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Explore every episode of the podcast American History Hit

Dive into the complete episode list for American History Hit. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Who Was The Richest President?29 Aug 202400:38:27

Which President was best with their money? Which was worst? And are Presidents responsible for paying for their food, staff and parties during their time in office?


To find out all this and more, Don speaks to tax attorney and wealth manager Megan Gorman. Megan's book is 'All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Max Carrey. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/ 


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Eisenhower: D-Day and the Birth of the American Superpower26 Aug 202400:39:51

In June 1944, the joint forces of the Allies began the liberation of continental Europe on D-Day. But was there tension within the ranks?


Don speaks to Michel Paradis to find out how Eisenhower's leadership helped win the war. How did he deal with the strained relationship between the fading colonial powers of Britain and France, and the rising superpowers, the US and the USSR? How did he police the behaviour of the American troops in Europe? And why did a summit meeting almost end in a fist fight?


Michel is a leading human rights lawyer, historian, and national security law scholar. His book on this topic is 'The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Max Carrey. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/ 


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The Third Presidential Assassination: McKinley29 Jul 202400:39:23

On 6th September, 1901, President William McKinley attended a public reception at the Pan American Exposition, a 6-month-long World’s Fair, in Buffalo, New York. He was at the height of his power, having been re-elected at the beginning of the year. But one of the people who stood in line to meet him was an anarchist, determined to carry out the first US presidential assassination of the 20th century. 

 

Produced by Benjie Guy. Edited by Joseph Knight. Mixed by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. 


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORY


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President James Monroe28 Sep 202300:35:10

Serving from 1817 to 1825, James Monroe's presidency was only the fifth presidency of the United States. Monroe's time in power saw the development of republicanism and the Missouri Compromise of 1820 signalled the growing cracks between north and south.


But this was also the end of an era. Monroe was the final President of the United States to have been a Founding Father.


He was also the last of the three presidents to have died on July 4th. To find out why this was a strangely fitting end to Monroe's life, Don spoke to Dr. Brook Poston, Associate Professor of History at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, author of 'James Monroe: A Republican Champion' and co-author of 'Parallel Lives: Romans and the American Founders'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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Battle of Little Bighorn24 Sep 202300:42:04

Not one of the US forces led by General George Custer into the attack on 25 June 1876 survived. But the story of 'Custer's Last Stand' as it was known for a long time, has long been told by the settlers, rather than the indigenous people who survived.


In this episode, Don talks to Lindsay Stallones Marshall, Assistant Professor of History at Illinois State University. Together, they talk through the battle and the opposing narratives and names of it.


She is the author of 'Teaching Us to Forget: The Wars of Westward Expansion, U.S. History Education, & Public Memory, 1870 - 1995'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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Sabotage & Secret Weapons: The WW2 Dirty Tricks Department21 Sep 202300:36:01

What is a bat bomb? Why would you cover a fox in radioactive paint? And who are the masterminds behind the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA?


In this episode, Don is joined by John Lisle to discuss the creations of the Research and Development branch at the Office of Strategic Services.


John is the author of 'The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare' and a lecturer at the University of Texas, specialising in the history of science.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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Three Mile Island: Nuclear Accident in Pennsylvania18 Sep 202300:33:10

It's the worst accident in US commercial nuclear power history. In March 1979, the Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island nuclear generating station came half an hour from full meltdown. Two days later, an explosive bubble of hydrogen gas was found in the reactor.


To talk technical malfunction, human error and public response, J Samuel Walker joins Don for this episode. Sam is a former historian of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and author of 'Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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President James Madison14 Sep 202300:48:21

His life is one of firsts for the United States. Having contributed to the Federalist Papers, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in 1812 James Madison became the first President to make a declaration of war.


In the fourth episode of our presidential series, we're taking a closer look at Madison's two terms. How did his policies differ from those of his predecessors? How much was his diplomacy influenced by his former role as Jefferson's Secretary of State? Why might this period of Madison's life be seen as his least impressive?


