This American President

A couple of months ago, the guys from Parthenon Podcast Network (James Early, Key Battles of American History; Steve Guerra, History of the Papacy; Richard Lim, This American President; and Scott Rank, History Unplugged) discussed who they would erase from history of they could. This time, instead of destroying, we are going to do some saving. If you could save one person in history from an untime...

This episode is a preview of Beyond the Big Screen hosted by Steve Guerra, a podcast in Parthenon Podcasts. 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest films ever created. Erik Fogg of the Reconsider Podcast and Steve dive into this great movie to try and find the big themes that were important when the film was made and still are to this day. Listen to the rest of the episode at https://www.spre...

The made-in-Hollywood marriage of Ronald and Nancy Reagan is more than a love story—it’s the partnership that made him president. Of the pair, Nancy was the one with the sharper instincts about people, the superior radar for trouble, and the keen sense of how to secure his place in history. The only person in the world to whom Ronald Reagan felt truly close, Nancy understood how to foster his stre...

Today is a group discussion in which the four guys that make up Parthenon Podcast Network (Steve Guerra from Beyond the Big Screen, Richard Lim from This American President, James Early from Key Battles of American History, and Scott Rank from History Unplugged) discuss a beloved hypothetical that our listeners have separately asked each of us many times: if you could eliminate one person from our...

On May 31, 1988, President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech to students at Moscow State University. While standing in the heart of a Soviet Union he once described as the "Evil Empire," President Reagan spoke about his optimism about a new era of peace and freedom around the world. During the speech, he also urged Russians to reject totalitarianism and embrace the opportunities offered by a new er...

After entering office in 1981, Ronald Reagan insisted he wanted to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. His critics scoffed at him, not believing he was sincere. In 1987, he stunned them by signing the INF Treaty with the Soviets, eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. In this episode, we cover how Reagan did just that and how his policies led to the end of the Cold War. JOIN PREMIUM Lis...

He might look like an old man on the one-dollar bill, but George Washington was once a bona fide action hero. This episode explores our first president’s legendary exploits during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. 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 Neal...

George III is known to history as the mad, tyrannical British king whose stubbornness and incompetence led to a humiliating defeat in the American Revolution. Renowned historian Andrew Roberts challenges that narrative in his new book, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. In this episode, we explore the enigmatic life of this consequential British monarch. ANDREW ROBERT...

How do you combat political misinformation in the era of fake news and hyper-partisanship? With non-partisan facts according to Sharon McMahon. In this episode we talk to Sharon McMahon, a former high school government and law teacher who earned a reputation as "America’s Government Teacher" amidst the historic 2020 election proceedings for her viral efforts on Instagram to educate the general pub...

On March 30, 1981, Secret Service agent Jerry Parr saved President Ronald Reagan's life during an assassination attempt in Washington, DC. By sheer coincidence, Jerry's wife Carolyn was working right across the street and witnessed the entire incident. In this episode, we interview Mrs. Parr about her and her late husband's experiences. CAROLYN PARR www.carolynmillerparr.com JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad...

On October 13, 1986, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the American people on his recent summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland. During the speech, he discussed how close he and Gorbachev came to signing an agreement eliminating a large number of nuclear weapons and why he refused to give in to the Soviet leader's demands that he limit research on his Strategic Defense In...

When Ronald Reagan was elected president, his critics worried he would escalate the Cold War--maybe even provoke World War III. Reagan, however, was planning the exact opposite: yes, he wanted to defeat the Soviet Union but he had an audacious plan to work with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and abolish nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. In this episode, we discuss Reagan's bold vision a...

When Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, he brought with him a mix of old-fashioned Midwestern values with the glitz and glamour of Golden Age Hollywood. In this episode, we interview Professor Paul Kengor about Reagan’s unique, yet quintessentially American background. Paul Kengor is an author and professor of political science at Grove City College, a private Christian liberal arts college i...

On October 27, 1964, in a speech supporting the Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan speaks of big government, high taxation, and the "war on poverty." He addresses foreign policy issues including the risk of appeasement, "peace through strength," and the Vietnam War. The speech changed his life, establishing him as a rising star in the emerging conservative movement. JOI...

Over the past week, the world has seen and heard about horrible things coming out of Afghanistan. Decisions that were made in the White House over the past few administrations are now being scrutinized in light of these events, and as a podcast on presidents we wanted to provide some of that perspective given the news. To help to sift through all of this is Christopher Paul Meyer, a former Army in...

“Ronald Reagan, the actor?!” exclaimed Doc Brown in the film Back to the Future when he learned that Ronald Reagan was President of the United States in 1985. Indeed, to many, the idea of the former B-movie actor as leader of the free world was an absurd idea. Few, however, would predict that this unlikeliest of presidents would alter the course of American history. In this episode, we cover Ronal...

Every four years, someone loses the election for president of the United States. What is it like to suffer such an epic defeat? What do you do with yourself after suffering heartbreak on the world stage? In this episode, we interview Peter Shea and Tom Maday on their new book, In the Arena: A History of American Presidential Hopefuls, to find answers to these questions. Along the way, we learn abo...

On August 8, 1974, President Nixon addressed the country to announce his resignation as President of the United States. In his address he concludes that it is evident he no longer has a strong enough political base in Congress to justify continuing his efforts to carry out his term. He acknowledges that the interests of the nation should come before personal considerations. He concedes that Americ...

In 1972, Richard Nixon was reelected as the 37th president in one of the greatest landslides in American history. Nixon had reached the pinnacle of his career yet this record breaking campaign had also planted the seeds of his spectacular downfall. That June, a group of operatives were arrested after a burglary into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. In time, it was revea...

On February 28, 1972, President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon were welcomed home by Vice President Spiro Agnew after landing at Andrews Air Force Base following the return of their historic trip to the People's Republic of China. China had been closed off for over two decades from the rest of the world and many saw them as espousing a radical version of communism, one that was even more d...

When Richard Nixon took office in 1969, he sought nothing less than to remake American foreign policy. He sought to forge a new balance of power and earn a place among history’s greatest peacemakers. He would go on to monumental achievements, opening relations with China and signing treaties with the Soviet Union, but he would also suffer one of the greatest downfalls in modern history. In this ep...

Photography plays an indelible role in how we remember and define American presidents. Throughout history, presidents have actively participated in all aspects of photography, not only by sitting for photos but by taking and consuming them. In this episode, we interview Cara A. Finnegan on her newly released book Photographic Presidents: Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital. We discuss man...

On November 3, 1969, Richard Nixon delivered this address to the nation on the war in Vietnam. In this speech he assures the American people that he is taking all necessary measures to push towards peace and end the Vietnam War. He does not advocate withdrawing troops, but instead negotiating peace. President Nixon remains sympathetic to the American call for peace but pushes forward with steadfas...

Richard Nixon entered office during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. And he had a bold agenda to remake his country’s foreign policy. For the first time, a new form of realism would dictate America’s Cold War strategy. The first test of this new worldview would occur in the jungles of Vietnam. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www...

Sports are as American as apple pie, yet even they have become a part of the political landscape. For decades, presidents have appeared at sporting events, and championship teams and gold medal winners have been invited to visit the White House. This wasn't always the case and you may be surprised to know that Richard Nixon was a pivotal figure in the nexus between American politics and sports. In...