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New twist: Five die after recovery and discharge in Dharavi

A new Covid-19 dimension unfolded in Dharavi on Friday as BMC officials on routine calls to recovered patients discovered that five of them had died since their discharge. The victims had completed their 14-day hospital stay over a month ago. The death toll in Dharavi—the worst-hit slum in the city with 808 positive cases, having added 25 new patients on Friday— now stands at 26. BMC officials refused to comment on the possibility of reinfection and said they would study the deaths.​




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Martha Leads the Charge

While General George Washington commanded the troops in the field, Martha led the charge at home. Historic Interpreter Lee Ann Rose describes the impact women made during the Revolution.




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The Revolutionary Origins of the Civil War

Abraham Lincoln makes good on the founders’ promises of freedom and equality. Author Gordon Wood lays out the Revolutionary origins of the Civil War.




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Women of the Revolution

Could the war have been won without women? Author and Professor Holly Mayer thinks not. Learn more about the inner workings of the Continental Army.





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Oral History

African American history is both discovered in and continued by an ancient oral tradition. Richard Josey describes the process of restoring a community’s voice.




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Age of Piracy

Pirates seek treasure both sunken and sea-going, from the 17th century through today. William and Mary Professor Kris Lane draws the connections between the old traditions and the fresh emergences of piracy.




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Washington's Whiskey

George Washington’s retirement venture had a high alcohol content. Mount Vernon’s Director of Preservation, Dennis Pogue, leads us on a tour through Washington’s whiskey distillery.




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A Tribal Relic Returns

A lost relic returns to the Pamunkey tribe in a new form. American Indian Initiative Manager Buck Woodard guides us through treaties and time.




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Meet the Weaver

War makes the weaver busy. Cloth for everything from sails to bedsheets is created on his loom. Max Hamrick weaves the tale.




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Arsenal of War

A new armoury complex takes shape on the footings of Anderson’s Forge. Archaeologist Meredith Poole talks about the site’s rebuilt narrative.




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Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Thomas Jefferson reads the words that started it all: The Declaration of Independence.





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George Washington's Farewell

George Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address teems with advice that rings true today. Listen to interpreter Ron Carnegie read excepts from the timeless epistle.




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Meet the Basketmaker

Basketmaking is a tradition born of utility and preserved for beauty. Colonial Williamsburg basketmaker Terry Thon practices a trade passed down through generations.




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Excavating Ancient Armor

A broken helmet is discarded and forgotten, only to be resurrected 400 years later by curious archaeologists on Jamestown Island. Curator Michael Lavin describes the effort.




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More Than Meets the Eye

Early maps and prints leave geography for last, focusing first on politics and propaganda. Curator Margaret Pritchard talks about a new exhibit at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.




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The Idea of America

Democracy is an experiment sustained through debate; rights are a privilege earned through participation. Michael Hartoonian introduces The Idea of America.




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Constitution Day: Trial by Jury

The Constitution guarantees the right to jury trial. What does it mean for a vital democracy? Director of the Center for Jury Studies Paula Hannaford-Agor explains their importance.




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Spies at Jamestown

The tale of a Spanish spy reveals England’s fragile hold on the New World. Miguel Girona tells the story of Don Diego de Molina.




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Williamsburg's Blacksmith

Williamsburg’s blacksmith transforms crude metal into elegant, functional tools. Master Blacksmith Ken Schwarz details the trade.




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First Do No Harm

Restoration presents a paradox when repairing old instruments could mean erasing their stories. Conservator John Watson walks the fine line.




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The Mystery of the Gravestones

Two gravestones are unearthed during a construction project. Historians and curators work to solve the mysteries below. Emily Williams tells their story.




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Meet Benjamin Franklin

Wry humor softens the sharp wit of this quintessentially American founding father. Interpreter John Hamant talks about portraying Benjamin Franklin.




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An Enduring Spirit

Edith Cumbo was a rare individual in colonial Virginia: a free African woman. Learn about her life and her stature in this interview with Emily James.