Don is talking to Kevin R. Gutzman of Western Connecticut State University, author of 'James Madison and the Making of America' and 'The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9/11: Toxic Gas, PTSD & Rebuilding11 Sep 202300:34:42

New York was a city of 8 million people in 2001. A city that would be changed forever by the events of 9/11.


In this episode, we will not recount the day itself. Instead, we're looking at the after effects of the attack on New York city. What dangers remained after the buildings collapsed? How did it alter the communities of Manhattan? And how did the city decide how to fill the spaces left behind?


Don speaks to Susan Opotow and Zachary Baron Shemtob, authors of 'New York after 9/11' about the impact of toxic gases, conflicting planning and increased surveillance on this iconic city.


Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mexican-American War07 Sep 202300:34:54

In 1848, after almost two years of fighting, the US annexation of former Mexican territory was signed into a treaty.


Mexico lost a third of its territory, land which would later yield metals and stretch the United States from coast to coast.


To find out how the war broke out, and how it ended in the deal that it did, Don spoke to Peter Guardino from Indiana University. Peter's third book, The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War, is a social and cultural history of this 1846-48 war.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oppenheimer: What If America Never Dropped the Atomic Bomb?04 Sep 202300:47:12

The new Oppenheimer movie has everyone asking questions about the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 - were two bombs necessary? Would the war have ended without it? Was there an ulterior motive? Would the Americans have dropped a third if they had it?


To answer some of the questions and more, Professor Paul Poast joined our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit. Paul, from the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago, explains how the decision to drop the bombs was really made, what would have happened if they hadn't and reveals that the Manhattan Project was actually more about impressing Stalin than destroying Japan.


Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Thomas Jefferson31 Aug 202300:41:52

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, so how did it work out when he became the leader of this nation that he was so instrumental in founding?


For the third episode in our special series about the Presidents, we're exploring Jefferson's presidency. What challenges did he face during his time as President, and how did he mould the early years of the nation?


Don is joined for this episode by Professor Frank Cogliano, direct from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Frank is a Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake28 Aug 202300:28:41

45 seconds. An estimated 7.9 on today's Richter scale. The deadliest earthquake in US history.


In this episode, we're examining the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. What happened? Why were this earthquake and the fires it caused so disastrous? And who did this seemingly indiscriminate force of nature hit the hardest?


Don is joined by Joanna Dyl, an environmental historian at Pomona College and author of 'Seismic City: An Environmental History of San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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President William McKinley: The Secret Service & the Spanish-American War25 Jul 202400:46:03

Why does the Secret Service protect the President of the United States? And what can we learn from McKinley's life and presidency, not just his assassination?


Don speaks with Kim Kenney, Executive Director at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. Together, they take us through McKinley's background, election and term in office, as well as looking at his lasting impact on America.


Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Peter Dennis. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORY.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prehistoric North America24 Aug 202300:28:12

What could the prehistoric artists of North America have in common with the graffiti artists of today? Picked into the rocks of southwestern Arizona, a couple hour drive from Tucson, are marks of the Patayan and Hohokam traditions. The petroglyphs are an insight into these civilisations, their religions and their lives.


Aaron Wright is a Preservation Archaeologist whose research is currently focused on the Hohokam and Patayan traditions. He joined Don to explore what this rock art has in common with sites across North America, and what makes it different.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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Pocahontas: The True Story21 Aug 202300:31:52

Despite her's being a household name, how much do we really know about Pocahontas? Where did she come from? How old was she? And what was her real relationship with the colonists?


Don is joined for this episode by Camilla Townsend, a Historian of Early Native American and Latin American History at Rutgers University. Camilla is the author of 'Pocohontas and the Powhatan Dilemma' and, most recently, 'Indigenous Life After the Conquest: The De la Cruz Family Papers of Colonial Mexico'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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President John Adams17 Aug 202300:40:38

Sequels are always hit and miss. So what must it have been like to be the second President of the United States, following the man who originated the role?


