This Day (An America 250 History Show)

It’s August 26th. This day in 1814, the small town of Brookeville, MD becomes the Capitol of the United States — for one night. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Brookeville became the seat of government amidst the chaos of the War of 1812. Plus, a bonus conversation about another story on this day, from 1970 — the bombing of a research facility at the University of Wisconsin. Thanks to Ana and C...

This is audio of a video chat we recorded earlier this week in reaction to the recent attacks on the Smithsonian by the Trump administration, the conversation about slavery's legacy, and more. We released this in full video for our newsletter subscribers first -- consider subscribing to America250 Watch now to get access to all our ongoing coverage of how history is being done in the Trump era, an...

The Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on museums and The Smithsonian. We're recoding a special reaction episode that will appear in our newsletter - sign up now to get it. In the meantime, here's an episode from the archives on the founding of the institution. It’s August 15th. This day (actually Aug 10th) in 1846, President Polk signed into law a bill establishing the Smithsonian Ins...

It’s July 31st, 2012. This day, on the campaign trail, a reporter shouts a question at Mitt Romney: “What about your gaffes?!” Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the question came to be asked and why it perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with modern political journalism. Plus, why the other questions asked that day weren’t that much better. Don't forget to sign up for our America250 Watch new...

It’s August 19th. This day in 1791, Benjamin Banneker sent an advance copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson. Along with the almanac, he included a letter pleading with Jefferson to recognize slavery as a moral wrong. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Banneker’s enlightenment-era appeal, Jefferson’s reaction, and how the correspondence between the two helped galvanize the abolitionist movement. Don'...

It’s August 17th. This day in 1979, a young college student by the name of James Dallas Egber III disappeared into a steam tunnel below his university, intending to commit suicide. But the story of his disappearance became a media - and moral - panic because of his affinity for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what we know and don’t know about Eg...

It's August 15th. This day in 2017, President Donald Trump gave a press conference in which he offered remarks about the violence that took place in Charlottesville, VA a couple days before. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the roots of the white supremacist rallies and violence in Charlottesville, as well as Trump's comments that there were "very fine people on both sides." Those comments have sinc...

It's August 13th. This day in 1846, Henry David Thoreau is thrown in jail -- for one night -- for refusing to pay his back taxes. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why Thoreau objected to the poll tax, and how his political stances intersected with the more personal work that emerged from his two years living on Walden Pond. Don't forget to sign up for our America250 Watch newsletter, where you'll al...

It's August 7th. This day in 1945, the US has bombed the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and two days later would drop a nuclear weapon on Nagasaki. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by author and journalist Garrett Graff to discuss the 80th anniversary of the bombings, how they played into the final months of WWII -- and what perspectives we are losing as the memories of WWII slip away. Garrett has a...

It's August 5th. This day in 1944, a crucial moment in World War II history, a series of internment camps are being set up in Texas. Unlike the more widely known camps on the US West Coast, these camps held not only Japanese Americans but also individuals of Japanese, German, and Italian descent from Latin America, who were deported to this country. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the US was br...

One of the biggest stories today, in 2025, is that Texas Democracts have left the state and are in Illinois, looking to hold up drastic redistricting legislation proposed by the GOP. In 2020, we recorded an episode about another time that Texas Dems fled the state to stop redestricting...  We're bringing it to you now as part of our ongoing series to provide some historical context for stories pla...

Last episode, we talked about the history of historical markers, and what they indicate about the present. Today, a tour through some of our favorite examples of strange and controversial markers from around the country. Be sure to share your favorite historical marker in our newsletter chat! https://thisdaypod.substack.com/ Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is...

It's July 29th. This day in 1913, Pennsylvania passed a law that would establish a system for adding historical markers and plaques around their state. Over the coming decades, other states would follow suit, and into the first half of the 20th century, the United States saw a flourishing of those road-side historical markers. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why there was such an appetite for histo...

It's July 24th. This day in 1892, labor activist Alexander Berkman attempts to assasinate industrialist Henry Clay Frick, head of the Carnegie Steel Corporation. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the ratcheting tensions around the Homestead mill strike, and why Berman thought this "propaganda of the deed" would arouse class solidarity. Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for...

It's July 22nd. This day in 1934, gangster John Dillinger is killed by federal agents while walking out of a movie theater in Chicago. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the media environment that helped turn Dillinger into a star, and how J Edgar Hoover used the showdown with him and other gangsters to build the FBI as we know it. Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for our o...

It's July 17th. This day in 1902, a New York engineer by the name of Willis Haviland Carrier is trying to figure out a system for keeping printing machinery cool -- and ends up developing the technology that would lead to air conditioning. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how quickly Carrier's invention spread, and how air conditioning changed everything from urban development to political productiv...

It's July 14th. This day in 1972, Russian agricultural officials are in New York City cutting deals with American farmers for surplus U.S. wheat. Before the U.S. government could realize what was happening, the U.S.S.R. had snapped up almost a quarter of the American crop. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the Russians were so desperate for grain, why the U.S. was caught off guard -- and how the...

This episode is part of our "Some Sunday Context" series, new conversations and favorites from the archives that give some context for the biggest stories of the moment. Today: with a new Superman movie leading to a whole discourse about what he represents, we revisit a conversation with NPR's Glen Weldon about the comic book origins of the Man of Steel, and how he's always reflected the politics...

It's July 10th. This day in 1868, the federal government officially dismantled the Department of Education -- it would be more than a 100 years before it was re-established. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why there was a federal push to promote education in the wake of the Civil War, and why the fight against it feels so resonant to the anti-DOE efforts today. Help out with America 250 Watch! Subs...

It's July 7th. This day in 1850, a man by the name of James Strang has proclaimed himself the true inheritor of the Mormon church -- and set up a colony on Beaver Island in Michigan. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss a time of religious awakening in America, how Strang convinced his followers that he was their leader, and how he ruled over his flock of 2500 acolytes. Also: buried treasure. Help out w...

We continue our conversation about the America250 celebrations planned for 2026 -- which are kicking off in earnest this July 4th. We know a lot about who is tasked with putting this celebration together, and what that may indicate. The big news is that we are announcing the launch of America 250 Watch! Our newsletter will be the hub, along with the podcast of course, for our ongoing coverage and...

Hello and happy 4th of July! (One day early) America's 250th birthday is next year, but the celebration is, in many ways, kicking off this week. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the 250th will be such a key moment for understanding US history, how the Trump administration is already framing the story -- and how we plan to cover it into 2026. The big news is that we are announcing the launch of A...

It's July 1st. This day in 1962, six European countries are banding together to impose severe tariffs on imported American chicken. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why things got so heated in the poultry industry, and how the retaliatory tariff war it set off had major implications for, of all things, the American truck industry. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political Histor...

This episode is part of our "Some Sunday Context" series where we are bringing you episodes from the archives and new conversations that try to give you a little historical perspective on current events. Today, an episode we recorded in 2021 about an anti-slavery protest in 1854, and how it brought up fundamental questions about our founding documents, freedom, and more. We'll be back with new epi...

It's June 26th. This day in 1968, President Johnson signed what would be his last major act of domestic legislation -- an omnibus crime bill that drastically empowered and armed local police forces. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the conversation about public safety and policing shifted from the mid-to-late sixties, and how this bill set a template for how police forces would be funded in the...