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A Method for Madness

Doctors treating madness in 1773 embraced methods like bleeding, vomiting, restraint and intimidation. Interpreter Donna Wolf researched the topic for her program, “A Method for Madness.”




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Woodworking in Williamsburg

Master cabinetmaker Mack Headley makes fine furniture in the plain and neat Virginia style.




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Harsh World, This World

The diverse relationships between slaves and masters were governed by kindness, betrayal, trust, and cruelty. A new Electronic Field Trip, “Harsh World, This World” examines the complex familiarity of slavery.





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Westward!

America outgrows her 13 colonies and stretches her boundaries west. CNU Professor Phillip Hamilton explains the sprawl.




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Great Hair

Hear tales of hair farms, shaved heads, yak fur, and wigs rigged with live ammunition, told by wigmaker Betty Myers.




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Meet the Cooper

The coopers’s cask is one of mankind’s strongest constructions, and the ubiquitous container for shipping items wet and dry. Meet cooper Ramona Vogel to learn more about the trade.




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Arming the Continent

New information continues to emerge from the excavation of Anderson’s Armoury. The tin shop is found, beginning a new exploration of the trade. Meredith Poole updates.




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The Polite Academy

The manners of the parlor codify the feminine culture. Kristen Spivey keeps up appearances in The Polite Academy.





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Town Gunsmith

The gun is part of America’s creation story. Gunsmith George Suiter describes the technology of this potent tool.




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The Boston Slave Petitions

The founders demanded freedom for themselves, but not for their slaves. Early protests show that the enslaved noticed the flaw in the logic. Historian Harvey Bakari introduces the Boston Slave Petitions.




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The Science of History

Retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation and former under secretary of the Army Norm Augustine says history and science go hand-in-hand.




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The Wooden Teeth That Weren't

At his inauguration, George Washington had just one tooth left. Mount Vernon curator Laura Simo describes history’s most famous set of dentures.




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Unearthing Indian History

Native American archaeologists reclaim their tribal history in a modern-day dig. Pamunkey tribeswoman Ashley Atkins describes the discoveries.




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We'll Drink to That

Alcohol quenched nearly every thirst there was in colonial America. Author Ed Crews explains why the preference existed and how the prevailing medical wisdom supported it.



  • Food and Drink
  • Health & Life
  • alcohol

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Fire in a Crowded Century

Old-fashioned fire engines had to do much the same jobs as today’s, but they relied on classic physics and plenty of manpower. Curator Erik Goldstein describes the fire engine at the center of a new exhibit at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.




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Adopted by the Shawnee

Runaway slave Elizabeth found freedom, family, and equality when she was adopted into the Shawnee tribe. After ten years, she returned to slavery. Hope Smith shares the heartbreaking story behind this selfless act.




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Meet the Shoemaker

You can call him a shoemaker, you can call him a cordwainer; you can even call him Al. But one thing you must never call him is a cobbler. Master boot and shoemaker Al Saguto discusses his trade in this week’s show.




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Colonial Williamsburg Connect

Debates over eternal American values are reborn with every generation. Co-creators Bill White and Bill Wagner help make the connections on a new interactive website.




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Meet the Carpenter

You can’t build a town without wood. Master Carpenter Garland Wood describes a Williamsburg built completely by hand.



  • Buildings and Sites
  • Trades & Technology
  • carpenter

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Organic Gardening, Colonial Style

Colonists went green before green was a movement. Learn to keep an organic garden the Colonial Williamsburg way. Master Gardener Wesley Greene talks about history’s methods.




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Rare Animal Breeds in Williamsburg

Feathers, fur, hoofs and horns bring the Historic Area to life. Elaine Shirley, manager of rare breeds, explains how we show happy animals to the public.




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A Conversation With George Washington: Part One

We sit down with the first president and ask him questions submitted by podcast listeners. Listen as Ron Carnegie interprets George Washington.




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A Conversation with George Washington: Part Two

George Washington shares his thoughts on the role of government and his hopes for the future in part two of this listener-question interview. Ron Carnegie interprets the first president.