Off-Campus History

Today we’re digging into the history of urban planning in twentieth-century Canada and the US! Particularly, we discuss why our cities came to be oriented around car-dependent suburbs, and what consequences that style of design has for our lives today.

In this episode, I’m joined by fellow Torontonian and historian, Dr. Hana Suckstorff. Our conversation today responds to ongoing political debates about urban design in the Greater T...

On today’s episode, we chat about all things historical movies! I’m joined by Kevin Winterhalt, previous Off-Campus History alumnus and PhD Candidate at the University of Colorado-Boulder. His research examines the intersection of professional sports and politics in the modern United States.

It’s a bit more of an informal chat today as we dive into our thoughts on historical films generally. When it comes to movies, what does “hist...

Today we’re discussing the 1992 Heritage Minute “Nitro” and its depiction of Chinese Canadian history, as well as Heritage Minutes more generally!

For those unfamiliar, Heritage Minutes are a series of 60-second short films intended to depict major moments in Canadian history. “Nitro” introduces viewers to the experiences of Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be...

On today’s episode, we dig into the history of the Mau Mau Rebellion with someone working on a film about it!

I’m joined by Julie MacArthur, Associate Professor of History at the University of Toronto, to discuss a feature film she is presently co-writing. The film, currently with a working title of Kimathi at War, will centre on the experiences of Mau Mau rebels who fought against British colonial rule in Kenya during the 1950s. J...

On today’s episode, we’re talking about the history of fast food! Specifically, our conversation today focuses on the 2016 film The Founder. The film follows the early years of McDonald’s as a fast food chain in the 1950s, with Ray Kroc employing cutthroat business tactics to transform the restaurant into a huge chain and achieve what he views as success. Michael Keaton stars as Ray Kroc; Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura De...

On today's episode, we’re discussing the 1975 film Hester Street and its depiction of Jewish immigration to the United States at the turn of the twentieth century!

Hester Street is based on an 1896 novella by Abraham Cahan named called Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto. The film follows a Jewish immigrant family in 1890s New York who come into conflict over the extent to which they should adopt aspects of American culture and the...

On today's episode, we’re discussing 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans. This epic adventure film stars Daniel Day-Lewis and was adapted from an 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper.

The film is set during the Seven Years War—sometimes known in the United States as the French and Indian War. The story centres on Hawkeye, the adopted son of a Mohican chief, who seeks to protect two daughters of a British military officer from an Wendat ...

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Professor Benjamin Hoy to discuss teaching history through board games, with a specific focus on the 2013 game Lewis & Clark: The Expedition as well as board game portrayals of Indigenous history.

Lewis & Clark is based on—you guessed it—the Lewis & Clark expedition of 1804 to 1806 that was sent by US President Thomas Jefferson to explore lands in the Louisiana Purchase. The game sees players race ...

Today we’re discussing the 2014 film ’71 and its depiction of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Troubles was a period from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. The Troubles saw significant political unrest and violence waged by paramilitary organizations and British forces over the status of Northern Ireland. The majority of the island of Ireland had secured political independence from the United Kin...

Today we’re discussing the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club and its depiction of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Dallas Buyers Club is based on a true story and follows Ron Woodroof, a straight, homophobic cowboy who contracts AIDS. In hospital, Woodroof meets a queer person who also has contracted AIDS named Rayon. The two of them start a business called the Dallas Buyers Club, in which they import and sell medication for AIDS that have...

Today we’re having a very meta discussion about history podcasts! As anyone listening to this right now can attest to, podcasting has become an important medium through which people learn about history, and enjoy history-focused entertainment. Shows ranging from Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History to Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History to Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson’s The Secret Life of Canada and many, many more have become a...

On today’s podcast, we’re discussing the brand-new television series Our Flag Means Death! (Spoilers ahead!)

Our Flag Means Death is a romantic comedy about pirates in the early eighteenth century. The story follows Stede Bonnet (played by Rhys Darby), a landed gentleman who abandons his comfortable lifestyle and family to become a pirate. Unfortunately for Stede, he’s not very good at piracy, which leads him and his ragtag crew to...

On today’s podcast, we’re discussing the 2009 PBS documentary series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea!

As you may have guessed from the title, this series covers the history of the national park system in the United States. The series was directed by Ken Burns, who I think is fair to say is the most celebrated maker of American history documentaries. The series won two Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Nonfiction Se...

On today’s podcast, we’re talking about the 2015 film The Revenant!

This movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a fur trader in the western United States in the early 1820s who goes on an epic quest for revenge. The movie saw significant financial and critical success; it grossed over $530 million USD worldwide, and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning three.

Today we dig into the movie’s portrayal of the fur trade. ...

On today’s podcast, we’re talking about the 2017 film Wonder Woman!

This first entry in the new Wonder Woman film series stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana. The movie revises Diana’s origin story from the Second World War to the First World War, representing a relatively rare portrayal of World War One in a major American motion picture. And a lot of people watched Wonder Woman’s portrayal of the First World War—the movie grosse...

On today’s podcast, we’re talking about the 2019 film The Lighthouse!

This movie stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers stationed on a remote island off the coast of New England in the 1890s. At least one, if not both, of the characters are driven increasingly mad by the isolation of their post. Inspired by an unfinished Edgar Allan Poe story, this movie is creepy as heck and not for the faint of heart!

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On today’s episode, we’re applying an academic eye to sports history! We’re discussing The Last Dance, a 2020 documentary series about Michael Jordan and the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls in the 1980s and 90s. For those unfamiliar, Jordan is frequently considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and became one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet in this period.

Sports history is a big are...

On today’s episode, we’re discussing the Winnipeg General Strike’s depiction in the 2019 film Stand!

Stand! is a Canadian musical about two Romeo and Juliet-like recent immigrants whose families disapprove of their relationship due to their different backgrounds. The two of them become involved in the Winnipeg General Strike during their love story. This movie is not so easy to find; I accessed it through my local library, so check...

On today’s episode, we’re discussing the 2021 film The Green Knight!

The Green Knight is a 2021 film directed and written by David Lowery. The film is based on the Arthurian tale “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” which was first recorded as a poem in a fourteenth-century English manuscript. In both the original poem and the film, the story follows Gawain, a nephew of King Arthur who undertakes a quest to face the Green Knight and ...