Imperfect Union
Imperfect Union
Guest: Steve Inskeep, author, "Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War"; host, NPR's "Morning Edition" and NPR's morning news podcast "Up First"
Jessie and John Frémont were central to the westward expansion of the United States. John Frémont named the Golden Gate Bridge, and he was looking to expand trade into China. Along the way, the Frémonts became so famous that their name can be found on landmarks all over the West. But their impact wasn't always positive.
The Lure of Celebrity
Guest: Sharon Marcus, author, "The Drama of Celebrity"
The concept of celebrity, as we know it, is pretty new—but, love celebrities or hate them, we're all complicit in their creation.
Vigilante Justice on the Western Frontier
Guest: Andrew C. Isenberg, Hall Distinguished Professor of American History, University of Kansas, and author, "Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life"
Wyatt Earp, lawman, gunfighter, and U.S. marshal, was not the perfect role model that much of Hollywood made him out to be. Instead, he was a complicated example of frontier vigilantism and cowboy justice.