Episodes

  • Ep. 079: What is a Hoosier?: Two Perspectives on Indiana

    Ep. 079: What is a Hoosier?: Two Perspectives on Indiana
    Jul 16 2024
    Two Hoosiers join the Forgotten America podcast to discuss the differences between two very different regions of Indiana. Sarah Milligan, Assistant Director of Community Engagement for the Institute for Quality Education, and Cesar Roman, Director of Community Engagement, share about life in Hardinsburg, IN and East Chicago, IN — one a rural, southern community and the other a bustling metropolitan satellite of Illinois. It’s clear that despite very different experiences they both love their state. Join us as we learn about the history of Indiana, the variety of cultures represented, and the work Sarah & Cesar are doing to improve access to high-quality K-12 education in the Hoosier State. Hardinsburg, IN https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardinsburg,_Indiana East Chicago, IN https://eastchicago.com/ Zelle’s in East Chicago https://www.zelsroastbeef.com/ Rooster’s Hen House https://www.facebook.com/RoostersHenHouseRestaurant/ One of the wealthiest cities in the US https://www.carmel.in.gov/ Time Zones in Indianapolis https://faqs.in.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115005225448-Indiana-Time-Zone-Information Institute for Quality Education https://www.i4qed.org/ https://www.i4qed.org/calculator State bird: Cardinal State flower: Peonie Highest Point in Indiana: Right on the border of OH. Hoosier Hill Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer & Editor Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    55 mins
  • Ep. 078: A McCoy Abroad

    Ep. 078: A McCoy Abroad
    Jul 2 2024
    Jacob McCoy (Jake) is from Man, West Virginia in Logan County and a Contributor to the Cardinal’s Nest Blog. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, son, and daughter. Jacob recently took a month-long trip to Ireland with his family. He and Garrett compare notes about their respective European travels and reflect on their homes in two different parts of West Virginia, changing accents, family history, societal trust, the migrant crisis in Ireland, and more. Man WV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man,_West_Virginia Athlone, Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlone Read Jake’s latest contribution to the Cardinal’s Nest Blog. https://cardinalinstitute.com/externalities/ Pigouvian tax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigouvian_tax Hatfield-McCoy Feud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud Aer Lingus: https://www.aerlingus.com/html/en-IE/home.html R756 Road: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R756_road_(Ireland) Rock of Cashel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Cashel Glendalough: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendalough Rick Steves Guide to Ireland: https://a.co/d/0cZ2DCSF The Burren: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burren High Trust v. Low Trust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-trust_and_low-trust_societies Roscrea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscrea Taoiseach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoiseach Limerick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick King John’s Castle https://kingjohnscastle.ie/ Galway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway Donegal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donegal_(town) Dingle Peninsula https://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/ Michelin Bib Gourmand https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/features/bib-gourmand-explained Thyme Restaurant https://athlone.ie/eat_and_drink/thyme/ Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer & Editor Communications Director - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Ep. 077: John Rankin: The Forgotten Founding Father of the American Abolition Movement

    Ep. 077: John Rankin: The Forgotten Founding Father of the American Abolition Movement
    Jun 18 2024
    Originally from Ripley, Ohio and currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky, Caleb Franz is the Program Manager for Young Voices and the author of The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father. Caleb grew up in the town where John Rankin eventually died and was surrounded by stories of his role in history. He is now writing the authoritative biography on this forgotten founding father of the American abolition movement. He joins Garrett on the Forgotten America podcast to make sure we all remember this previously Forgotten American Hero. Caleb Franz’s book, The Conductor: The Story of Rev. John Rankin, Abolitionism’s Essential Founding Father Coming Out October 15th! https://www.amazon.com/Conductor-Rankin-Abolitionisms-Essential-Founding/dp/1637589891 Follow Caleb’s work at Young Voices here: https://www.joinyv.org/staff/caleb-franz De Tocqueville on Slavery along the Ohio River https://voegelinview.com/noble-savages-and-barbarized-slaves-tocqueville-on-native-americans-and-african-americans-in-democracy-in-america/ Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-River-Untold-Underground-Railroad/dp/0684870665 Read more about John Rankin https://rlo.acton.org/archives/125356-the-letters-that-inspired-the-american-abolition-movement.html Second Great Awakening: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening John Rankin House https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/john-rankin-house/ John Rankin’s burial place https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8760833/john-rankin National Underground Railroad Freedom Center https://freedomcenter.org/ Buffalo Trace Bourbon: https://www.rarebourbonshop.com/products/buffalo-trace-bourbon-1-liter Elijah Craig Bourbon: https://www.rarebourbonshop.com/products/elijah-craig-small-batch-bourbon Twitter @CalebFranz Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer - @Aviv5753 Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Ep. 076: The Literary Life & Classical Education

