Top History Podcasts

Native people have been written out of the American story, but without us you don’t know what happened. This summer the United States will celebrate the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. When you read the Declaration, you realize it is a list of complaints. The last entry, the climax in our founders’ reasons for rebellion against the Crown, is this: “He has excited… the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

We have been told the Revolution was fought over taxation and representation. But what the founders were most angry about in our country’s most famous document was Indian affairs. How did generations of Americans miss this?

The first armed rebellion against the Crown was an attack on British forts that traded with tribes. When colonists threw tea into the Boston harbor, they dressed up like members of the Mohawk tribe—not for disguise, but because pretending to be Indian symbolized freedom and rebellion. The founding fathers’ first government failed because Indigenous nations were too powerful; war and diplomacy with Native people is why we have a central federal government.

Hosted and reported by Rebecca Nagle and  featuring leading Native historians,  First America unveils  how the founders’ treatment of Indigenous nations—and their resistance—shaped US democracy. The show  does not simply add another blemish to the image of the founding fathers, it reveals the real story of why the colonists rebelled, what kind of government they created, and, crucially, how our current political moment was 250 years in the making.

Slow Burn illuminates America’s most consequential moments, making sense of the past to better understand the present. Through archival tape and first-person interviews, the series uncovers the surprising events and little-known characters lurking within the biggest stories of our time.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Slow Burn and your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe from the Slow Burn show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/slowburnplus to get access wherever you listen.

Season 11: Becoming Justice Gorsuch

How Neil Gorsuch laid the foundation for a SCOTUS supermajority and then became its most unexpected wild card.

Season 10: The Rise of Fox News

How a cable news channel became a cultural and political force—and how a whole bunch of people rose up to try and stop it.

Season 9: Gays Against Briggs

A nationwide moral panic, a California legislator who rode the anti-gay wave, and the LGBTQ+ people who stepped up and came out to try and stop him.

Season 8: Becoming Justice Thomas

Where Clarence Thomas came from, how he rose to power, and how he’s brought the rest of us along with him, whether we like it or not. Winner of the Podcast of the Year at the 2024 Ambies Awards.

Season 7: Roe v. Wade

The women who fought for legal abortion, the activists who pushed back, and the justices who thought they could solve the issue for good. Winner of Apple Podcasts Show of the Year in 2022.

Season 6: The L.A. Riots

How decades of police brutality, a broken justice system, and a video tape set off six days of unrest in Los Angeles.

Season 5: The Road to the Iraq War

Eighteen months after 9/11, the United States invaded a country that had nothing to do with the attacks. Who’s to blame? And was there any way to stop it?

Season 4: David Duke

America’s most famous white supremacist came within a runoff of controlling Louisiana. How did David Duke rise to power? And what did it take to stop him?

Season 3: Biggie and Tupac

How is it that two of the most famous performers in the world were murdered within a year of each other—and their killings were never solved?

Season 2: The Clinton Impeachment

A reexamination of the scandals that nearly destroyed the 42nd president and forever changed the life of a former White House intern.

Season 1: Watergate

What did it feel like to live through the scandal that brought down President Nixon?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beyond Mount Rushmore dives into the stories your history teacher definitely skipped. Each week, we explore forgotten presidents and their sketchy scandals, bizarre executive orders, and historic near-misses. Plus, facts so weird you'll think we made them up.

From FDR's final words, "I have a terrific headache," to Eleanor Roosevelt's lifelong "companion" in the White House, we're here to prove that history is anything but boring. Whether you're a hardcore history nerd or just love laughing at old dead guys' dumb decisions, buckle up for a wild ride through America's lesser-known past. New episodes drop every week—perfect for fans of dark humor, surprising trivia, and stories that Netflix wouldn't dare touch. Hosted by self-proclaimed presidential historian Stan Nawalaniec (owner of three Warren G. Harding bobbleheads) and co-host Jeff Hickcox (the voice of reason).

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

History is shaped by extraordinary people.

Visionary writers like Agatha Christie. Fearless pioneers such as Amelia Earhart. Ruthless rulers including Henry VIII and Cleopatra. Groundbreaking musicians, inventors, revolutionaries, explorers and leaders whose ambition, talent and influence transformed the course of history.

Welcome to Noiser’s Biography series, where immersive storytelling, powerful narration and richly crafted sound transport you into the lives, rivalries, triumphs and downfalls of the figures who shaped our world, one story at a time.

A Noiser production, narrated by Paul McGann and John Hopkins.

As featured on Short History Of....

Noiser+ members get ad free listening, exclusive content, and early access to new episodes across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started, or visit noiser.com/subscriptions.

No part of this podcast may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. In accordance with Article 4(3) of the DSM Directive 2019/790, Noiser Ltd expressly reserves this work from the text and data mining exception.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vikings terrified the medieval world. Yet they beguile us today. Who were they really?

The WallBuilders Show is a daily journey to examine today's issues from a Biblical, Historical and Constitutional perspective. Featured guests include elected officials, experts, activists, authors, and commentators.

“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” The town is Boston.

Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America. 

Season 1: "The Big Dig" 

The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.

Season 2: "Scratch & Win" 

America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling. 

Season 3: "Catching The Codfather"

A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against the state.

Coming Soon - Season 4: "Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story" 

Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy began their political journeys on opposite sides of the healthcare issue, and they ended once again on opposite sides, but for a brief period in the middle they worked together to pass a groundbreaking law – one that promised to finally transform the politics of American healthcare – the law known as Romneycare. So what brought this odd couple together, and what ultimately pulled Mitt and Ted apart?

--------------

CREDITS:

Host & Creator: Ian Coss

Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Producer: Isabel Hibbard

Story Editor: Lacy Roberts 

Contact us as thebigdig@wgbh.org

le='color:grey;font-size:0.75em'> Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here you’ll find mysterious deaths, morbid fascinations, disturbing stories, and otherwise spooky events from the Victorian Era. For ad-free listening, witchy content, Victorian True Crime Extras and Dark Poetry, join The Patreon!

And check out my new podcast series, The Death of Edgar Allan Poe!

The most entertaining and enraging stories from 'Classical' mythology (and, often, ancient history of the wider Mediterranean!) told casually, contemporarily, and (more often than not) sarcastically. The world of Greek mythology and the history of the wider ancient Mediterranean is full of wonder, horror, and utter hilarity. These myths and stories are timeless for a reason, they're just as relevant today as they were 2500+ years ago. With over 700 episodes and counting, we dive deep into the realm of gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters, and everything in between.

Scripted myth and history episodes every Tuesday, conversations with authors and scholars or readings of ancient epics every Friday. LTAMB: The Oracle Edition has ad-free episodes and so much more. Learn more about the podcast, and Liv's work at mythsbaby.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.