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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:

California Gold Rush Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

From the rings on our fingers, to coins in our pockets and, for a select few, the medals hanging around our necks. Gold is one of the most coveted metals in the world.

Gold still has the power to change lives, but in the mid 19th century, it also sparked the largest migration in the history of the United States.

Don is joined by Professor Mark Eifler, author of 'The California Gold Rush: The Stampede that Changed the Nation', to find out how gold was discovered in California and who benefitted from it.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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

Lincoln & God: Scepticism to Spiritualism May 29, 2023

Show notes

He's the best president that the United States has ever had ... at least according to one 2021 C-span study.

But how did Lincoln's religious views affect his life and leadership? In this episode, Don is joined by Joshua Zeitz, author of 'Lincoln's God: How Faith Transformed a President and a Nation'.

We hear about Lincoln's journey from scepticism to spiritualism, and the growth of connections between politics and the church in the United States.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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

The Birth of the American Flag May 25, 2023

Show notes

13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 small white five pointed stars. It's recognisable the world over as the flag of the United States of America.

But how did this become the American flag? When did it develop its own 'cult'? And does Betsy Ross have anything at all to do with this story?

Don is joined by Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography.

For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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

America Prepares for War: FDR & WW2 May 22, 2023

Show notes

Was the USA already a superpower when it joined the Second World War? How did it turn from an isolationist nation to a force ready for action?

Today Don is joined by Craig Nelson to find out how President Franklin D. Roosevelt manoeuvred the country from the isolationism of the interwar years to supplying an arsenal and, eventually, manpower to its European allies.

Craig's new book is 'V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt's American Revolution and the Triumph of World War 2'.

For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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

Serial Killer Family on the Frontier May 18, 2023

Show notes

Between 1871 and 1872, Labette County, Kansas became a source of mystery. Several people have gone missing on their journey west and a few bodies have been found. Is this the work of highway robbers? Or could it be the peculiar family who live beside the Great Osage Trail?

Don is joined for this episode for Susan Jonasus, author of 'Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, America's First Serial Killer Family'.

Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.

For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

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

LBJ's Legacy May 15, 2023

Show notes

The Vietnam War or the Great Society? Which event looms larger in the history of the United States?

The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, is often weighed up in these terms - the balance between domestic and foreign policy. But what is his legacy? Could he be called the first President of our modern era?

In this episode, Don is joined by Mark Lawrence, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas.

Produced and mixed by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.

For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

Complete the survey and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books- including a signed copy of Dan Snow's 'On This Day in History'.

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

The Rise of Buffalo Bill May 11, 2023

Show notes

He was the most famous man in the world at the turn of the 20th century, bringing the American frontier to the rest of the United States, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. But who was Buffalo Bill?

In this episode, recorded at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden, Colorado, Don is joined by Steve Friesen to find out about the rise of America’s first celebrity.

From boy scout to breadwinning buffalo hunter, how did William Cody become a showman and an iconic household name?

Produced by Sophie Gee. Mixed by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

Email us at ahh@historyhit.com if you have any areas of history that you would love Don to explore.

For more History Hit content, follow our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

Complete the survey and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books- including a signed copy of Dan Snow's 'On This Day in History'.

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

Roanoke: The Lost English Colony May 08, 2023

Show notes

When it was founded in 1585, Roanoke was intended to be the first permanent English outpost in America. So how did it become the 'lost colony'?

In this episode, Don is joined by Professor Mark Horton, archaeologist from the Royal Agricultural University in the UK. Together they delve into the mystery.

Why did John White take three years to return to the colony? What clues were left by the one hundred people missing from the island? And why did those who found the island abandoned not follow these clues to find their countrymen?

Produced by Sophie Gee. Editing and sound design by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - follow today!

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

The King & FDR: The Birth of the Special Relationship May 04, 2023

Show notes

In 1939, on the invitation of Franklin D. Roosevelt, King George VI became the first reigning British monarch to set foot on American soil.

So what triggered this monumental moment in the transatlantic relationship? How has it trickled down to today's special relationship? And how was King George assisted in his diplomacy by his wife, Elizabeth?

In this coronation special, Don is joined by author Sally Bedell Smith to find out more.

For more from Sally, you can find her substack here: https://sallybedellsmith.substack.com/

Produced by Sophie Gee and Stuart Beckwith. Editing and sound design by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - follow today!

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

Battle of Amiens May 01, 2023

Show notes

In August 1918, the battle of Amiens brought the German army's 'black day' and the beginning of the end of the First World War.

But what happened at Amiens? How were US troops involved in this battle? And how is the battle remembered today?

In this episode, Don is joined by Dan Snow to talk about the American troops and their parts in the offensives at Hamel and Amiens.

Produced by Sophie Gee and James Hickmann. Editing and sound design by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

If you’d like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today!

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

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