Murderhobos: Masculinity Throughout History

Today on Murderhobos: Crazy Horse, the Lakota Warrior whose leadership against the US Army in the 1870s culminated in one of the most spectacular military victories of the century. He was a ferocious fighter on the battlefield, but at home he was a quiet, generous and spiritually sensitive man who left an impression of singularness oddness to all who knew him. His untimely death in 1877 marked the end of a period of Lakota dominance of the Northern Plains. What can Crazy Horse's life teach us about the means of resistance against the American Empire and the complicated life of the free people of Great Plains? Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by March 3rd, 2026. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Tecumseh. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos Submit questions: [email protected]

Today on Murderhobos: Tecumseh. The Shawnee diplomat, strategist and war chief, who built with his brother a powerful tribal confederacy centered around opposition to the expanding United States. Tecumseh's famous charisma and skillful leadership in the War of 1812 challenged racist assumptions of Indian manhood, American superiority, and came painfully close to derailing U.S. dominance of North America in the following decades. What can Tecumseh's life and untimely death tell us about the fragility of western colonial dominance, and the realities and plausibility of Indigenous resistence? Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by March 3rd, 2026. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about King Philip. Sorry for the delay! Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos Submit questions: [email protected]

Today on Murderhobos: King Philip. A Wampanoag Sachem, whose name became synonymous with a bloody, horrific, war that nearly destroyed the English colonies of New England. The effectiveness of the Wampanoag and allied campaign led surviving colonists to construct a popular public memory of Philip as a bloodthirsty monster: the brutal, ugly leader, of a race of so-called savages. But Philip was a real person, who lived most of his life at peace. How did his memory become so effectively attached to later racist ideas like manifest destiny and westward expansion? Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by January 13th, 2026. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about PIRATES. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos Submit questions: [email protected]

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Jean Lafitte. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos Submit questions: [email protected]

Today on Murderhobos: Jean Lafitte. A pirate, smuggler, and American hero of the War of 1812. Together with his brother Pierre, he became one of the most popular folk heroes of the American South in the 19th century, a popularity which waned over the course of the century to his relative obscurity today. What can his ambitious diverse criminal career show us about crime, piracy, slavery, and revolution in the age of American expansion? Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by December 2nd 2025. We'll be hosting a year-end Q&A for all of our pirate episodes too - please submit questions for that by December 16th. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Edward Thatch, Teach, Taych, Tack, whatever you wanna call him. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard. Possibly the most famous pirate in history. Know primarily for his beard and his reputation for brutality and violence, he is in every way the pop culture exemplar of the golden age of piracy But his real life and violent death are a fascinating case study for the reality of piracy, shipboard life, and class conflict in the early decades of the 18th century. Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by November 4th 2025. We'll be hosting a year-end Q&A for all of our pirate episodes too - please submit questions for that by December 16th. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Henry Morgan: Pirate, Pirate Hunter, and Professional Alcoholic, in that order. The podcast episode Adam talks about with the costumer from Pirates of the Carribean: https://teamdeakins.libsyn.com/penny-rose-costume-designer A clip from Treasure Island (1950), where Robert Newton basically invented the "pirate accent": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vleS6rP6hw&t Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Captain Henry Morgan: a Jamacian planter, freebooter, and king of the so-called bretheren of the coast, whose brutal raids on Spanish colonies led to his knighthood and his position as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He was by fortune or chance tied to Jamaica at a critical time in its history, and was in many ways the architect of western colonialism in the Carribean. Plus they named a rum after him. Submit questions to [email protected] or on our Patreon discord by October 7th 2025. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

The first Q&A episode of Season 2! Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Colonel Thomas Monstery. Adam's lecture on fencing in the 19th Century: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGwHVDdRFgc&ab_channel=LansingLongswordGuild Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Colonel Thomas Monstery: master fencer, military adventurer, filbuster, sailor and pulp novellist. What does his fiction have to do with his filibustering, and how does that explore the era of imperialism in which he lived, fought, and especially, wrote? Submit questions to [email protected] by September 9th 2025. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon.

We're back! Our second season begins next week, on 9/2.

