The Astor family name conjures images of Gilded Age opulence and tragedy—perhaps most famously embodied by John Jacob Astor IV, who perished aboard the Titanic in 1912. But the roots of one of America's first great fortunes stretch back much further, to the late 18th century when German immigrant John Jacob Astor built a fur trading empire that spanned from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest. His American Fur Company turned remote outposts like Mackinac Island into crucial commercial hubs, fundamentally shaping the economic development of the American frontier. Over multiple generations, the Astors transformed their wilderness wealth into New York real estate, political influence, and cultural prestige, creating a dynasty that helped define what it meant to be American aristocracy but all built on the backs of the enslaved, the poor, the immigrants. Their story is one of ambition, innovation, and the complex legacy of fortunes built on both opportunity and exploitation during a pivotal era in American history. Part One explores the roots of all this. Part Two will explore the spiritual, physical, and cultural ghosts and legacies of Mackinac Island itself.

The Root article I mentioned about slavery and NYC: https://www.theroot.com/how-slave-labor-made-new-york-1790895122

To support the pod and purchase the books I recommended:

*Peter Stark’s Astoria: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780062964663

*Anderson Cooper’s Astor: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781482992199

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What is Captain Smith hadn't gone down with the ship but instead lived to attend the inquiries and be inevitably torn apart by the press? How does he live with himself? How does Titanic's legacy change? Is there a chance it did happen and someone saw Smith in Baltimore years later? Wild to imagine right...?

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I'm back and energized for a whole new relevant and real era of Unsinkable. Take a listen! xLA

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Join me and Pablo for another riveting "what if" in Titanic land! What if Titanic had enough lifeboats for all its passengers and crew? Would they have been loaded in enough time? Would all lives have been saved? More? What would change about the ship's legacy?

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Ever wonder what became of Rose after she walked off of the Carpathia? Get in, let's go find out...

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This is a fun one! Pablo and I unpack the utter DESOLATION of a world without the success of 1997's Titanic. Imagine if somehow the Hollywood nutjobs who harassed James Cameron during the production were...right? That audiences wouldn't respond? How would it have affected what museums and memorial sites we have now, or how Titanic's legacy survives? What is pop culture without Jack and Rose? What is film history without this particular monocultural moment?

I shudder to think!

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Join me and Pablo as we reflect on the wonder that swept the world when the shipwreck of Titanic was finally found in 1985 by Robert Ballard, and how it changed not just history books, but our own lives. We dive into a fascinating “what if”—imagining a world where Ballard never found the wreck. We discuss how the cultural history of the Titanic would be completely different: museums in Belfast, Southampton, Cobh, the United States might never have opened, millions of people may never have become enamored, and the ship’s story might have faded into obscurity. This series is a study of the world’s enduring connection to the Titanic.

Support my work on Patreon, or consider leaving a review on Apple or Spotify! Cheers, and thank you as always for listening!

Support the show

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Join me and fellow Titanic expert Pablo O'Hana for an intriguing and oft-narrative-bending journey into the "what ifs" of Titanic's sinking. For decades historians and fanatics alike have tossed around theories of who was to blame, or what might have happened if a few details were different that fateful night. In this conversations series we'll unpack some of the most controversial questions in an attempt to present Titanic's cultural and social history in a brand new light. Cheers!

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on your player of choice.

Episodes will air on Patreon two days before the main feed.

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Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

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Join me and fellow Titanic expert Pablo O'Hana for an intriguing and oft-narrative-bending journey into the "what ifs" of Titanic's sinking. For decades historians and fanatics alike have tossed around theories of who was to blame, or what might have happened if a few details were different that fateful night. In this conversations series we'll unpack some of the most controversial questions in an attempt to present Titanic's cultural and social history in a brand new light. Cheers!

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast on your player of choice.

Episodes will air on Patreon two days before the main feed.

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles

Buy Unsinkable shirts here!: https://www.bonfire.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/

Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

Happy Black History Month! Today we explore the life of Harriet Tubman, who every American school child learns a LITTLE about. Her life was much more complex and grittier than typical textbooks will lead one to believe; her work on the Underground Railroad is just the tip of our proverbial iceberg. During the Civil War, Tubman risked her life to scout and spy for the Union Army as well as worked tirelessly to provide social services for recently-freed slaves. Join me as we unpack the mythologies, bust them open as usual, and give thanks for those historical figures who have spoken loudly and acted with purpose.

