit out a rather noisy air handler in the background. There is nothing we won’t do to bring you the podcast!
Selected references for this episode
Melissa Darby, Thunder Go North: The Hunt for Sir Francis Drake’s Fair & Good Bay
Samuel Bawlf, The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: 1577-1580
Miranda Kaufmann, Black Tudors: The Untold Story
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the History of the Americans podcast, Episode 50. |
| 0:10.6 | I am your host, Jack Heneman. |
| 0:13.4 | And I'm recording this episode on December 2nd, 2021, in Boston, Massachusetts. |
| 0:21.4 | I'm up here in pursuit of the legal tender, |
| 0:25.2 | and I've had a lot of work today and a long business dinner tonight. |
| 0:29.1 | It's after 10 o'clock Boston time, so we'll see how this goes. |
| 0:34.8 | As is often the case, music for the writing of this episode was provided by W.W.O.Z, New Orleans, |
| 0:42.4 | The Guardians of the Grove. Before we jump into the history bit, a few reminders and announcements. |
| 0:50.0 | I would be remiss if I failed to suggest that our t-shirts and sweatshirts make great Christmas |
| 0:57.0 | or Hanukkah gifts for the history buffs in your circles. |
| 1:01.1 | There is the classic presentism prohibited design and now a new totally different shirt that |
| 1:08.3 | you should at least check out. You can buy them by going to the website, |
| 1:12.3 | the history of the Americans.com, clicking on the about tab at the top of the page and then going |
| 1:18.0 | to the button that says merch. Rest assured, all profits, paltry as they are, go to one or |
| 1:26.4 | another good cause, including keeping my daughter in |
| 1:29.5 | Weta Burger's while she finishes up her degree. I also want to mention again, and we'll probably |
| 1:36.5 | do for the next few weeks, that I will be in New Orleans, January 6th to 9th for the annual meeting |
| 1:43.0 | of the American Historical Association. |
| 1:46.1 | If you are going to be in the Crescent City during that stretch, whether or not you are attending the meeting, shoot me an email if you want to get together. |
| 1:55.3 | I'd love to meet you and shoot the breeze over coffee, libations or a cigar. |
| 2:03.7 | Let me know via the contact page and the website or by email at the History of the Americans at gmail.com. If you are new to the podcast, |
| 2:11.1 | we are telling the history of the lands now encompassed by the United States from the beginning |
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