This was John Adams' position, stepping into the shoes of fellow founding father George Washington. To find out about how Adams navigated his presidency and the diplomatic crises that arose during it, Don spoke to Christopher Young.


Chris is a Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest and, among his many publications, wrote “Serenading the President: John Adams, the XYZ Affair, and the 18th-Century American Presidency” for Federal History.


This is the second episode of our new series on American History Hit in which, every two weeks, Don and an expert will explore the presidencies of the US' former Commanders-in-Chief.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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The Texas Chicken Ranch: Famous Brothel to Broadway14 Aug 202300:28:37

When it closed in 1973, the Texas Chicken Ranch was the oldest continually operating brothel in the United States. Why was this brothel able to survive for so long? Who were the women at work there? And where did it get its name?


In this episode, Don explores the brothel behind the Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds musical with Jayme Blaschke, author of Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Pueblo Revolt10 Aug 202300:35:32

On August 10 1680, the Pueblo people began the most successful uprising against colonial power in North America.


For 11 days, Spanish colonisers were driven out, taken prisoner or killed, their horses were stolen and Christian churches were burnt to the ground. They did not manage to return for the following 12 years. The Pueblo people rebuilt their society and ensured the survival of their traditions, languages and religions.


Matt Liebmann joins Don today to discuss the revolt and to share some of his findings from archaeological research in New Mexico.


Matt is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, he has conducted collaborative research with the Pueblo of Jemez since 2001.


Edited and produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Magna Carta in America07 Aug 202300:29:39

What does a document written in 1215 in England have to do with the United States? The Magna Carta has supposedly influenced foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.


In this episode, Don is joined by Eleanor Janega, the new co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval. Together, they explore the influence of this medieval document on the United States.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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President George Washington03 Aug 202300:40:34

He was the victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. As presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention, he oversaw the birth of the government of the United States. But George Washington is remembered by most as the first President elect of the United States.


This is the first episode of a new series on American History Hit. Every two weeks Don and an expert will explore the presidencies of the former Commanders-in-Chief of the US.


To begin, Patrick Spero joins us to take us through George Washington's time in office. From his ascent to the presidency to the development of the new capital; from the Proclamation of Neutrality to the Whisky Rebellion; this is the ultimate introduction to the first president.


Patrick is Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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Robert E Lee: Life & Legacy31 Jul 202300:35:46

He is undoubtedly the most famous member of the Confederate forces. But it wasn't always set to be that way.


In this episode, Don speaks to Jonathan Horn to find out about the life of Robert E Lee, why he made the decision to join the Confederate side, and how he was connected to George Washington.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Birth of the US Government: The Constitutional Convention27 Jul 202300:44:54

Beginning with the enduring words, 'We the People of the United States', the US Constitution is the basis of the government and its three distinct branches. So when was it written, and by who?


Mary Sarah Bilder is Founders' Professor of Law at Boston College and finalist for the prestigious George Washington Prize. She joins Don today to take us through the history of this keystone of the history of the United States with cameos from Washington, Madison, Hamilton and Adams to name just a few.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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Barbie: German Sex Doll to American Icon24 Jul 202300:31:54

She's an icon, a polymath, a fashionista, and she's absolutely everywhere right now.


Where did Barbie come from? What has she represented to the many who have bought and played with her? And what makes her an American doll?


In this episode, M.G. Lord joins Don to introduce us to Barbie, her friends and her creators. M.G. is the author of Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll. She is also the host of the podcast LA Made: The Barbie Tapes from LAist Studios, So Cal Public Radio.


Edited and produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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Biden: US Presidents, Reelection & the Second Term Curse24 Jul 202400:27:15

President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, after announcing he was ending his reelection bid a few days ago. Dropping out so close to the election is historically unprecedented, but Biden is not to first president to make this decision. In 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson sat in the same office to announce the same news.


