History Analyzed

Learn about the true story that inspired the legends. Find out what caused the people of Salem to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692 and how many died as a result of so-called spectral evidence.

Often overshadowed by the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl was the worst man-made ecological disaster of the 20th century. Poor farming practices led to this catastrophe, which caused thousands of deaths and ravaged millions of lives. Discover how FDR's New Deal helped save the southern plains region.

You probably know that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner, but why did he write it? What do the lyrics mean? Learn about the Battle for Fort McHenry, the War of 1812, and what became of the famous flag that inspired the American national anthem.

In the 1840s a blight hit Ireland, destroying the staple crop of the Irish peasants: the potato. As a result, Ireland lost approximately one third of its population to starvation and emigration. Essentially a British colony at the time, the natural disaster in Ireland was compounded by British incompetence and indifference. 

The epic first battle between ironclad ships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack), revolutionized naval warfare forever. Learn about the genius of John Ericsson, who invented the revolving turret for cannons and the screw propeller, and how his innovations helped save the Union in the U.S. Civil War.

In his one term as president, James Polk added more territory to the U.S. than any other American. He should be on the money. But we choose to ignore him. Find out why we forget about the man who gave us the territories that now comprise California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

After seven decades of protests, petitions, and civil disobedience, the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, granting women the right to vote. Learn about Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and the countless other women who fought against a deeply sexist and patriarchal society for women's suffrage.

Although those in command at Pearl Harbor lost their commands after the attack, Douglas MacArthur, the commanding U.S. Army officer in the Philippines, got off scot-free. He was even warned in advance that the Japanese would attack, but still did nothing and suffered the worst defeat in American military history. This episode unpacks the many errors and bloody mistakes lurking beneath his popular...

You may already know that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. But did you know that it was part of a larger conspiracy to also kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward? Find out about his co-conspirators and what happened after that fateful night at Ford’s Theatre, including the epic 12-day manhunt for Booth. 

61 years ago, John F. Kennedy famously promised to land a man on the moon within one decade, but why was there a race to the moon anyway? Get your questions about the space race answered and discover little known facts. For example, many don't realize that a former Nazi rocket scientist was the main contributor to America's satellite and moon program, or that the USSR led the race until...

Love him or hate him, Christopher Columbus has influenced the world more than anybody in the past 1,000 years. His actions set into motion many significant events - the spread of the Spanish language and Catholicism, enormous migrations of people, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and five centuries of European colonialism. 

Outside of M*A*S*H reruns, the Korean War is largely forgotten by the American public. This episode explores the history of the Korean War and why it occurred. It also delves into key players on both sides of the war, such as Truman, MacArthur, Mao, Stalin, Kim Il-sung, Syngman Rhee, and more!

For over 160 years, people have asked who was the better general - Ulysses S. Grant or Robert E. Lee? It's time to put this debate to rest by comparing their military strategies, successes, and failures in the Civil War.

Forget what you've seen in movies and discover the real history of Cleopatra! Her affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony are only the tip of the iceberg. Learn how she rose to power in a male-dominated world, ruled Egypt, and left her mark on history.

Have you ever wondered how, when, and why, time zones were invented? Well, here are the answers. As a bonus, this episode explores how comparing local time to Greenwich Mean Time enabled ships to locate their longitude. 

Neville Chamberlain has been ridiculed for the 1938 Munich Agreement between Britain and France on one side and Nazi Germany on the other. Instead of being derided, Chamberlain should be praised. Chamberlain tried to avoid a world war. He failed, but a least he tried. And, even though he did not completely avoid World War II, his actions ensured that Britain did not lose the war. Britain remaining...

It’s time to debunk the conspiracy theories! Lee Harvey Oswald killed President John F. Kennedy and acted alone. Part 1 covers the events of November 22-24, 1963, from Oswald holing up in the Texas School Book Depository to Jack Ruby’s assassination of Oswald, and starts to systematically discredit the main conspiracy theories with direct evidence. Part 2 dismantles the remaining conspiracy theori...

It’s time to debunk the conspiracy theories! Lee Harvey Oswald killed President John F. Kennedy and acted alone. Part 1 covers the events of November 22-24, 1963, from Oswald holing up in the Texas School Book Depository to Jack Ruby’s assassination of Oswald, and starts to systematically discredit the main conspiracy theories with direct evidence. Part 2 dismantles the remaining conspiracy theori...

This episode chronicles the Western outlaw career of Jesse James and the James-Younger gang, from bank heists and train robberies to the Northfield Raid and Robert Ford’s betrayal. 

Despite what many modern day discussions would have you believe, the Civil War was about one thing and one thing only – slavery. This episode examines the many ways that the disagreement over slavery between the North and South led to the Civil War. It also refutes once and for all the idea that states rights was the instigating factor.