    Ep. 076: The Literary Life & Classical Education
    Jun 4 2024
    What do the French Horn, Led Zepplin, and C.S. Lewis have in common? They are all part of the Great Conversation. Dr. Junius Johnson joins the Forgotten America podcast to discuss classical education and the literary life. Dr. Johnson grew up in Louisville, KY, and shares his story of discovering the Western Canon, classical music, and Latin. This episode is a great introduction to the classical education movement taking the country by storm. If you’d like to see a little more truth, goodness, and beauty reflected in the world around you, you’ll want to listen to this episode and hear the wisdom Dr. Johnson has to share with us. And if you’re looking for a new book to add to your booklist, make sure you take notes while listening. Follow Dr. Junius Johnson’s work: https://www.juniusjohnson.com/ OR https://academics.juniusjohnson.com/ Further Reference: The Western Cannon by Harold Bloom https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Western-Canon-Book-School-Ages-BLOOM/31214804233/bd C.S. Lewis https://www.christianbook.com/page/christian-authors/cs-lewis Mimesis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis Resource for scanning Latin poetry https://www.thoughtco.com/scan-a-line-of-latin-poetry-118819 John Dewey: https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Dewey William James: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/james/ Children of Time https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Time_(novel) Dune https://www.thriftbooks.com/series/dune-chronicles/37695/ Garth Nix https://garthnix.com/books/the-seventh-tower/ https://garthnix.com/books/the-keys-to-the-kingdom/ https://garthnix.com/books/the-old-kingdom/ Timothy Zahn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrail_series Writing history textbooks for highschoolers with Classical Academic Press: Humanitas https://classicalacademicpress.com/ https://classicalacademicpress.com/collections/humanitas Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer - @Aviv5753 Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Ep. 075: Reflections on Europe, Forgotten America, and the Need for a Hall of Heroes

    Ep. 075: Reflections on Europe, Forgotten America, and the Need for a Hall of Heroes
    May 21 2024
    In this special solo episode, Garrett takes some time to reflect on recent conversations with guests of the Forgotten America podcast and his Spring vacation to Scottland & Ireland. The last few months of guests and travel have driven home the need for West Virginia to have a Hall of Heroes to celebrate its people and its past. This episode is a great reminder of the importance of loving the place you’re from and sharing your passion for it with others. Special Mentions: Edinburgh, Scottland https://edinburgh.org/ Similarities between Scottland and Appalachia https://www.ecoclimax.com/2021/05/the-appalachian-mountains-scottish.html Of course, Scottland would have a history of coal mining! https://edinburgh.org/event/before-and-after-coal/ Adam Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith Cliffs of Moher – Ireland https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/ Galway (Irish Nashville) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway The Burren https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/your-visit/beyond-the-cliffs-places-to-see/the-burren/ Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    33 mins
  • Ep. 074: Out of the Paw Paw Patch and into the Mountains