But what makes Biden's situation so rare? Has a sitting president ever been under pressure to drop out over concerns about their age and mental clarity? Who were the other presidents who chose to serve only one term? And is there any truth to the so-called 'second term curse'?


For this special bonus episode, Don is joined by Professor of History, Kevin M. Kruse, from Princeton.


You can find out more about Kevin's newsletter, Campaign Trails, here.


Producer: Sophie Gee. Produced and mixed by Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORY


You can take part in our listener survey here.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mormons & The Founding of Salt Lake City 20 Jul 202300:50:50

The Church of the Latter Day Saints is one shrouded in mystery, whispers of polygamy and is often synonymous with Salt Lake City. But where did this religion come from? And how did Mormonism make it to Utah?


To find out more about the American born religion of Mormonism, Don is joined by Professor Peter Coviello from the University of Illinois. Peter is the author of Make Yourselves Gods: Mormons and the Unfinished Business of American Secularism.


Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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A History of American Childhood17 Jul 202300:25:39

School, play and much less work: the idealised childhood is a very separate part of life. But how did it come to be so? And why is this perhaps more pronounced in American society than anywhere else?


Don is joined by Todd Brewster to talk about the creation and possible demise of childhood in the United States, and how we can study it using photographs. Todd's book is ‘American Childhood: A Photographic History’.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

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Nixon in Moscow: The Kitchen Debate13 Jul 202300:29:45

Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev. Leading figures of the United States and the Soviet Union respectively, in a verbal debate about capitalism and communism in the 1950s. The location? A cultural convention.


On July 24 1959, this pair of key players in the Cold War met at the American National Exhibition in Moscow. Their conversation was televised on all new colour television. This 'Kitchen Debate' became one of the most famous episodes of the Cold War.


Kitchen Debate newsreel: Richard Nixon Foundation. Originally recorded July 24 1959.


Edited and produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LSD in New York: Research, Recreation and Radicalism10 Jul 202300:36:11

Why should we associate LSD and its psychedelic effects with New York as much as we associate it with San Francisco? What use did the CIA think that this drug could be to them? And how did LSD impact the culture of New York City?


Don is joined by Christian Elcock, author of Psychedelic New York: A History of LSD in the City to find out about New York's time as a hub of LSD production, research and consumption.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Crossfire of Gettysburg06 Jul 202300:19:53

Gettysburg is synonymous with the bloodiest battle in the history of the United States. But before it was the location of a battle and Lincoln's arguably most famous speech, Gettysburg was a town.


In this episode, Don is joined by Andrew Dalton, executive director of the Adams County Historical Society. They explore the story of Gettysburg and its people, their experiences in the battle, and the lasting effects of the Civil War on the town.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Teän Stewart-Murray. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Battle of Gettysburg03 Jul 202300:37:44

The first three days of July 1863 saw the bloodiest single battle of the American Civil War. This clash between the Unionist and Confederate armies quickly became the stuff of legend.


But what actually happened at Gettysburg? Professor Glenn LaFantasie joins Don for this episode to take us through the key figures in the battle, their strategies and whether this really was the turning point of the Civil War.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Teän Stewart-Murray. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


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Stonewall29 Jun 202300:50:50

What made June 28 1969 a landmark occasion for LGBTQ+ rights?How was Stonewall different from the uprisings that had come before it? And why were the mafia involved?


Dr Pip Gordon joins Don today to explore the experiences and activism of LGBTQ+ people in New York and across America before Stonewall, and to take us through this night and its legacy.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Teän Stewart-Murray. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


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This episode contains music and sound from Epidemic Sounds and Pixabay.

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Amelia Earhart26 Jun 202300:52:11

On July 2 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off on what was supposed to be the final leg of their circumnavigation of the globe, but would in fact be their final flight.


