American History Hit

 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...

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...

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...

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...

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 episo...

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 Stamp...

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 bet...

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...

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...

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 Fir...

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 t...

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 bre...

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 hund...

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...

In August 1918, the battle of Amiens brought the German army's 'black day' and the beginning of the end of the First World War. But what happened at Amiens? How were US troops involved in this battle? And how is the battle remembered today? In this episode, Don is joined by Dan Snow to talk about the American troops and their parts in the offensives at Hamel and Amiens. Produced by Sophie Gee and...

Nearly a thousand years ago, America's first city appeared in the Mississippi flood plain. Don finds out about a day in the life of Cahokia, what its vast mounds were used for, and why it is so poorly remembered nowadays. Our guest is Timothy Pauketat, archaeologist and author of several major books about Cahokia. His latest book is called  Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spi...

Horses have been a bulwark of American culture and society for centuries. Think of cowboys in the Mid-West or Native Americans riding bareback on the Great Plains. But new, ground-breaking archeological evidence has emerged to suggest horses were present in the Americas more than 10,000 years ago, shattering our previous assumptions that they were first brought to North America by the Spanish. In...

Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be one of the first to live the American Dream. He came from humble beginnings, Franklin was raised in Boston, the last of 17 children. Márcia Balisciano tells Don how he went from a printer’s apprentice to Founding Father of the United States, via stints in London. Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. For mor...

Much of American history has been redacted. Since the World War 2, the number of secrets the US government has kept has grown exponentially. There are some things they think are too dangerous for the public to know. Matthew Connelly, author of the Declassification Engine, takes Don through America's top secrets of the 20th century. Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Stuary Beckwith. Senior Producer:...

July 20th, 1969. Neil Armstrong descends from Lunar Module Eagle to the Moon's surface. A momentous moment in American, and human history. For more than a decade, pioneers in the US and Soviet Union had competed in the exploration of space, the final frontier. Jay Gallentine tells Don how new technology was developed to go where no one had gone before. How America won the Space Race. Produced...

Under segregation, African Americans' lives were severely limited. Restricted entry to public places, private businesses and public transport, cars provided liberty they were otherwise denied and protection from danger and discrimination. Gretchen Sorin, author of Driving While Black, tells Don that with the help of travel guides such as the Green Book, listing businesses that would accept African...

English-born artist Thomas Cole emigrated to the United States in 1818. Six years later he began what is now known as the Hudson River School, which became the first art movement of the United States.. Betsy Jacks, director of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, tells Don how these artists captured the country's awe-inspiring natural beauty, at a time when the US was rapidly industrialising. F...

Claire Bellerjeau tells Don the the story of Liss, an enslaved Black woman in 18th century New York, and her involvement with one of George Washington's spies. Her story sheds light on the experiences of people of colour in New York from the colonial period, during the revolution and into the early republic. Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Aisha Deva & Tom Delargy. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long...

The story of the American Revolution is one of the best known in American history. But it could have been very different. Outgunned and outmanned against the might of the British Empire, America’s revolutionaries found themselves backed into a corner from the start. Their solution was to turn to Europe’s other superpower - France - for military aid. But the French were wary.  Were it not for...

While the President of the United States is often seen as the most powerful person in the world, the vastness of the Federal government is too much for just one person to oversee. The president needs someone to control events, run the White House, respond to challenges and handle emergencies. That person is the Chief of Staff. Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of...