Lectures in History

This 1966 U.S. Information Agency film showcased a working cowboy's day on a California ranch. Reel America is an American History TV series featuring 20th-century archival films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture looked at women's roles when the United States declared independence and fought the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was the natural world like during the American Revolution — and how did it shape the fight for independence? Washington University’s Rachael DeWitt and Hester Blum explore the landscapes, weather, waterways, plants, and animals that were part of everyday life during the Revolutionary War. This lecture is part of Washington University’s “1776: Then and Now” series. Learn more about your ad cho...

University of Wisconsin professor Alfred McCoy explored how espionage played a critical role during the Vietnam War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Diego State University professor Edward Blum examines the state constitutions created before the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. He explores how states approached questions of political power, representation, and individual rights—and how those early experiments in government helped shape the federal Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Founding Fathers have inspired many writers and politicians, but who inspired the Founding Fathers? Washington University in St. Louis professor Fannie Bialek looked at the people who inspired early American political thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Lectures in History — from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the story of one Air National Guard pilot’s experience on September 11th, 2001. Heather Penney was one of the first F-16 pilots scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base after the terrorist attacks. She discusses her mission that day, including the possibility that she might have had to bring down United Air...

Washington University hosts its “1776: Then and Now” lecture series. This lecture examines why Thomas Jefferson owned a Qur’an and explores his study of Islam and its influence on his thinking about religion and religious freedom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santa Clara University music professor Christina Zanfagna teaches a class about the relationship between race and music throughout history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling presidential historian Michael Beschloss joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on American history. They discuss the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the pivotal events and presidents that shaped the United States in the twentieth century.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the international context of the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ashington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the reasons behind the Declaration of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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History Professor Aaron Aster of Maryville College (TN) explores Appalachia's role in the founding of the United States, including how the American Revolution unfolded alongside conflicts among European and indigenous people over control of the land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the reasons behind the Declaration of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kathleen DuVal examines the international context of the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, author Rick Atkinson, and retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford discussed Revolutionary War leadership at an event held at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington University hosts a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now" with the first exploring religion in Revolutionary America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did a rebel nation establish a federal court system? Utah Valley University professor Matthew Brogdon shows how the U.S. court system formed during the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Gordon Wood delivered a talk titled "The Revolutionary Roots of the Civil War." Professor Wood discussed the Founders views on slavery and argued that the Civil War was inevitable. The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Garrett Graff discussed his oral history of the allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This event took place at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nebraska history professor James Garza teaches a class on H.H. Holmes, described as "America's First Serial Killer," and his crimes during the Gilded Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edda Fields-Black and other scholars gathered by the Abraham Lincoln Institute explored Lincoln and the paths leading up to the Civil War. The event took place at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear another collection of memorable 2026 commencement speeches from campuses across the country featuring Erika Kirk, Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent, and bestselling author James Patterson. This edition of C-SPAN’s Commencement Addresses podcast features reflections on leadership, faith, creativity, public service, curiosity, and navigating an uncertain future. Learn more about your a...

Highlights from the 2026 commencement season featuring speeches from Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi, and Jalen Rose. Hear advice and reflections on leadership, creativity, resilience, and public service from campuses across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices