This American President

Harry S. Truman, a former haberdasher from Missouri, presided over the final victory in World War II, but a new conflict emerged: the Cold War. This episode explores how he responded to the unprecedented challenge of containing communism. Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com Twitter: twitter.com/ThisAmerPres Facebook: facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support Patreon: patreon.com/thisamericanpresiden...

In 1945, Harry S. Truman made one of the most fateful decisions any president has ever had to make: to use the atomic bomb as a weapon of war. This episode examines the unique circumstances and earthshaking consequences of that choice. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thisamericanpresident CREDITS Host: Richard Lim Producer: Michael Nea...

Have you ever learned about a historical figure or event and thought to yourself, this would make a great movie? The guys from the Parthenon Podcast Network recently got together to discuss exactly that. In this episode Mark Vinet (Historical Jesus and History of North America), Steve Guerra (History of the Papacy and Beyond the Big Screen), Richard Lim (This American President), and Scott Rank, (...

Every four to eight years, the power of the presidency is transferred from one citizen to another. It seems routine, but the peaceful transfer of power is one of America's greatest political traditions -- and it doesn't just happen on its own. It requires a lot of hard work and innovative thinking by many unsung public servants. In this episode, Peter Feaver, professor of political science at Duke...

Historians consistently rank Warren G. Harding among the worst presidents of all time, but Professor Ryan S. Walters begs to differ. In this episode, Walters discusses his new book on America's 29th president. THE JAZZ AGE PRESIDENT: DEFENDING WARREN G. HARDING https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Age-President-Defending-Harding/dp/1621578844 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPp...

During one random visit to a used bookstore, Professor Patrick Weil stumbled upon the lost psychobiography of Woodrow Wilson -- the first ever full-length psychological study of an American president, co-written by Sigmund Freud. In this episode, Professor Weil discusses his new book and his journey into the mind of America's most complex president. THE MADMAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE: SIGMUND FREUD, AM...

Americans have long cherished their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. During Woodrow Wilson's presidency, however, the government took unprecedented measures to restrict that right and, with the use of propaganda, to manipulate the Ameircan people. In this episode, Professor John Maxwell Hamilton reveals this fascinating moment in American history and explains the dangers of government p...

Who do you think was America's most brilliant president? Some might say Thomas Jefferson, while others say Theodore Roosevelt. Author Charles Goodyear has a different answer: James A. Garfield. In this episode, we interview Mr. Goodyear about his new book, President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier. PRESIDENT GARFIELD: FROM RADICAL TO UNIFIER https://www.amazon.com/President-Garfield-Radical-CW-G...

In Organized Crime and Punishment: A History and Crime Podcast, historian Steve Guerra and his trusty sidekick “Mustache Chris'' explore the rise of organized crime in various regions of the world and delve into the lives of some of the most renowned criminals and notorious gangsters. Every week, you’ll hear historical recollections and exclusive interviews about everything organized crime, from t...

Theodore Roosevelt may have been America's first progressive president, but it was a bookish professor from Princeton named Woodrow Wilson who would truly fulfill the hopes of the progressive movement. In this episode, we examine the rise of Woodrow Wilson and his efforts to outdo Roosevelt as the America's greatest reformer. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium F...

Former Vietnam War veteran & "tunnel rat" Nick Sanza discusses his experience overseas, what it's like coming from a long lineage of military service, and what he learned from the tunnels in this interview from the Eyewitness History podcast. Continue listening to Eyewitness History: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/44jShCi Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3LPfaXd Discover more episodes of Eyewitness...

In foreign policy circles, the "madman theory" asserts that acting irrationally and unpredictably can be a major advantage when dealing with one's adversaries. In recent years, some have pointed to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as practitioners of the madman theory. The father of this theory, however, was not Trump or Putin: it was America's 37th president, Richard Nixon. In this episode, we int...

On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. He invoked Scripture and discussed the ongoing Civil War in religious terms -- as divine punishment for the sin of slavery. It was a surprising speech for a man once known as a religious skeptic. What led Lincoln to deliver such a religious speech? What were Lincoln's religious views? How did they affect his leadership? Josh...

The roots of the Second World War in Europe lie within the First World War. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war between Germany and the western Allies, but the geopolitical situation it created was far from stable. Ten years later, the Great Depression made things even worse. In this episode preview from Key Battles of American History (the first in the World War II in Europe seri...

Gerald Ford occupies a truly singular place in American history: he is the only chief executive who took office without getting a single vote for either the presidency or vice presidency. When he did become president, he took charge of the nation at one of its lowest points — in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate. It fell to Gerald Ford to heal the nation and restore its confidence. In this ep...

What do Italian unification, Pinocchio and pizza have in common? In this episode preview from History of the Papacy, host Steve Guerra dives in! The Risorgimento was a period of political and social upheaval in Italy that lasted from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century. The movement aimed to unite the various states and regions of Italy into one unified nation. Pinocchio, the beloved ch...

Theodore Roosevelt began his second term in 1905 looking to secure his country's status as a great power, and his own place in history as a great president. To do so, he implemented progressive policies to expand the power of the federal government and America's footprint in world affairs. In doing so, he ushered in much of what is modern America. In this episode, we examine the second half of Roo...

The American people have never elected a woman president, but from 1919 to 1921, they had an acting woman president and didn't even know it. When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a devastating stroke in 1919, his wife, First Lady Edith Wilson, found herself in extraordinary circumstances. She made the fateful decision to hide his condition and perform several presidential duties herself. In this...

Should the U.S. government step in to "level the playing field" and ensure "fairness" in the economy? Should it break up companies that act as monopolies? What does it mean for a company to be a monopoly? These are questions that Americans have debated for over a century. In some ways, that debate began with President Theodore Roosevelt and financial titan JP Morgan. In this episode, we interview...

Theodore Roosevelt once said that he could only do one of two things: be president or control his daughter Alice. He insisted that he couldn't do both at the same time. Alice Roosevelt Longworth was, in many ways, a mirror image of her father: she was fiercely intellectual and never backed down from a fight. In her youth, she was the idol of millions of young women. In time, she became a DC power...

Countless books have been written about Theodore Roosevelt the statesman, the war hero, and the adventurer, but virtually none have explored his religious life. In this episode, we interview Professor Benjamin Wetzel, Professor of History at Taylor University, about his book Theodore Roosevelt: Preaching from the Bully Pulpit. Professor Wetzel reveals Roosevelt's views on matters of the soul and h...

It has been said that "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." In his youth, there was little to indicate that Theodore Roosevelt was destined for greatness. He spent much of his childhood bedridden, suffering from asthma. Roosevelt, however, overcame his ailments and dedicated his life to achieving greatness in every aspect of his life: physically,...

If Alexander The Great Hadn’t Died, He Might Have Conquered Europe, Circumnavigated Africa, and Built His Own Silk Road “And Alexander wept, seeing as he had no more worlds to conquer.” That’s a quote from Hans Gruber in Die Hard, which is a very convoluted paraphrase from Plutarch’s essay collection “Moralia.” Despite the questionable sourcing, there’s plenty of truth in that unattributed quote f...

In this episode of the Eyewitness History Podcast, Host Josh Cohen speaks with the former principal of Columbine High School, Frank DeAngelis. Frank and Josh discuss the events of the tragic shooting, what the police were doing at the time of the shooting, as well as the potential motivations of the two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. They also discuss the infamous basement tapes, as well...

James Madison was shy, bookish, and a dainty five-feet-four inches. He was more of a deep thinker than he was a warrior, but he was the first president to lead the United States into war. In this episode, we interview James Early, host of Key Battles of the Revolutionary War and Key Battles of American History, to learn more about his leadership during the War of 1812. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free...