Episode 1: The Americans

This episode will cover, by far, the longest span of time that will be covered in the entire Missing Pages podcast. Starting tens of thousands of years ago, I discuss the first people to arrive in the Americas. I explore how the first civilizations grew, how they adapted to their environment, and their major advancements. I continue through history exploring many of the descendants of these first civilizations up until 1492.

I explore the foundations of American societies, the growth of civilizations, and the rise and fall of empires. I discuss how they were similar and different from Europe. I lay out how they succeeded, where they failed, and what makes them just as human as the rest of us.

I do my best in this episode to bring some stories of individuals to the forefront, though, given the small amount of evidence (from both age and destruction) these are sparse.

The high school notes are lacking in this episode, so there’s a lot to cover in order to fill in all those missing pages.

Music

Intro: Fractured Timeline - Sémø

Outro: The Land That Time Forgot - Clair Kelly

Sources

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus - Charles C. Mann

The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America - Scott Weidensaul

American Colonies: The Settling of North America - Alan Taylor

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit missingpages.substack.com