Reframing America

Lyndon B. Johnson was an irresistible force - unfortunately, Vietnam was an immovable object. In the second episode of their two-part Season 4 finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg try to balance the dizzying highs and abysmal lows of LBJ's tenure, two extremes that merged to form one of the most confounding presidential legacies in American history.

LBJ guided America through the tragedy of JFK's assassination; he redefined social equality with the Civil Rights Act; he set America's vision toward a "Great Society" with Medicare, Medicaid, education access, and so much more. Lyndon B Johnson did all of this by understanding what power was and where he could get it - and yet, his failure to grasp the latent power within North...

What does history celebrate: the man or the achievements? Is JFK remembered for what he accomplished in life or for the tragedy of his death? Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sift through myth and reality to determine where they stand on JFK's accomplishments, his place in history, and his assassination.

Millions remember the moment when JFK was shot, but how well do they everything that happened before that? Was John F. Kennedy an iconic leader or a popular figurehead? Did he truly effect change, or did he just say the right words? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen re-examine the life and presidency of America's 35th president to determine which was greater: the style or the substance?

In the second episode of their two-part series, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg analyze the highs, the lows, and the legacy of one of America's most consequential presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The name "Dwight D. Eisenhower" conjures images of a sparkling smile, an iconic war hero, and a fatherly figure guiding America through the 1950s. Behind that glossy exterior, Eisenhower's tenure as president was one of profound, controversial, and ultimately morally questionable covert actions. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen reflect on Eisenhower's life and presidency in Part 1...

In the second of this two-part episode, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg dissect the best, the worst, and the controversial about Harry Truman's time as president. They break down his personality, answer the unanswerable, drop some historical hot takes, and ultimately decide if Harry Truman's portrait should remain on the walls of America's history classrooms.

Harry Truman was never good at first impressions. The army didn't want him. He was just a cog in the Missouri political machine. Even his future wife had to warm up to the idea of being with him. And yet — when he finally had a moment in the spotlight, Harry Truman's indomitable will and indefatigable spirit carried him to victory after victory, though victory came without a cost. In the f...

World War II seemed like the end of the world, but in truth, it signaled the birth of a new world. In Part Two of their analysis of the Second World War, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg discuss the myriad ways the conflict shaped the world long after the guns stopped firing. From historical outrages to how the war defined the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ryan and Tony address a wide range of i...

World War II is the singular event of modern history, encompassing the darkest depths of the human soul, the highest aspirations of invention, and the tenacious capacity to persevere with the fate of the world at stake. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen piece together the mosaic of history that ushered the world to the brink of annihilation and back again. After checking out this episode, be sure to...

The life cycle of the Phoenix: creation, destruction, rebirth. This was also the cycle for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor, and the nation he would lead. During his unprecedented tenure of four elections, he led America through unprecedented times. Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sift through his domestic policies to solve the mystery of how a man who never knew financial trouble in hi...

Whenever a crisis reared its ugly head, Herbert Hoover was there to resolve it. He was called "The Great Humanitarian," and at one point, he was the most beloved American on Earth. So, why was he so ineffective when the Great Depression hit during his presidency? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen try to bring some sense to this paradox as they explore Hoover's life and his profound leg...

America from 1921-1929 was, in some ways, a nation defined by crime. From greasing the wheels of business with bribes to making a fortune selling illegal liquor during Prohibition, everyone was wetting their beak - and that's just the politicians. In their Season 4 premiere, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg jump 100 years back in time to examine America during the presidencies of Warren G. Hard...

In the second episode of this two-part season finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg dig deeper into the implications of World War I. They discuss how World War I impacted America, for better and worse. They answer unanswerable questions, serve up some hot takes, and ultimately bestow a "bonus" picture frame to the person who should symbolize America's involvement in the so-called "War to End All...

In the first episode of this two-part Season 3 finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sketch out the underlying causes of World War I, why the US tried to stay out of it, and ultimately what pulled America into the global conflict.

A lot can change in eight years, especially if you’re Woodrow Wilson from 1913-1921. Politically, he transformed the economy, strengthened the presidency, oversaw the prohibition of alcohol, and secured women’s right to vote - to say nothing of his leadership during World War I. Personally, he lost his first wife, fell in love again, got remarried, and suffered a debilitating stroke. Tony Rydberg...

Thought to be unsinkable, it went down on its maiden voyage after a fateful and fatal collision: this is the story of the RMS Titanic, but it’s also the story of William Howard Taft’s presidency. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen retrace the path that led Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor to an ignominious one-term defeat - a defeat largely caused by Roosevelt himself.

To paraphrase the first line of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan : all presidents, except one, grow up. Theodore Roosevelt started life as the sickly son of a wealthy New York family, and he ended it as an acclaimed author, a US President, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and one of four faces to be carved onto Mount Rushmore. Yet, through all of his achievements, he always retained the same youthful pluck h...

Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte... William McKinley? Does America's 25th president really deserve a place on the list of historical figures who conquered vast regions and established an empire? He seems to be an ill-fitting member of this elite group. Yet, there he was, commander-in-chief when the US burst beyond its continental bounds and reached across the seas. But was Ame...

From 1885-1897, America didn't know what (or whom) she wanted in a president: she dumped Grover Cleveland for Benjamin Harrison, only to dump Harrison for another go with Cleveland. Why all the dithering? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen play love doctors for a nation in need of some straight talk and tough lough. From two of the most improbable ascents to the presidency to two of the most awkward...

Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur: all Presidents who have been dubbed the "lost Americans." On the other hand, perhaps it was not the Presidents who were lost, but the American political establishment itself. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen pick apart the events of 1877-1885, eight years that span these three presidencies. Despite being often overlooked, this era contr...

How should history remember Ulysses S. Grant? As a general, was he a bloodthirsty butcher or a brilliant strategist? As president, was he a beacon of equality or a tyrannical dictator? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen explore the best and the worst America's 18th president gave to his country.

The Civil War was over, but the fight had just begun. In the wake of President Lincoln's assassination, the reeling nation needed a steady hand and a unified government for guidance. Unfortunately, America got President Andrew Johnson instead. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen sift through the rubble of Andrew Johnson's disastrous presidency, an administration that offered the nation its fir...

From the rubble of the Civil War through World War I, Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen will dissect the history of America and figure out how were the true movers and shakers in American history. The first episode of season 3 will arrive on September 23!

Abraham Lincoln's face is universally recognizable, but do we really know him? His speeches are immortalized, but do we really understand his mind? On the Season 2 finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg unpack the man, the myth, and the legend known as "Honest Abe" Lincoln. From his birth in a Kentucky log cabin to his assassination in Ford's Theatre, Ryan and Tony tackle the go...