Alle afleveringen
435 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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The Hurricane Betsy Conspiracy: New Orleans
13 november 2025 · 38 min
Did New Orleans' officials bomb the levees protecting the Lower Ninth Ward in 1965? Lees meer
When Hurricane Betsy swept through the Atlantic Basin, it killed at least 76 people, led to a 10 foot storm surge, and was the first tropical cyclone to cause $1 billion worth of damages.
It also left many of the residents of New Orleans wondering, was all that damage really natural? Or had the authorities given it a helping hand?
Andy Horowitz, author of 'Katrina: A History, 1915-2015' joins Don for this episode to explore where this conspiracy theory came from, and whether there is any truth to it.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
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The Supreme Court’s WORST Ever Case: Dred Scott v Sandford
10 november 2025 · 38 min
A Supreme Court decision that sent shockwaves across America. Dred Scott v Sandford, 1857. Who was the Chief Justice responsible for the decision? On what grounds did he rule that Dred Scott, and by extension all African Americans, was not a citizen of the US? Don is joined by renowned historian Kate Masur, author of "Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement". Lees meer
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Producer is Freddy Chick.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
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Was Lee Harvey Oswald a Lone Gunman?
6 november 2025 · 47 min
Why not have a go at understanding one of the most famous conspiracies of the 20th Century? Lees meer
We will probably never get an answer for what really happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963. But in this episode, we're questioning why? What is the evidence that prevents us from believing the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman.
To explore this, Don is joined by Jefferson Morley. Jefferson is a former Washington Post writer and the journalist responsible for the JFK Facts substack, where he investigates the evidence and any new evidence as it comes to light.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bleeding Kansas: Start of the Civil War?
3 november 2025 · 44 min
Was 'Bleeding Kansas' a dress rehearsal for the Civil War to come? During the 1850s pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed in the newly created territory of Kansas. From guerrilla raids and political chaos to the rise of key figures like John Brown, we uncover how this brutal conflict exposed the deep national divide — and ask whether the Civil War truly began long before 1861. Lees meer
Our guest is Dr Kristen Epps is a historian of slavery, the sectional conflict, and the Civil War. She is an associate professor at Kansas State University. Her first book was Slavery on the Periphery.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick.
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American Origins of Halloween
30 oktober 2025 · 37 min
How did the pre-Christian commemoration of Samhain travel across the seas from Ancient Ireland to America? And how did it evolve into the Halloween we know and love to this day? Lees meer
In this special spooky episode Don welcomes Dr Kelly Fitzgerald, Head of the School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore at University College Dublin, to take us through Halloween's stateside origins.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick.
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Was the American Revolution a World War?
27 oktober 2025 · 44 min
What makes a war a World War? If it's the involvement of multiple major world powers, will France, Spain and the Netherlands do? Lees meer
If it's battles fought globally, do Canada, West Africa, India and the Mediterranean count? On top of the 13 colonies?
In this episode, Don is joined by Richard Bell from the University of Maryland. Richard is the author of ‘The American Revolution and the Fate of the World'.
Edited by Tim Arstall and Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
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What If George Washington Became King?
23 oktober 2025 · 51 min
‘No occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations.' This was George Washington's response when the idea of his becoming 'King' was put to him. Lees meer
But what if he had? What would an American royalty look like? Who would have succeeded Washington? And why did this not happen?
Don is joined for this episode by Michael Hattem, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History’ and ‘Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution’.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
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What if the Cuban Missile Crisis Sparked WW3?
20 oktober 2025 · 28 min
On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in Cuba. Over the following days, the fate of the Americas was on the line. Lees meer
In this episode, Don is joined once again by Renata Keller to explore the causes and events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and to discuss what might have happened had the situation not been resolved.
Renata's new book 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War' shows how this was not just a Soviet-US event. She explores how leaders and citizens throughout South America, the area at most risk from nuclear missiles, impacted on the events of October 1962.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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What If There Were No CIA?
16 oktober 2025 · 51 min
The Agency. The Company. Langley. Lees meer
Without the Central Intelligence Agency, would we talk about conspiracy theories as much as we do? Who would be in power in Guatemala? What about Iran? Would the Bourne films ever have been made?
Don is joined by Jeffrey Rogg to discuss what would have happened had the CIA never been founded. Jeff is a Senior Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida. His book is The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
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Origins of the US Navy: America's Revolutionary Pirate
13 oktober 2025 · 40 min
Happy 250th Birthday to the US Navy! Today Don asks, who was John Paul Jones and did he really father the US Navy? Our guest is historian James L. Nelson, author of 'Washington's Secret Navy'. Lees meer
In July 2026, tall ships of the world will be coming to Port of New York and New Jersey. Find out more here: https://sail4th.org/
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
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Who was the Best President Ever?
9 oktober 2025 · 47 min
What should we look for in a great President? Who was the greatest of all time? And is it harder for modern Presidents to make the top of the list? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy. Lees meer
Edited by Sophie Gee and Freddy Chick. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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America's Invasion of Canada
6 oktober 2025 · 40 min
'Canada ought to be the 14th colony' was a view held by many American revolutionaries. In the winter of 1775, Benedict Arnold led an incredible (if doomed) mission to make it happen. Lees meer
We're delighted to be joined again by Maj. Jonathan D. Bratten, historian for the Maine National Guard.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
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Who Was the Worst President Ever?
2 oktober 2025 · 32 min
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy. Lees meer
Next week we'll be looking at who is the best President ever!
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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Origins of the Second Amendment
29 september 2025 · 32 min
'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.' Lees meer
The Second Amendment, included in the Bill of Rights, was ratified in 1791. It went largely unquestioned until the mid 20th century but is now one of the most contentious questions in US politics.
So what did the writers of the Second Amendment set out to protect? How has it been interpreted? And why has it become so controversial so many years later?
Jill Lepore joins Don once again for this episode. Jill is a staff writer for the New Yorker, David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and author of multiple books. The most recent is 'We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution'.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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What Caused the Civil War? | Secession
25 september 2025 · 35 min
In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from the Union. Yet instead of plunging the country into war, what followed next was a tense standoff. There were, as we'll learn today, twists and turns on the path from Secession to all out Civil War. Lees meer
Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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USA & Cuba: A Brief History
22 september 2025 · 59 min
From being within its sphere of influence to acting as a thorn in its side, Cuba has always been seen as strategically important to the USA. What has the nature of their relationship been historically? What is the legacy of the Cold War within Cuba? And what does the future hold for prospects of normalisation? Lees meer
In this episode, Professor Michael Bustamante joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Cuban-American relations.
Michael is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami and is the author of 'Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile'.
Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Tom Delargy and Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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What Caused the Civil War? | John Brown's Raid
18 september 2025 · 41 min
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry helped cause the Civil War. His is a magnetic persona that's hard to take your eyes away from. But who were the people who inspired him? Who funded him? Who joined him on the raid? It turns out there's a lot more to the story as Don learns with today's guest Dr Kellie Carter Jackson author of We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance" and co-host of the "This Day" podcast. Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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The Origins of California
15 september 2025 · 38 min
How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, gold miners, railroad builders and tourists, to name a few. Lees meer
Don is joined by Michael Hiltzik, author of 'Golden State: The Making of California', to explore the history of the home of one in eight Americans.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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What Caused the Civil War? | Politics
11 september 2025 · 36 min
How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: all out Civil War? We look at how the violent and frat house culture that existed within D.C. played its part, and at the chronic failure of leadership from those sitting atop of this steaming mess - the Presidents. Lees meer
We're joined by returning guest (from our Franklin Pierce episode) Brian C Neumann, author of 'Bloody Flag of Anarchy: Unionism in South Carolina during the Nullification Crisis' and managing director of the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia.
Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long
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How to Amend the Constitution
8 september 2025 · 34 min
Why has it been so long since the US Constitution was amended? The incredible Jill Lepore joins Don to explore how the Constitution was designed for amendment, and how this has been utilised through its history. Lees meer
Jill is a staff writer for the New Yorker, David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and author of multiple books. The most recent is 'We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution'.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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What Caused the Civil War? | Slavery
4 september 2025 · 58 min
What were the deep origins and root causes of the Civil War? In the first of four episodes we chart how the North and South became bitterly divided over slavery. Don is joined by Professor Chandra Manning, author of 'What This Cruel War was Over' to discuss how slavery led to the American Civil War. Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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Who Designed the American Flag?
1 september 2025 · 32 min
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. Lees meer
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.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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American Traitors: The Rosenbergs
28 augustus 2025 · 51 min
This week we’re stepping heart of Cold War America with the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Accused of espionage and executed at the height of anti-communist paranoia, their trial gripped the nation due to the controversy, family betrayal, and questions of justice that still echo today. Lees meer
Join host Don Wildman and historian Professor Lori Clune as they unravel the secrets, the courtroom drama, and the enduring legacy of a case that changed history forever.
You can find out more about Professor Clune's work here.
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How To Survive the Revolutionary War
25 augustus 2025 · 30 min
'If I turn from beholding mutilated bodies, mangled limbs, and bleeding, incurable wounds, a spectacle no less revolting is presented, of miserable objects languishing under afflicting diseases of every description.' Lees meer
Dr James Thatcher wrote these words after the Battle of Saratoga, 1777. Coming before the advent of modern medicine, the danger of fighting in the Revolutionary War was not limited to physical injury, instead extending mercilessly into infection and disease.
Dr. Sanders Marble, Senior Historian at the Army Medical Department Center of History & Heritage, has been looking into the history of military medicine for 20 years. He joins Don for this episode to explore the real risks soldiers took during the Revolutionary War.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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American Traitors: Axis Sally
21 augustus 2025 · 45 min
Is contributing to enemy propaganda treason? In this second episode on American Traitors, we are meeting 'Axis Sally', real name Mildred Gillars. Lees meer
Professor Michael Flamm joins us to explore the life of this American citizen who broadcast American music, scripted dramas and hateful rhetoric from the heart of the Nazi Third Reich, Berlin. Listen to find out how she was found guilty of treason.
Michael is a scholar of modern American political history at Ohio State University. He taught at Mildred Gillar's former college, Ohio Wesleyan University from 1998 to 2024.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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What If Lincoln Hadn't Been Shot?
18 augustus 2025 · 56 min
It's the biggest 'What if?' in American history: What if Lincoln hadn't been shot? The assassination could so easily have failed and things went so wrong in the aftermath (looking at you Andrew Johnson). Could Reconstruction have looked different with Abraham Lincoln at the helm? Lees meer
Don's guest is friend of the pod Aaron Sheehan-Dean, professor of history at Louisiana State University.
Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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American Traitors: Benedict Arnold
14 augustus 2025 · 54 min
Is Benedict Arnold the biggest traitor in American History? In this episode, Don is joined by author Stephen Brumwell to examine how Arnold went from hero to villain. Lees meer
How important was he to the Revolutionary cause? Why did he decide to go against it? And do his actions even count as treason?
Stephen Brumwell is a writer and independent historian specialising in British-American military affairs of the eighteenth century. He is the author of a number of books, the most recent being ‘Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty’.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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The End of the Pacific War
11 augustus 2025 · 39 min
On August 14, 1945, the Japanese government accepted Allied terms of surrender. The war in the Pacific was over. But how had it come to this? Lees meer
Don is joined for this episode by Ian W. Toll, author of a three-volume history of the Pacific War. They discuss the Japanese view of surrender, the Allied offensive, Midway, Okinawa and finally the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan.
Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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Italians in America
7 augustus 2025 · 48 min
From Columbus onwards, Italians have been a part of American culture. Don explores this rich history with Professor Anthony Tamburri, Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute in New York. Lees meer
Produced by Sophie Gee and Freddy Chick. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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The Battle for the Philippines
4 augustus 2025 · 33 min
The largest ever surrender of American forces occurred in May 1942. The event resulted in medals of honour for two American military leaders - one who escaped, another who became the highest ranking prisoner of war of the Second World War. Lees meer
In this episode, Don is joined by Jonathan Horn to discuss the loss of the Philippines, and the fight to get it back.
Jonathan, who previously came onto the podcast to talk about Robert E. Lee, is a former White House presidential speechwriter and author of 'The Man Who Would Not Be Washington'. His new book on this subject is ‘The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines’.
Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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5 Key Weapons of the Civil War
31 juli 2025 · 41 min
How did new weapons shape the Civil War? Why were the muskets so deadly? What on earth were the Ironclads all about? Don explores five key weapons of the civil war with a favourite guest, Cecily Zander from the University of Wyoming, author of "The Army Under Fire". Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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The Roosevelt Brothers' Panda Hunt
28 juli 2025 · 28 min
In 1928, President Teddy Roosevelt's sons Teddy and Kermit set out on an expedition to hunt a semi-mythical beast: the Panda. Don's guest today to help tell the incredible story of what happened next is Nathalia Holt whose new book brings this tale to life: The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda. Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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Revolutionary War: The Swamp Fox's Guerilla War
24 juli 2025 · 36 min
Francis Marion aka the 'Swamp Fox' is a legend of the Revolutionary War. He was the basis for the movie The Patriot. But what is the truth about this guerilla warrior who harried the British in the South? Don is joined by historian Patrick O'Kelley, author of 'Be Cool and Do Mischief: Francis Marion's Orderly Book' and 'Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas' to find out. Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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Origins of New York
21 juli 2025 · 45 min
In 1624 the first Dutch settlers arrived on Manhattan and established New Amsterdam, what is now New York. We hear about life in that Dutch colony and meet some of the very first New Yorkers. Don's guest is Andrea Mosterman, author of Spaces of Enslavement: A History of Slavery and Resistance in Dutch New York. Lees meer
To find out more about how the Sail4th 250 parade of tall ships will help celebrate America’s birthday on July 4, 2026, visit https://www.sail4th.org.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Revolutionary War: How Good Was George Washington?
17 juli 2025 · 35 min
Whisper it quietly, but could our original commander-in-chief possibly be overrated as a military leader? Lees meer
To find out Don is joined once again by Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard. Together they examine George Washington's strategic skill, tactical capacity and overall revolutionary record. How did he get the job? What could he have done better? And what sets him apart in our national memory?
Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sound.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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200 Years Inside Sing Sing Prison
14 juli 2025 · 45 min
In May 1825, a group of prisoners arrived on the banks of the Hudson, thirty odd miles up river from New York. They began to build what would become their own jail — Sing Sing. Lees meer
Don talks about the history of Sing Sing with Professor Lee Bernstein, historian of the American prison system and author of “America Is the Prison: Arts and Politics in Prison in the 1970s”.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Revolutionary War: What If the British Won?
10 juli 2025 · 32 min
Today we're heading back 250 years to the end of the Revolutionary War - but this time, we're asking what might have happened if the British had won. Lees meer
How would the revolutionaries have been punished? How might the colonies of North America have developed differently? And would independence have been achieved anyway?
Don once again welcomes Major Jonathan Bratten and Dan Snow to the podcast. Check out last week's episode 'Revolutionary War: When Was the Turning Point?' for more from Don, Dan and Jonathan.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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When Britain Sent Its Convicts to America
7 juli 2025 · 28 min
Britain shipped convicts to America from the days of Jamestown right up until 1775. More than 50,000 were sent. To explore this too seldom told tale, we are joined by Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool, a historian of prisoners in the British Empire. Lees meer
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Revolutionary War: When Was the Turning Point?
3 juli 2025 · 49 min
In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years. Lees meer
A relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people facing off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time, it seemed like a tall order. So when did the tide turn? When did it become certain that the revolutionaries would gain their independence?
In this first of two episodes with podcast host Dan Snow and Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard, Don is pitting the British against the Americans once more. Join us to find out when the Revolutionary war was won.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Frenemies: China & the USA, a History
30 juni 2025 · 50 min
The People's Republic of China has only existed since 1949, but in just 75 years its relationship with the United States is in a strong position to be the most tumultuous of all. Lees meer
Don is joined by Rana Mitter for this episode of Frenemies. Rana is S. T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and, with Don, he helps to unravel the ups and downs of this relationship. How did the two countries start off on the wrong foot? And how has China since become one of the U.S.'s top trading partners?
