US History Repeated

This podcast covers many topics involved in the United States' western expansion. We touch on topics like the California Gold Rush, Ghost towns and Boom towns, The Homestead Act, and then we spend a bulk of time on The Pacific Railroad Act and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. We go into detail on the railroad's impact on Native Americans, and the struggles of the labor force engaged...

As the 19th President of the United States (1877-1881), Rutherford B. Hayes oversaw the end of Reconstruction, began the efforts that led to civil service reform, and attempted to reconcile the divisions left over from the Civil War. Born in Ohio in 1822, Hayes was educated at Kenyon College and Harvard Law School. After five years of law practice in Lower Sandusky, he moved to Cincinnati, where h...

This podcast covers the life and presidency of Ulysses S Grant. Ulysses S Grant spent his life serving his country.  He led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 He was the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877 He created the Justice Department and worked to protect African Americans during reconstruction. Even in his retirement, he continued serving. learn ab...

This podcast focuses on post civil war reconstruction during the presidency of Andrew Johnson.  Andrew Johnson was thrust into the presidential job because of Lincoln's assassination. You can find out if he was up to the task or not. Newly freed men (former slaves) had their share of challenges as well. Jim Crow laws, tenant farming, segregation and adapting to freedom all had to be dealt with. Ad...

This is part two of the United States Civil War. If you have not listened to part one, start there and come back to this one. We also have separate podcasts on Abraham Lincoln's presidency, the election of 1860, and other causes that led to the civil war.    Civil War Part Two covers the final battles of the civil war, the aftermath, and the tentative beginnings of reconstruction.  There is too mu...

We have danced around the Civil War for the last few episodes setting the stage for beginnings of war. There is a lot to go into with the specifics of The Civil War so this is broken up into two parts. Too much to put into the description and why steal our own thunder? Always more to learn!

The life, presidency, and assassination of Abraham Lincoln makes up the content of this podcast. We touch upon events of the United States Civil War, but we tried to keep it more general as we will be doing The Civil War in much more detail in the coming podcasts. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most important presidents in our countries history. He kept the Union together through war, was a great s...

The election of 1860 was strife with sectionalism. The North and South could not agree on their candidiates and we subsequently saw 4 presidential hopefuls: 1. John Breckinridge who was from Kentucky and had served as James Buchanan’s Vice President. (Southern Democrat, slave owner) 2. Stephen A. Douglas, Senator from Illinois (Northern Democrat) 3. John Bell, effectively a slavery neutral candida...

We have been building up to the Civil War for quite some time now.  Sectionalism, lack of national unity and the issue of the extension of slavery into new territories are at an all time high. The events of the 1850s will make the Civil War all but inevitable. We cover the short-lived presidency of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore, both members of the Whig Party. We discuss the aftermath of the...

In this podcast we continue the discussion on the beginnings of social reform in the United States. Within the two podcasts we discuss Dorothea Dix and her work in the field of mental illness, Temperance movement with limiting alcoholic consumption, Abolition, Women's Suffrage, and Horace Mann with educational reforms.  Many of today's social justice movements can trace their beginnings back to th...

In this podcast we discuss the beginnings of social reform in the United States. We discuss Dorothea Dix and her work in the field of mental illness, as well as Temperance, Abolition, Women's Suffrage, and Horace Mann with educational reforms.  Many of today's social justice movements can trace their beginnings back to this time in our nation's history. Change is perpetual, but to get real change...

The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change. Industry brought progress, expansion, and movement of the population to new towns that sprung up all over the country.  Our special guest, Christian de Rezendes, is the creator of a documentary about Slatersville and the development of that town during the period. We got to ask him some questions and received great insight that we are able to s...

We cover a bit in this podcast, but the focus is on Manifest Destiny and the American Expansion "From Sea to Shining Sea". We realize that we had a run on "The Presidency of...", but we like to keep our listeners guessing! In the Expansion and Manifest Destiny podcast, we cover the following presidencies: Martin Van Buren (8th President and one term in office) Wm. Henry Harrison (9th President and...

We continue our run of presidential podcasts with Andrew Jackson, our 7th President. Jackson was known as "The People's President", as well as his policies that forced Native Americans to migrate from their homes. This would be called the Trail of Tears.  Jackson, a war hero during the War of 1812 is given credit for the founding of the Democratic Party,  but we don't want to give away all of the...

John Quincy Adams, our 6th President, was elected president despite losing both the popular and electoral vote. He was elected by the House of Representatives. John Quincy Adams was the son of 2nd president John Adams. As Secretary of State, Adams negotiated the Adams-Onís Treaty, which allowed the U.S. to acquire Florida.  Adams was not a fan of being president, and had lots of drama and friction...

We continue with our Presidential series and are up to our nation's 5th President, James Monroe. James Monroe oversaw major westward expansion, the acquisition of Florida, and strengthened foreign policy greatly. James Monroe was a teenage hero at the battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War, a law apprentice for Thomas Jefferson, and was a key player in two administrations. The Monroe Doctr...

We continue our podcast series and are now up to the 4th President James Madison. He was known as the Father of the Constitution, was president during the war of 1812, was in office when Washington was burned to the ground. Within this podcast we give some interesting ways on how to teach the war of 1812 as well! Take a listen, there is always more to learn. 

We delve into the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. We go into how he got there, what he accomplished during his two terms, as well as some of the more controversial aspects of his life, including his role as a slave owner.  Part of this podcast includes the Louisiana Purchase, which effectively doubled the size of the country, the Lewis and Clark expeditions exploring the new wilderness, and the ef...

Should statues and Military installations named after historical figures with ties to slavery and The Confederacy be removed or renamed? We decided to do a podcast on this controversial topic! We discuss many of the figures who have had statues erected, why they were erected, why some want them removed and delve into the historical significance of the figure, both good and bad. In regard to the Mi...

We continue our run on presidents and discuss the nations second President, John Adams. After two terms as VP to George Washington, John Adams finally gets his chance to do the top job. We talk about what he accomplished during his presidency, both domestic and foreign policy. We discuss some of the precedents he set and the challenges of being second.  John Adams had big shoes to fill. How did he...

With the recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the need to fill a seat on the Supreme Court in the near future, we decided to put together this podcast outlining: How a Justice is appointed & confirmed The role of The Supreme Court The history and evolution of The Court Types of Issues discussed in the approval process Types of cases Election Year vacancies and how they have been handl...

We take a look at the two terms of George Washington's Presidency, how he was elected, and some of the facts and myths of the man who became a US Legend. We talk about what he accomplished during his presidency, both domestic as well as some initial foreign policy. We discuss some of the precedents he set and the burdens of being "first".   

This podcast talks to the role that campaign financing plays in US Politics. Do you know how much money it costs to run a campaign? Do you know how your elected officials have voted on your behalf? Do you know how to follow the money? We get into all of this and a little more!

Primary elections help to narrow down the pool of candidates for a Political Party. Presidential candidates are selected at their respective party’s convention. We get into the process of how they come up with the number of delegates that each state has, delegates from American territories, as well as where to find the data online if you are really interested in the formulas. Primary elections are...

Today the voting requirements are: U.S. Citizen, 18 +. It wasn’t always this way. Over the course of our nation’s history, the right to vote has been extended to various groups and the age requirement has changed. The extension of the right to vote didn’t happen easily or wasn’t always achieved peacefully. People died, people were beaten, people were lynched, people were left to rot in jail cells,...