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American History Hit — History
American History Hit

Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today.

We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park.

From pre-colonial America to independence, slavery to civil rights, the gold rush to the space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Brought to you by History Hit, the award-winning podcast network and world’s best history channel on demand, featuring shows like Dan Snow’s History Hit, Not Just The Tudors and Betwixt the Sheets.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Copyright: © History Hit

Latest Episodes:

The Last Ship of the Atlantic Slave Trade Mar 03, 2024

Show notes

In July 1860, half a century after the importation of captive slaves was banned under federal law, a ship docked in Alabama carrying around 110 enslaved people.

To find out who was still engaging in the Atlantic slave trade, how these people were forced onto the Clotilda and what happened to them after landing in the United States, Don speaks to Hannah Durkin.

Hannah is the author of 'Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade'.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

Lincoln the President Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

When it comes to US Presidents, it’s not easy to agree on much these days. But one thing that has remained consistent is the man widely considered to be the best president in history: Abraham Lincoln.

In this first episode of our three part series, we're finding out about Lincoln's rise to power and key policies as the President of the United States.

Don speaks to Matthew Pinsker, Professor of History at Dickinson College and author of 'Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln' and 'The Soldiers’ Home'.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

American History Tellers Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. Every part of your life - the words you speak, the ideas you share - can be traced to our history, but how well do you really know the stories that made America? We'll take you to the events, the times and the people that shaped our nation. And we'll show you how our history affected them, their families and affects you today. Hosted by Lindsay Graham (not the Senator). From Wondery, the network behind American Scandal, Tides of History, American Innovations and more.

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

The Truth about the American Dream: The Baldwin-Buckley Debate Feb 25, 2024

Show notes

On February 18th, 1965, the University of Cambridge hosted one of the most legendary debates in history. Author James Baldwin and conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr took to the floor to discuss whether the American Dream was achievable only at the expense of black Americans.

To find out more about this debate, often overshadowed by other significant civil rights events of the same era, Don speaks to Nicholas Buccola. Nick is a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and author of ‘The Fire is Upon Us’.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Audio from the debate republished with the permission of The Cambridge Union (https://www.cus.org).

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

D.B. Cooper & the 70s Hijacking Craze Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

On 23 June 1972, a man boarded American Airlines Flight 119 in St Louis. He sat most of the way to Tulsa before donning a wig and a pair of gloves in the restroom, taking out a gun and handing a member of the cabin crew a note.

'Don't panic. This is a ransom hijacking.'

To find out more about this man, what he hoped to gain from his crimes, and how he and others were inspired by D.B. Cooper, Don speaks to John Wigger. John is Professor of History at the University of Missouri and author of ‘The Hijacking of American Flight 119: How D.B. Cooper Inspired a Skyjacking Craze and the FBI's Battle to Stop It’.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

Tulsa Massacre: Violence, Resilience & Rebirth Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

The city of Tulsa is perhaps best known in history books for the events of 1921. In 36 hours, hundreds of residents of the Greenwood district were murdered and more than 30 blocks of housing and businesses were razed to the ground.

In this episode, Don is with Victor Luckerson to go beyond the story of that one day in Tulsa. Why was the Greenwood district known as Black Wall Street? Why was it targeted that day? How did its residents raise themselves up and carry on to become commercially stronger in the aftermath? And what is the legacy of the massacre in Tulsa?

Victor is a journalist and author based in Tulsa. His book on this subject is 'Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa's Greenwood District, America's Black Wall Street' and his substack is https://runitback.substack.com

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

President James Buchanan: The Worst President Ever? Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

From 1857 to 1861, James Buchanan held the office of President of the United States. It was a pivotal moment in the history of America, a bitterly divided nation that would very soon descend to its darkest depths during the Civil War.

So what exactly was Buchanan's role in steering his country towards this fate? Could he have done more? Why is Kansas so intrinsic to this story? And what else was unusual about his presidency?

Don speaks to Dr Ian Iverson, Historian and Editor at the John Dickinson Writings Project and author of 'Holding the Political Center in Illinois: Conservatism and Union on the Brink of Civil War', published this year by Kent State University Press.

Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

The Clinton Scandals Feb 11, 2024

Show notes

From financial to conspiratorial to sexual, the words 'Clinton' and 'scandal' are regularly found in each others' vicinities. But why?

Don is talking to Professor Peter Ling today to take us back to before Bill Clinton became president, before Monica Lewinsky became a household name, to find out about the scandals that have lurked in the Clintons' shadows.

Peter, from the University of Nottingham, is working on a study of presidential scandals from Watergate to Trump.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY - sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

Facebook at Twenty: From College Dorms to Court Cases Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Where did the idea for Facebook come from? How has the site evolved? And how has it changed the world? In this episode, 20 years after the creation of the social media site, Don speaks to Steven Levy, WIRED’s editor at large.

Steven had access to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg over three years for his book 'Facebook: The Inside Story'. His work chronicling the digital revolution can be found at WIRED.com.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY - sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

Origins of the Civil War Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

The war between the Union and the Confederacy is a major turning point in the history of the United States. But why did it happen?

From slavery and states' rights, to economic, legislative, moral, and political issues, in this episode, Don and Professor Adam Smith explore how these intertwined issues triggered this devastating war.

Adam is a professor at the University of Oxford and Director of their Rothermere American Institute. He is also the host of podcast 'The Last Best Hope?' and author of 'The Stormy Present: Conservatism and the Problem of Slavery in Northern Politics, 1846-1865'.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

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

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