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

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/

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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!

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

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