Here's Dorothy Wickendon's book: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781476760742

Consider buying it via my Bookshop link above to support the pod.

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Join Pablo O'Hana, record-breaking fourth time Unsinkable guest, and me for a lively discussion of the evolution of modern marketing in the US and the UK. We take a look at the strategies used by the White Star Line and her competitors to bolster their reputations of luxury and size ("Have you heard of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay?") on the coveted Trans-Atlantic route in the early twentieth-century. A marketing and public relations expert himself, Pablo walks us through what advertising looked like in 1912 and what parts of that era stay with us even now in our everyday lives.

Settle in. Grab a dram or an oolong, take a seat, get cozy. This is the deep past.

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Help Asheville and its continuing recovery from Hurricane Helene here:
https://www.belovedasheville.com/

Find all info related to Titanic: An Immersive Voyage here: https://expo-titanic.com/

Happy holidays!

*Note: As a historian and former museum professional, I should make the disclaimer that Titanic: An Immersive Voyage does have some artifacts on display without standard placards and provenance. 

Support the show

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Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles

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Please consider donating to help the victims of this disaster. Our beautiful mountain city is in ruins. Links here: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2024/10/02/asheville-nc-flooding-how-to-help-helene-relief-efforts-in-western-nc/75472474007/

If you'd like to help the pod stay up and running during this time/support our little family during displacement, consider becoming a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles

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Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

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Please excuse some inferior sound, I am displaced from my studio at the moment because of some very disagreeable pipes at our house that decided to flood our bottom floor. 

Sex is discussed in this episode, just a heads up, but not in any graphic way.

Find our Outlander podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-outlander-rewatch/id1655047578

Books referenced in this episode (purchasing them through my link supports the podcast as well as indie bookstores!):

*Susan Douglas, Where the Girls Are: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780812925302

*Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780525537045

*Tania Modleski, Loving with a Vengeance: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9780415974516

*Wendy McClure, The Wilder Life: https://bookshop.org/a/80949/9781594485688

Support the show

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*Disclaimer: this episode includes the opinions of myself and my guest and is not intended to reflect anyone else's. We are not associated with RMST, Inc. in any way. When facts about the company are presented, we make sure to note them and mark them separately from our opinions.*

Find Pablo here: https://www.instagram.com/pabs94/

For Pablo’s article: https://pabloohana.medium.com/judge-smith-has-got-it-completely-wrong-on-titanic-2373bf23c8bd

For the BBC artifact warehouse article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1vd9k33r00o

For the BBC RMST article, including James Penca’s quote (“This rediscovery of the Diana statue is the perfect argument against leaving Titanic alone," Mr Penca said in response.”: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkm82enkgko

Support the show

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This was a Patreon bonus episode but too fun to not unlock!

I bring you an amazing EXTRA SPECIAL episode with my friend and fellow Titaniac Jamie Didawick. We met on Instagram when she found the podcast a couple of years ago and have since bonded over both Titanic and Disney. She's a travel agent (the best one ever) and she helped me and my family have the time of our lives at Disney World just a few weeks ago. This is a conversational episode about everything from James Cameron's Pandora at Disney to our favorite 1997 moments to modern cruising. It's a joy, and I hope you enjoy.

Warning this will make you want to go on a trip immediately, and if so contact Jamie here: https://www.instagram.com/bestdayeverwithjamie/

A video version will follow tomorrow once I have the time to upload too.

Cheers!

LA

Support the show

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Thank you for AN AMAZING SEASON! Happy summer and love to you all!

Find the Insta for my forthcoming Outlander podcast here:
https://www.instagram.com/thegreatoutlanderrewatch/

For Paul's new Titanic podcast collaboration with Titanic Book Club, go here! https://www.youtube.com/@titanicbookclub

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles

Buy Unsinkable shirts here!: https://www.bonfire.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/

Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod

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Join me in an audio essay, a love letter if you will, to the oak paneling made so iconic by the final scene of James Cameron’s Titanic and its new home at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge. A huge thank you to the museum for their support of the podcast for the past two years: I am honored to work with you all and I wish you the best with this exciting new exhibit! Emily Densky joins me from the museum to discuss its opening and plans for the new space.