Surprise! We know it's been a while but we're back with a special conversation to prepare you for Season 2, which'll be out before you know it. This week, a conversation between Adam and fencing instructor and historian Arik Mendelevitz. Arik recently published "Bolognese Longsword for the Modern Practitioner," a book offering an introduction to the beautiful and oft-forgotten tradition of Bolognese longsword fencing of the 16th century. Adam and Arik talk about the historical context of the system, and go long on one of history's most infamous families: The Borgias. Arik's website is https://foolofswords.com/ His timeline of the Borgia family is available at https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVLr1V3xc=/ He also has a newsletter you can subscribe to if you're interested in more information about Bolognese longsword, Italian history, or excellent rapier fencing: https://fool-of-swords.beehiiv.com/subscribe If you'd like to join the Four Openings Rapier Tournament Adam and Arik are talking about this October, you can find information at https://centerlineswordschool.com/events/.

Today on Murderhobos, another interim episode! This week, part 2 of our crossover episode with the excellent history podcast Well Behaved Women, hosted by Lauren Schill and Hannah Moses. The gang heads back to the Old West to take a closer look at Calamity Jane, sharpshooter, storyteller, and friend of Wild Bill Hickok. We're also excited to announce that Season 2 is officially in the swing of production, with two episodes recorded so far. See you soon! This episode originally aired on 8/11/23. You can find Well Behaved Women at https://www.wellbehavedwomenpodcast.com/, or wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, another interim episode! This week, a crossover episode with the excellent history podcast Well Behaved Women, hosted by Lauren Schill and Hannah Moses. The gang heads back to the Old West to take a closer look at Calamity Jane, sharpshooter, storyteller, and friend of Wild Bill Hickok. We're also excited to announce that Season 2 is officially in the swing of production, with two episodes recorded so far. See you soon! This episode originally aired on 8/4/23. You can find Well Behaved Women at https://www.wellbehavedwomenpodcast.com/, or wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, another interim episode to slake your bloodthirst for season two. (Back, fiends!) This week, an interview Adam did with Dr. Stuart Ellis-Gorman for his podcast "Let's Talk About Crossbows" back in February. Adam and Stuart talk Gotz von Berlichingen, late medieval Germany, and all things crossbow and crossbow-related. More interim episodes are on the way, and we hope to launch Season 2 by the end of the year. You can find Dr. Ellis-Gorman's work at https://www.stuartellisgorman.com/. His new book, "The Medieval Crossbow: A Weapon Fit To Kill A King", is out now via Pen and Sword Books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Medieval-Crossbow-Hardback/p/21280 Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, our first guest episode! *Gasps, oohs and ahs* We're joined by fantasy author, friend of the show, and noted trans historian Alina Boyden to discuss transness in history. We talk about Lia De Beaumont, the Chevalière d'Éon, one of the most famous trans women in history, and a kickass swordswoman. We also talk about the way academic historians often fail to recognize trans experiences (and trans women in particular), and why that matters. You can find Alina and her books at https://twitter.com/AlinaBoyden Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, a special episode produced by Tony. We're headed all the way back to Minneapolis, circa 1900. As the mill capital of the world, Minneapolis was packed to the brim with seasonal workers, thriving brothels, and scheming card sharks. But to Mayor Albert Alonzo Ames, it was just a piggy bank waiting to be smashed open. Over the course of a year and a half, Ames turned the Minneapolis Police Department into the most powerful crime ring the city had ever seen. This episode originally appeared on KFAI's MinneCulture, available wherever you get your podcasts. Funding provided by Minnesota's Legacy Arts and Culture Amendment. Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by May 21st, 2023. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos Special Thanks: Erik Rivenes Deidre Hammond Adam Franti Sam Hills Julie Censullo Soundtrack, by order of appearance: Narcissus – Sousa's Band (1902) Victor Record 354 Let Me Call You Sweetheart – Columbia Quartette (1911) Columbia Record A1057 Old Comrades March – Columbia Band (1900) Columbia Record A1608 Marching Through Georgia – Columbia Band (1901) Columbia Record A107 The Holy City – Henry Burr (1900) Columbia Record A242 God Save The King – Columbia Band (1902) Columbia Record A65 Calvary – Baritone Solo (1900) Columbia Record A267 Rubenstein's Melody in F – Alexander Heindl (1901) Victor Monarch Record 3030 Come Out, Dinah, On The Green – Harry Macdonough (1901) Victor Monarch Record 1099 Poet and Peasant Overture – Sousa's Band (1902) Victor Monarch Record 1552 Trumpet Quartette – Columbia Band (1900) Columbia Record 373 A Little Bit Off The Top – Ed Favor (1900) Victor Record A195 Then You'll Remember Me – Tenor Solo (1901) Columbia Record A343

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Murderhobos Season 1. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

