Bruce Carlson
My History Can Beat Up Your Politics
Since 2006, this podcast has been using history to elevate today's political debates. "The perfect antidote to bloviating talking heads, My History is thoughtful, nuanced, and highly engaging." -Columbia Journalism Review
Author
Bruce Carlson
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 6, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
George Washington's English Ancestors, Coolidge's Electric Horse and Other Stories 15.09.2020 31:37
A hodge-podcast of bits of things. A bit about the Washington family, and ancestors he didn't know that he had. And some follow ups from other casts. About that 'Electric Horse' that Coolidge used for exercise. And Lincoln deals with fake news like a pro. We are part of Airwave Media Network Interested in Advertising? sales@advertisecast.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
King Corn, Story of Ethanol (from 2013) 14.07.2020 22:55
A bit of an American political story about politics, corn, common sense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Operation Eagle Claw and the 1979 Iran Embassy Storming 02.07.2020 49:04
Eagle Claw, popularly known as Desert One, was the unsuccessful attempt to rescue hostages in Iran in 1980, hostages that had been held since the storming of the embassy in 1979. Replaying two previous podcasts on the topic, we look at the hostage-taking and the rescue attempt. How the plan may have worked? What went wrong? Also, why the embassy was stormed in 1979 and why it was the second time t...
Partisanship, 1850's Style w/ Josh Mensch, co-author of The Lincoln Conspiracy 01.07.2020 1:05:20
Baltimore in the 1850's was a fearsome place where politics and gangs were hard to separate. Yet it was the connecting stop for new Presidents and Union Soldiers getting to Washington D.C. We speak with Josh Mensch. Josh is the co-author with Brad Meltzer of the New York Times bestselling nonfiction history book The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President—and Why It Fa...
A Powder Keg About to Explode: Newark, NJ 1967 08.06.2020 1:07:49
Newark N.J. suffered a brutal and consuming riot, or rebellion, depending on how you see things, in the hot summer of 1967. Through the voices of history, we hear about those events, what caused it, and the musician who got caught up and became an unlikely spark. Caught off guard, police and National Guard and a scuffle became a war. How the '67 events caused a change in government, was noticed in...
The Cabinet, George Washington's Creation, with Lindsay M. Chervinsky 26.05.2020 44:45
George Washington did not get a Cabinet as President. He created it. His precedents forged the institution and the President's relationship to the Executive Departments. Washington didn't fire a cabinet member, but he set the precedents in this area and in others. We are joined by Lindsay M. Chervinsky, a historian with the white house historian Her book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Cre...
History's Nine Most Insane Rulers w Scott Rank of "History Unplugged" Podcast 12.05.2020 1:11:16
We talk Idi Amin, Kim Jong-il and other despots with Scott Rank of History Unplugged Podcast joins us to talk about his book History's Nine Most Insane Rulers. We get into Amin's awful suppression of opposition, deportation of Indian and Pakistani Ugandans, and extra judicial killings. Other insane rulers were more amusing, and we talk about that too. Lee Rosevere provides music on this program -...
Eyewitness to Kent State Shootings: Paula Stone Tucker 01.05.2020 57:13
The May 4, 1970 shootings at Kent State killed 4 students and wounded 9. Paula Stone Tucker was a student going through her work and studies on campus when she witnessed a historic event. We talk about Kent State, how the 4 days unfolded, and get Paula Stone Tucker's take on events. She is the author of the book Surviving a Kent State Memoir. We are grateful to Ohio vs. the World Podcast for lendi...
Rules of Political Debate: Godwin's Law is Not a Law 01.05.2020 26:59
Godwin's Law is Not a Law. And yet, it probably should be followed in most cases. (re-do of past episode that contained an error). The surprising history of the rule that one should not discuss Nazis in debates, and the person who is not a scientist nor a lawmaker who came up with it. Also, when you can violate the rule and what the rule says about meme-driven discussions in 2017. Learn more about...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - The 3 Words That Changed Presidential History 18.03.2020 30:15
In this episode we look at a historic campaign episode and try to solve a mystery of history of the 1884 election. Did GOP candidate Blaine hear the bigoted comments of a supporter, or didn't he? We also get an insider's view from a adept political reporter of how the other side jumped on the political opportunity created by the unfortunate comments of a reverend. Learn more about your ad choices...
The Spanish Flu of 1918 and Its Aftermath - Conversation with Laura Spinney 02.03.2020 37:50
We speak with Laura Spinney, science journalist and author of "Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World" and discuss the dreadful disease that claimed 50-100 million lives, more than the Great War that preceded it. The so-called 'Spanish Flu' caused global damage but also caused scientists to reflect and develop bettter science and public health strategies. But how much hav...
Iowa, Impeachment and the Universe 02.02.2020 45:08
A stubborn impeached governor, odd caucus locations, real estate and politics. Bruce talks about the Iowa Caucus, how it works, changes in 2020, its history and influence and what things look like this year. Impeachment and the current universe of politics in the United States. He finds a silver lining in the whole impeachment discussion, and discuss impeachment and political fallout, and Trump's...
Truman's Mild Support of JFK 17.01.2020 10:51
HST and JFK did not have a close relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Impeachment - Conversation with David Priess and Bruce Carlson 02.12.2019 1:14:22
It's all of those things. Conversation with David Priess, MHCBUYP listener, COO of Lawfare, Author of several books - about impeachment and the decision to impeach, and the many sides to this question from Tyler to Clinton to Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Deep Dive into The Emancipation Proclamation 14.11.2019 32:54
What was the true function of the Proclamation and the context surrounding it? How did people react at this time? Was slavery the true cause of the Civil War, and should North and South fit into liberal and conservative boxes. Could Congress pick the President? And what podcast advice does Bruce have? Bruce takes Listener Questions in this episode. Music from Chris Zabriskie, Chris Novembrino and...
Butterfield: Nixon’s Watergate Frenemy 05.11.2019 25:11
Alexander Butterfield, Nixon’s deputy COS who revealed the existence of the taping system in the White House, gets only a small mention in Watergate history but he has a lot to contribute to the understanding of it. He recently spoke to Bob Woodward in a new book and his account and the records he kept for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Beam Me Up: The James Traficant Story w/ Alex Hastie of The Ohio v. The World Podcast 20.10.2019 1:04:47
We discuss the life and career of Youngstown, Ohio congressman James Traficant with Alex Hastie of Ohio v. The World Podcast. We rerun part of the episode from his podcast. We hear from Eric Murphy, director of the documentary "The Congressman from Crimetown" https://vimeo.com/ondemand/traficant The frumpled congressman was a fixture of Ohio politics and a national controversial figure until his...
Brexit, Boris and UK and Irish Politics w/ Steven Byrne from What am Politics 31.08.2019 1:04:24
We talk about the new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Brexit, and Irish politics with Steven Byrne of What Am Politics Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Holden Caufield and Xerox: The Corporate Personhood Debate (from 2013) 20.08.2019 23:37
we discuss a recent Supreme Court decision and corporations as people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Rank The Presidents, with Susan Swain and Brian Lamb of C-SPAN 24.07.2019 37:04
With C-SPAN's Susan Swain and Brain Lamb we talk Theodore Roosevelt and LBJ. And we discuss their book The Presidents, and the unique ranking system they use to assess and order America's POTUSes. e also talk abut some of the historians who helped them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Third Parties: The Moped and the Maserati - Why Third Parties Haven't Won in American Politics 20.03.2019 27:04
About 3rd parties, with a focus on John Anderson's campaign and many others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Woodrow Wilson Has No Friends: Wilson, His Politics and His Image Today with Patricia O'Toole 18.03.2019 52:39
Or so it seems these days. Liberals, conservatives, anti-globalists, Fed haters, socialists, libertarians all have a bone to pick with him. how much criticism does he deserve? We speak with Patricia O'Toole, the author of 'The Moralist - Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made."We look at the politics of tariffs, foreign policy, intervention, immigration, war and race through the lens of Woodrow Wil...
Interview with Sidney Blumenthal - Putting Lincoln in a Political Context, Stephen Douglas, Jefferson Davis, The Whigs and More 12.02.2019 53:25
We are joined by the author of Wrestling With His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol II, Sidney Blumenthal. In this cast, he talks about Lincoln in the 1850's, as he emerges as a small-time lawyer to being 'woke' by the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Bill to make a stirring speech and come to a definite conclusion about the future of the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Mexico's Contribution to World War II and Other Stories 07.01.2019 11:08
a forgotten ally gets some credit in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Investigating the Executive Branch: The Trial of Thomas Jefferson, Governor 02.01.2019 34:57
"Public offices are, what they should be, burdens to those appointed to them which it would be wrong to decline, though foreseen to bring with them intense labor and great private loss." So wrote a newly elected governor Jefferson to a friend. We take a look at his experience and the Revolutionary War in Virginia, discover a forgotten hero and learn a bit about Executive branch meets Legislative b...
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