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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:

Cahokia: The Medieval Mississippian City Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

Nearly a thousand years ago, America's first city appeared in the Mississippi flood plain. Don finds out about a day in the life of Cahokia, what its vast mounds were used for, and why it is so poorly remembered nowadays.

Our guest is Timothy Pauketat, archaeologist and author of several major books about Cahokia. His latest book is called Gods of Thunder: How Climate Change, Travel, and Spirituality Reshaped Precolonial America.

Editing and sound design by Stuart Beckwith. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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

How Horses Conquered America (Twice) Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Horses have been a bulwark of American culture and society for centuries. Think of cowboys in the Mid-West or Native Americans riding bareback on the Great Plains. But new, ground-breaking archeological evidence has emerged to suggest horses were present in the Americas more than 10,000 years ago, shattering our previous assumptions that they were first brought to North America by the Spanish.

In today’s episode of American History Hit, Don speaks to Dr William Taylor about these new findings, exploring how the mighty horse conquered America, went extinct, and then conquered it once more.

Produced by Benjie Guy and Freddy Chick. Mixed by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store

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Becoming Benjamin Franklin Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be one of the first to live the American Dream. He came from humble beginnings, Franklin was raised in Boston, the last of 17 children. Márcia Balisciano tells Don how he went from a printer’s apprentice to Founding Father of the United States, via stints in London.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith. 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.

America's Top Secrets: Manhattan Project to Drone Warfare Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Much of American history has been redacted. Since the World War 2, the number of secrets the US government has kept has grown exponentially. There are some things they think are too dangerous for the public to know. Matthew Connelly, author of the Declassification Engine, takes Don through America's top secrets of the 20th century.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Stuary Beckwith. 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.

The Moon Landing Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

July 20th, 1969. Neil Armstrong descends from Lunar Module Eagle to the Moon's surface. A momentous moment in American, and human history. For more than a decade, pioneers in the US and Soviet Union had competed in the exploration of space, the final frontier. Jay Gallentine tells Don how new technology was developed to go where no one had gone before. How America won the Space Race.

Produced by Freddy Chick and Benjie Guy. Mixed by Stuart Beckwith. 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.

The Road to Civil Rights Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Under segregation, African Americans' lives were severely limited. Restricted entry to public places, private businesses and public transport, cars provided liberty they were otherwise denied and protection from danger and discrimination. Gretchen Sorin, author of Driving While Black, tells Don that with the help of travel guides such as the Green Book, listing businesses that would accept African American customers - the car enabled African Americans to enjoy the freedom of the open road.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Tom Delargy. 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!

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Hudson River: America's First Art Movement Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

English-born artist Thomas Cole emigrated to the United States in 1818. Six years later he began what is now known as the Hudson River School, which became the first art movement of the United States.. Betsy Jacks, director of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, tells Don how these artists captured the country's awe-inspiring natural beauty, at a time when the US was rapidly industrialising. Framing an image of America that would illustrate the spirit of the continent and the nation that sought to conquer it.

Produced and mixed by Benjie Guy. 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!

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Espionage & Enslavement in the Revolution Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Claire Bellerjeau tells Don the the story of Liss, an enslaved Black woman in 18th century New York, and her involvement with one of George Washington's spies. Her story sheds light on the experiences of people of colour in New York from the colonial period, during the revolution and into the early republic.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Aisha Deva & Tom Delargy. 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.

French Spies in the American Revolution Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

The story of the American Revolution is one of the best known in American history. But it could have been very different. Outgunned and outmanned against the might of the British Empire, America’s revolutionaries found themselves backed into a corner from the start. Their solution was to turn to Europe’s other superpower - France - for military aid. But the French were wary.

Were it not for the actions of a renegade French spy and a secretive committee held in Philadelphia’s Carpenters Hall in 1775, then French support may not have been forthcoming. Johanna Dunphy tells Don about this cloak and dagger meeting and how it altered the course of the War of Independence.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Joseph Knight. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long

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The White House Chief of Staff Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

While the President of the United States is often seen as the most powerful person in the world, the vastness of the Federal government is too much for just one person to oversee. The president needs someone to control events, run the White House, respond to challenges and handle emergencies. That person is the Chief of Staff. Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, tells Don how the Chiefs of Staff have impacted the 8 most recent presidents.

Warning: There is explicit language in this episode.

Produced by Benjie Guy. Mixed by Joseph Knight. 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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