Episodes

Nov. 18, 2021

Beyond the Consul: Monterey

Today we’re going to a domestic destination–but it wasn’t always domestic. The history of Monterey goes back hundreds of years, and it shows how empires and commerce come together in one prime location.
Dec. 14, 2021

Hawaii 4-3

Consolation Prize is going true crime! In today's episode, we're going to hear about a murder case that a consul had to do some investigation of.
Dec. 22, 2021

Yeah, That Poinsett (re-release)

In this bonus holiday episode, a re-release from 2020, we explore the consular life of Joel Roberts Poinsett, everyone’s favorite holiday historical figure.
Jan. 14, 2022

What Is a Consul, Anyway? (re-release)

In this special bonus episode, we talk with a scholar who studies the history of the US consular service. We answer your questions like, What is a consul? What do they do? What makes them so interesting? Why should we care a…
Guest: Nicole Phelps
Feb. 15, 2022

Views and Re-Views

In this episode of Consolation Prize, we are exploring a consul’s involvement in a coup and a revolution.
March 8, 2022

States of Confusion

We explore the long and complicated relationship between the United States and the Papal States, the political-religious home of the Roman Catholic Church.
March 29, 2022

The Art of Diplomacy

Irena Wiley was a diplomat's wife. But she was also an artist who used her art to reflect the humanity of the many people she encountered all around the world.
Guest: William Adair
April 19, 2022

Remember the Lusitania

In this episode of Consolation Prize, we investigate the role of consuls in dealing with wartime disasters and the toll they took on them.
May 10, 2022

Pacific Salmon Run

In this mini episode of Consolation Prize, we complete our tour of the world by going to the last continent where the United States had consuls: Australia.
May 17, 2022

The Consul and I

In this episode, we meet two Americans in 1860s Thailand. Reverend Dan Beach Bradley was a Christian missionary and a newspaper publisher, and Captain James Madison Hood was the US consul to the Kingdom of Siam.
May 31, 2022

Twelve Foreign Men

In our final episode of Consolation Prize, we return to 1844 Hawai'i, where we look at another case involving vice consul William Hooper.
June 23, 2022

Final Report Transmission

After two seasons, we have a lot to reflect on! We wanted you to hear the voices of the team, working mostly behind the scenes for the past two seasons, and hear about their experiences working on Consolation Prize.