Dave Bowman's Book of Blessings

The Real First World War

Explore how the French and Indian War, often called the first true world war, set the stage for the American Revolution. Dave Bowman and Bill Mick unravel the global scale, colonial struggles, and mounting tensions that would ultimately ignite a revolution. Discover the overlooked roots of American independence and the worldwide conflict that changed everything.

Lines in the Wilderness

Dave and Ruby explore the chaos, violence, and personalities that shaped the infamous border clash between Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 1730s. Discover how land, law, and ambition collided in the making of the Mason-Dixon Line. Through vivid stories and historical detail, the episode reveals how one man’s actions changed the map—and the course of early America.

Toleration... Kind Of...

Before there was freedom of religion in America, before Thomas Jefferson penned the Virginia Statute, before James Madison hammered out the First Amendment, there was a moment in 1688 when England, ever so cautiously, took a step toward religious tolerance. The Toleration Act of 1688, often referenced by its date of royal assent in 1689, was not a dramatic leap into liberty. It was more like loosening a stiff collar after a long and tense dinner. Yet even this modest breath of fresh air stirred ideas that would cross the Atlantic and take root in American soil.