Buy Paula Parisi’s book about the making of the film here:https://bookshop.org/p/books/titanic-and-the-making-of-james-cameron-paula-parisi/7294883?aid=80949&ean=9781557043658&listref=james-cameron-films-and-life&

Find the Insta for my forthcoming Outlander podcast here: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatoutlanderrewatch/

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Join me as I begin to explore the lives of Middle Eastern immigrants on Titanic, something I should have done long ago. The story of Titanic’s “Miracle Boy” is not oft-told, perhaps because it’s so heartbreaking, but the long and triumphant life of Michael Shafiq Peter Yusuf (Joseph is the Americanized version of the last name) is beautiful in its resiliency. Traveling on Titanic with his young mother and a tiny baby sister, Michael was separated from them in the chaos but managed to make it onto another lifeboat, reuniting with his family on Carpathia. What followed is marred with tragedy for many members of the family, but through their story we see the stories of immigration, Syrian families, third class, and the daily struggles of poverty. 

Fore more on the Syrian passengers, try and find a copy of Leila Elias’ detailed work: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Dream_and_Then_the_Nightmare.html?id=gSa1ygAACAAJ

For a photo of older Michael: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6992235/michael-peter-joseph

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Join me as I reflect on the sinking 112 years later + present to you my live show at Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, an event that will stay a core and important memory to me forever. Thank you to everyone who came out for it and thank you to Steven Schwankert for being the best live show guest I could ask for. Find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sschwankert/ and make sure to follow along as he prepares to release his book about The Six early next year!

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Listen to me gab with on one of MY fave history podcasts, Salem the Podcast! I was honored to join them for an episode and I know many of you will find their work fascinating. On their show, Salem tour guides and historians Jeffrey and Sarah take deep dives into the oft-dark, always-intriguing history of their town, its mythology and its obsessions. We have much in common in terms of how we approach research and how we unpack strange and beautiful stories. In this crossover episode, we speak about Elizabeth Lines and her daughter Mary, survivors who went on to spend much of their lives in Topsfield, not too far from Salem.

Find their pod here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/salem-the-podcast/id1612165471

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Join me for a conversation with renowned actor Cotter Smith, who portrays Senator William Alden Smith in the new film Unsinkable: Titanic Untold. We discuss how he tackled playing this rather controversial Titanic figure, a man who spearheaded the United States Senate Inquiry in the immediate aftermath of the sinking; we also dissect how Smith has been treated in the ship's historiography and maybe why he’s not gotten the fairest shot. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Cotter. If you’d like to see Cotter and some of the cast and crew of Unsinkable in person, consider joining us for a screening + Q/A in Knoxville on April 12th!

Find tickets here: https://www.regmovies.com/movies/unsinkable-titanic-untold-w-qa-ho00015965?date=04-12-2024

Find Cotter’s impressive resume here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0807767/

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To register for my live, in-person show on April 13th, go here: https://titanicpigeonforge.com/titanic-tribute-week/

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

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As Titanic hit the online news cycles in some wacky ways this past week (Titanic II? Ok…), I pushed the Emergency Meeting button and called Pablo O’Hana, my dear friend and one of our foremost experts on Titanic’s artifacts, its cultural impact and its memorialization. This is a wonderfully meandering podcast chat about what it means to be in the Titanic community, what we all owe to the memory of its victims, and how we can all use our voices here to honor the heart and soul of the ship we love. I may use the word “like” 87 times here, but please forgive this unedited and passionate bit of time.

Register for my live show on April 13 here! https://titanicpigeonforge.com/titanic-tribute-week/

Find Pablo’s New York Titanic Meetup group here: https://www.meetup.com/titanic/

New merch is here!!! https://www.bonfire.com/store/unsinkable-studios/

Join Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

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To register for the live, in-person show on April 13, go here: https://tickets.titanicattraction.com/WebStore/shop/viewitems.aspx?cg=PFSPEVT&c=PFTME&companycode=TITANIC

Join me for a rather joyful episode today as we look at the life of Artie Moore, Welsh-born wireless enthusiast-turned Marconi employee who began his career by picking up on Titanic's SOS calls from his tiny shack on his family's mill property.

For more reading on Marconi and wireless tech, check out Erik Larson's Thunderstruck: https://bookshop.org/p/books/thunderstruck-erik-larson/7860600?aid=80949&ean=9781400080670&listref=the-unsinkable-book-club&

And this biography of Marconi: https://bookshop.org/p/books/marconi-the-man-who-networked-the-world-marc-raboy/10875505?aid=80949&ean=9780190905934&listref=the-unsinkable-book-club&

Support the show

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