The last biography Q&A episode of Season 1! Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Ernest Hemingway. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Ernest Hemingway, a writer, sportsman, trophy hunter, and war correspondent, considered by many to be one of the best writers of the twentieth century. But what can studying Ernest Hemingway - and studying the study of Ernest Hemingway - teach us about masculinity in the mid-twentieth century? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by January 15th, 2023. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Sid Hatfield. Not the best audio quality on this one, apologies for the guerilla field recording. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Sid Hatfield, otherwise known as Smilin' Sid, a West Virginia miner, gunslinger, chief of police, and hero to the US labor movement. His public murder in 1921 spurred on what would become the largest domestic uprising in US history following the Civil War. How did his life and death interface with broader trends in American law enforcement and labor rights of the time? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by December 18th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Theodore Roosevelt. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, a trendsetter, politician, reformer, citizen soldier, and one of the most popular and influential American presidents of all time. How did a boy who grew up with severe asthma come to be known as one of history's chief promoters of the masculine lifestyle, and why is his legacy so important for understanding the United States in the 20th Century? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by November 20th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Wild Bill Hickok. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill Hickock, a wilderness scout, lawman, gambler, gunslinger, and half-hearted actor, who was one of the archetypal frontiersman and myth-makers of the American West. His short, violent life has been seen as a parallel to the American frontier experience. But could one man's life, and one man's lies, truly represent a whole era? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by October 23rd, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about John Brown. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos: John Brown, an abolitionist, freedom fighter, and often considered one of America's first domestic terrorists. Brown has remained a hugely divisive figure in American history, presented either as a insane zealot or a hero of the downtrodden, but his action and motivation is the contradiction of American democracy: how can a country that professes freedom and liberty for all keep four million people in bondage? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by September 25th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Alexander Hamilton. Sorry for the audio quality on this one! Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Alexander Hamilton: an orphan, rebel, lover, founding father, and America's most famous duellist. Hamilton's life and tragic death has inspired musicals, films, and books, but his personal writings expose the anxious reality of political and personal power in a time of duels and a culture of suspecion. What led Hamilton to his fatal duel, and what can we learn about the culture of American duelling in the early 19th century? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by August 28th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Donald McBane. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Scottish duellist, adventurer, gambler, procurer, and gladiator Donald McBane, whose experiences as an enlisted soldier from 1689 to 1710 spanned three wars in three decades, including brothel keeping, running gambling tents, and fighting duels against peers, only to culminate as a professional champion in the Bear Gardens of peacetime England. What can McBanes experiences teach us about military life at the turn of the 18th century, and about the tumultuous life of non-soldiers in an army on the move? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by July 31st, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about Jacques de Caylus, Louis de Maugiron, and a bunch of other French dudes whose names I'm not gonna type in the show notes cause I'm lazy. Adam and his hats: https://imgur.com/7fK8WrM Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, the Duel of the Mignons, a bloody duel in which six of King Henry III's courtiers fought to the death in the summer of 1578. These men were celebrities among the French elite, distinguished warriors, cultural icons, and alleged lovers of the king. The duel left two dead on the field, two to die in agony in the weeks following the encounter and two survivors. It was a low point in the troubled reign of King Henry III, a watershed moment in the history of the French duel and a prominent topic in historiography of sexuality. Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by July 3rd, 2022.

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about the man with the iron hand, Götz von Berlichingen. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, Götz von Berlichingen, a self-described "poor knight" whose career of plunder, feuding, and warfare continued for 50 years after the loss of his right hand in 1504. Armed with a prosthetic, Götz of the Iron Hand would ride as an enemy of bishops, in the service of rebel lords, and lead armies of revolutionary peasants, all in the supposed waning days of knighthood. Götz' autobiography shows the nature of knightly feuds, warfare in the period of military revolution, and the end of the medieval period. Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by June 5th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Adam is joined by Murderhobos producer Tony Williams to answer your questions about the life and times of William Marshal. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, William Marshal, a 13th century Norman knight who became a friend and advisor to a string of English kings, whose astonishing career in the Norman tournament circuit made him one of the richest and most influential knights in the Angovine empire. His skill at arms in tournaments, rebellions, and dynastic warfare led many to claim William Marshal as the most famous knight in history. What can his life tell us about 13th century chivalry, warfare, politics, and chivalric romance? Submit questions to [email protected] or twitter.com/murderhobospod by May 8th, 2022. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Introducing Murderhobos, a new historical biography podcast from historian Adam Franti, focusing on men of violence and their historical context. First episode will be released 5/1.