In this episode Don is joined by Susan Butler to explore this American sweetheart's personality, her early life and her work for women's rights.


We then explore some of the many theories surrounding the thing that Amelia is perhaps best known for, her disappearance. For this, Don is joined by Richard Spink.


Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


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The CIA & MI6: The Real Special Relationship?22 Jun 202300:31:13

Behind the handshakes of leading politicians, beyond the trade deals and beneath mutually beneficial military deals, how has the 'special relationship' between the United States and the United Kingdom extended to intelligence and covert operations?


Don is joined by Michael Smith, who has drawn on his own service in the British Army's Intelligence Corps to explore how the intelligence agencies of the US and the UK have worked together - or not - since the Second World War.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Ella Blaxill. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Long Death of Slavery19 Jun 202300:24:54

We celebrate abolition - in the United States during the Civil War and on Juneteenth, in Haiti after the revolution, and in the British Empire in 1833. Yet, over the approximately 100 years in which there were various moments of emancipation, these processes often provided failed pathways to justice for people who had been enslaved.


Kris Manjapra joins Dan Snow on our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit, to unearth disturbing truths about the Age of Emancipations, 1780-1880. They discuss examples of emancipations across the Americas, Europe and Africa where Black people were dispossessed by the very moves that were meant to free them.


Produced by Hannah Ward. Edited by Dougal Patmore.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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Secrets of the White House22 Jul 202400:33:36

How did a party in the White House end in mayhem? When did the West Wing become a hive of government? And how has the private life of the President been shielded from the public, despite them living and working in the same building?


To explore the stories that lurk beneath the white washed surface of the President's residence, Don speaks to Corey Mead. Corey is an associate professor of English at Baruch College, City University of New York. He is also the author of three books including 'The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments'.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


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Louisiana's Ancient Mystery: Poverty Point15 Jun 202300:29:39

There are no other historic sites like this one on the planet. The concentric semi circles and mounds of Poverty Point in Louisiana are a mystery not only to those who come across them, but also to the archaeologists.


Don is joined by Tristram Kidder to find out what we do know about this late archaic site and the people who built it.


Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Lavender Scare: Being Gay in Washington DC12 Jun 202300:27:27

Why were gay federal employees seen as a national security threat during the 20th century? How might they in fact have been more of an asset? And how did some of them fight against their dismissals?


In this episode, Don is joined by James Kirchick, author of 'Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington'.


Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe


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The Wright Brothers08 Jun 202300:45:58

Approximately 100 thousand flights take off and land each and every day. A months long journey on a boat is condensed to just a few hours with the help of aircraft, and the birth of planes introduced an entirely new form of warfare.


Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright brothers, are household names. But how did they create the first successful heavier than air flying machine?


In this episode, Don speaks to Tom Crouch, Curator Emeritus at the National Air and Space Museum. They delve into the lives and personalities of these two men, and the long process that took them into the air above Kitty Hawk.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


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White Women Slave Owners05 Jun 202300:32:53

Of all of the people enslaved in the southern United States over time, 40% of them were owned by women. For example, when she married George Washington in 1759, Martha Washington was herself the enslaver of 84 people.


So why has the trading and enslaving of people been commonly perceived as a male domain? Why, in fact, were many white women so entrenched in this trade in human lives?


In this episode, Don is joined by Dan David Prize Winner, Stephanie Jones Rogers. Stephanie has been exploring the testimonies of these people formerly enslaved by women to find out more about their experiences.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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California Gold Rush01 Jun 202300:39:26

From the rings on our fingers, to coins in our pockets and, for a select few, the medals hanging around our necks. Gold is one of the most coveted metals in the world.


Gold still has the power to change lives, but in the mid 19th century, it also sparked the largest migration in the history of the United States.


Don is joined by Professor Mark Eifler, author of 'The California Gold Rush: The Stampede that Changed the Nation', to find out how gold was discovered in California and who benefitted from it.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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Lincoln & God: Scepticism to Spiritualism29 May 202300:40:04

He's the best president that the United States has ever had ... at least according to one 2021 C-span study.