    Ep. 074: Out of the Paw Paw Patch and into the Mountains
    May 7 2024
    Tiffany Hoben is the Director of Education Partnerships & Strategy for the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. She joins the Forgotten America Podcast to share her motivations for moving from the Sunshine State to the Mountain State, her passion for civics education, and her belief in the importance of feeling rooted in a local community. The Outpost: https://outpostnrg.com/ Florida Civics Standards: https://www.fldoe.org/civicliteracy/ Comments from the Civics Alliance on the 2024 Proposed West Virginia Social Studies Standards: https://civicsalliance.org/letter-comment-on-west-virginia-social-studies-standards/ New River Gorge: https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm Parrish, Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrish,_Florida Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    52 mins
  • Ep. 073: Homer Hickam: From McDowell County to Rocket Boy

    Ep. 073: Homer Hickam: From McDowell County to Rocket Boy
    Apr 23 2024
    Homer Hickam is a true West Virginia hero. Raised in Coalwood, a mining town in southern West Virginia, he went on to fight in the Vietnam War, work for NASA, and become a best-selling author. His book, Rocket Boys, was made into the popular movie October Sky. In this episode, he shares with Garrett stories from his life that reveal how his upbringing in West Virginia contributed to his success. Homer tells about the inspiration behind his books, expresses his love for the Appalachian mountains, and gives his thoughts about education, the importance of community, and so much more. He even gives a sneak peek into some upcoming projects that he is working on. Garrett’s conversation with Homer evokes a sense of both comforting familiarity and otherworldliness. This episode of Forgotten America will leave you in awe of how much things have changed since the 40s but also grateful for the resilience of the Mountaineer Spirit. Follow Homer’s work by visiting his website: https://homerhickam.com/ Get a copy of his newest book, Don’t Blow Yourself Up, here: https://homerhickam.com/project/dont-blow-yourself-up/ October Sky (movie adaptation of his memoir, Rocket Boys): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/ Coalwood, WV: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalwood,_West_Virginia Buddy Ebsen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Ebsen Jake Gyllenhaal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Gyllenhaal Carrying Albert Home: https://homerhickam.com/project/carrying-albert-home/ Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Ep. 072: Hitchhiker’s Guide to Rural America

    Ep. 072: Hitchhiker’s Guide to Rural America
    Apr 9 2024
    This episode of Forgotten America opens with a brief walk down memory lane. Garrett shares how he first met Dr. Thompson at his Moral Foundations of Capitalism seminar at Clemson University. Dr. Thompson’s lecture was a catalyst moment for Garrett that led him down a career path that brought him home to run the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, a free market think tank. Dr. Bradley Thompson was born in Canada, but he considered himself an American born in the wrong country from a young age. He tells the story of how hitchhiking through the United States was a formative experience for him and explains that he chose to explore rural America this way for two reasons: to discover America and to discover himself. This episode of the Forgotten America podcast explores the origins of Dr. Thompson’s Substack entitled Redneck Intellectual, how COVID impacted a generation of young men and women, what makes classical education unique, and the importance of fatherhood. If you enjoy thinking about the big questions of life, this episode is one that you won’t want to miss. The Well Trained Mind (online resource) https://welltrainedmind.com/ The Well Trained Mind: The Essential Edition (book) C. Bradley Thompson, Professor at Clemson University and Executive Director for the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism https://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/capitalism/cisc/bradley-thompson.html Dr. Thompson’s website: https://cbradleythompson.com/ The American Mountain People: National Geographic https://www.amazon.com/American-Mountain-National-Geographic-Society/dp/B00PAC6LMY The How and Why Book of the American Revolution https://www.amazon.com/How-Book-American-Revolution-Wonder/dp/B000BOZY3I The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand https://aynrand.org/novels/atlas-shrugged/ Fathers and Sons, American Style https://cbradleythompson.com/fathers-and-sons-american-style/ LocoFoco Press https://cbradleythompson.substack.com/p/announcement-from-the-redneck-intellectual Twitter: @CBradleyThomps1 Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer Communications & Social Media Associate - @Aviv5753 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter
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    1 hr and 9 mins