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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George H. W. Bush: Ending the Cold War
26 juni 2025 · 38 min
President George H. W. Bush presided over the Gulf War, the conclusion of the Cold War, the collapse of the USSR and the fall of the Berlin Wall during what proved an eventful single term of office from 1989 to 1993. But what was his answer to the burning question of the age, the legacy of which rumbles on down to this very day: 'What next?' Lees meer
Don's guide to this pivotal presidency is Professor Jeremi Suri author of The Impossible Presidency and host of the podcast This Is Democracy.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Frenemies: Russia & the USA, a History
23 juni 2025 · 1 uur 4 min
For nearly half a century, the United States and Russia stood as adversaries, entrenched in a tense geopolitical rivalry known as the Cold War. Yet this period represents only a brief chapter in the broader, more complex history of their relationship... Lees meer
In this episode, Professor Vladislav Zubok joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Russo-American relations.
Vlad is a professor at LSE and is the author of many books including Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union and The World of the Cold War, 1945-1991.
Edited and produced by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What is Juneteenth?
19 juni 2025 · 33 min
June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Over time the date has grown from a local to a national holiday, a marker of freedom, of family, and of joy and continued struggle that emerged from this cauldron of the war. Lees meer
Don's guest today is Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University and host of Left of Black.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Battle of Bunker Hill
16 juni 2025 · 38 min
How did the British win the first major battle of the Revolutionary War? In this episode, Don is joined by Major Jonathan Bratten of the Maine Army National Guard. Lees meer
Together, they discuss the myths of the battle, the missteps of the British and what George Washington thought about it all.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Truth About Native American Boarding Schools
12 juni 2025 · 41 min
The Federal Government. Tens of thousands of Native American children. Around 50 boarding schools across the United States. This is the story of one of the darkest practices in American History. Lees meer
Our expert guest for this episode is Mary Annette Pember, author of 'Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools'. Together, Mary and Don explore why Native American boarding schools were set up, who ran them, and what life was like for the children who went there.
Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Frenemies: France & the USA, a History
9 juni 2025 · 1 uur
Since their respective revolutions, the USA and France have been intrinsically linked. But what have the highest points in their relationship been? And what about the lowest? Lees meer
In this episode, Professor Kathryn Statler joins Don to take us through 250 years of cooperation and conflict.
Kathryn is a Professor of History at the University of San Diego, and author of books including 'Replacing France: The Origins of American Intervention in Vietnam' and 'Lafayette’s Ghost: How Women and War Kept the Franco-American Alliance Alive'.
Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ronald Reagan: The Hollywood President
5 juni 2025 · 48 min
Think what you like about him, Ronald Reagan was a big hitter and his presidency changed America. This ex-Hollywood actor's eight years in office set the political agenda in ways we live with today. Lees meer
To discuss this most charismatic of Presidents, Don is joined by Jeremi Suri host of the 'This Is Democracy' podcast & author of 'The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office'.
Edited by Sophie Gee. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Frenemies: Mexico & the USA, a History
2 juni 2025 · 43 min
With almost 2,000 miles of shared border, the United States and Mexico have a long history of cooperation and conflict. From territory and trade, to migration and the war on drugs - in this episode we are going to explore this relationship. Lees meer
Don is joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada, Reno. Renata's upcoming book is 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War'. She is also the author of 'Nuclear Reactions: Latin America and the Cuban Missile Crisis' and 'Mexico's Cold War: Cuba, the United States, and the Legacy of the Mexican Revolution'.
Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Battle of Shiloh
29 mei 2025 · 36 min
The staggering casualties of the Battle of Shiloh shocked both the North and South, marking a turning point in public perception of the Civil War's likely length and brutality. It also cemented a name in the public imagination - Ulysses S. Grant. Lees meer
Don's guest is Dr Timothy B. Smith, author of 'Shiloh: Conquer or Perish'.
Editor Ayman Alolayan, Producer Sophie Gee, Senior Producer Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Heaven's Gate: The UFO Cult
26 mei 2025 · 56 min
What did the appearance of a comet in 1997 have to do with a tragic event in San Diego? Was Heaven's Gate a cult? And how does it compare to the other groups we have looked into on American History Hit? Lees meer
Benjamin Zeller, author of 'Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion', joins Don to discuss the group's history, beliefs, and their final act. Ben is Professor of Religion at Lake Forest College.
Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.