Video Podcasts

The Bizarre Plot That Armed the American Revolution

Image of Adel Aali (program host) and his guest, Prof. Joel Richard Paul, superimposed on the Betsy Ross flag, along with images of Silas Deane (the shopkeeper), Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais (the playwright), and Chevalière d'Éon (the spy). Visit AARevolution.net for more images of the American Revolution and for interviews of scholars with Adel Aali.

Introduction In this interview: “What he doesn’t realize is that Bancroft is getting two salaries… one from Deane… and one from the British.” Watch this segment in the video below (00:24:59) Why did Benjamin Franklin send a Connecticut shopkeeper who spoke no French and had hardly traveled outside of Connecticut to France? How and why […]

Russian Neutrality in the American Revolution: Fear, Strategy, and Opportunity

The featured image brings together images of Dr. Ivan Kurilla and Adel Aali from the interview, superimposed on the Betsy Ross flag, alongside a portrait of Dr. Kurilla's book "Distant Friends and Intimate Enemies"

Introduction In this interview: “King George III asked Catherine to send her troops or Cossacks to North America to help suppress American uprising. And by the way, British propaganda already used the promise of coming Cossacks, you know, use this propaganda against colonists saying, you know, soon the Russians [are coming] and will suppress you.” […]