But how did Lincoln's religious views affect his life and leadership? In this episode, Don is joined by Joshua Zeitz, author of 'Lincoln's God: How Faith Transformed a President and a Nation'.


We hear about Lincoln's journey from scepticism to spiritualism, and the growth of connections between politics and the church in the United States.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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The Birth of the American Flag25 May 202300:33:25

13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 small white five pointed stars. It's recognisable the world over as the flag of the United States of America.


But how did this become the American flag? When did it develop its own 'cult'? And does Betsy Ross have anything at all to do with this story?


Don is joined by Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography.


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America Prepares for War: FDR & WW222 May 202300:35:06

Was the USA already a superpower when it joined the Second World War? How did it turn from an isolationist nation to a force ready for action? 


Today Don is joined by Craig Nelson to find out how President Franklin D. Roosevelt manoeuvred the country from the isolationism of the interwar years to supplying an arsenal and, eventually, manpower to its European allies.


Craig's new book is 'V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt's American Revolution and the Triumph of World War 2'.


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Serial Killer Family on the Frontier18 May 202300:40:48

Between 1871 and 1872, Labette County, Kansas became a source of mystery. Several people have gone missing on their journey west and a few bodies have been found. Is this the work of highway robbers? Or could it be the peculiar family who live beside the Great Osage Trail?


Don is joined for this episode for Susan Jonasus, author of 'Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family'.


Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.


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LBJ's Legacy15 May 202300:41:28

The Vietnam War or the Great Society? Which event looms larger in the history of the United States? 


The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, is often weighed up in these terms - the balance between domestic and foreign policy. But what is his legacy? Could he be called the first President of our modern era?


In this episode, Don is joined by Mark Lawrence, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas.


Produced and mixed by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.


Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.


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US Presidents Who Escaped Assassination 19 Jul 202400:41:22

Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and now Trump. All have been targets of assassination attempts while in or running for office. Listen to this bonus episode from our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit, where host Dan is joined by Professor of American History at Cambridge University Gary Gerstle to take a look at the assassination attempts that could have changed the course of American history and how.


Produced by Dan Snow, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.


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The Rise of Buffalo Bill11 May 202300:19:11

He was the most famous man in the world at the turn of the 20th century, bringing the American frontier to the rest of the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. But who was Buffalo Bill?


In this episode, recorded at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden, Colorado, Don is joined by Steve Friesen to find out about the rise of America’s first celebrity.


From boy scout to breadwinning buffalo hunter, how did William Cody become a showman and an iconic household name?


Produced by Sophie Gee. Mixed by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.


Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.


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If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!


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Roanoke: The Lost English Colony08 May 202300:42:15

When it was founded in 1585, Roanoke was intended to be the first permanent English outpost in America. So how did it become the 'lost colony'?


In this episode, Don is joined by Professor Mark Horton, archaeologist from the Royal Agricultural University in the UK. Together they delve into the mystery.


Why did John White take three years to return to the colony? What clues were left by the one hundred people missing from the island? And why did those who found the island abandoned not follow these clues to find their countrymen?


Produced by Sophie Gee. Editing and sound design by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.


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The King & FDR: The Birth of the Special Relationship04 May 202300:38:21

In 1939, on the invitation of Franklin D. Roosevelt, King George VI became the first reigning British monarch to set foot on American soil.


So what triggered this monumental moment in the transatlantic relationship? How has it trickled down to today's special relationship? And how was King George assisted in his diplomacy by his wife, Elizabeth?


In this coronation special, Don is joined by author Sally Bedell Smith to find out more.


For more from Sally, you can find her substack here: https://sallybedellsmith.substack.com/


Produced by Sophie Gee and Stuart Beckwith. Editing and sound design by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.


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If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - follow today!

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