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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:

A Day in the Life of a Puritan May 04, 2026

Show notes

What if we told you that puritans were actually sex-crazed? Well maybe not crazed but definitely not opposed to it.

What if we told you that, actually, the entire mainstream belief of puritans being bound to strict moral and religious codes isn't totally true?

In this episode of American History Hit, Don is joined by Lori Rogers-Stokes to answer some of the big questions. Did the Puritans really wear all black? What's the difference between a Puritan and a Pilgrim? And was anyone ever marked with a scarlet letter?

Lori is an independent scholar, public historian, and contributing editor for New England’s Hidden Histories. She is the author of two books on the Puritans: 'Records of Trial from Thomas Shepard’s Church in Cambridge, 1638–49: Heroic Souls', and 'Gathered into a Church: Indigenous-English Congregationalism in Woodland New England'.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

George Washington's Spies Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

During the Revolutionary War a vital web of intelligence was established, with General Washington at its head. Operating through coded letters, hidden signals, and a chain of ordinary civilians turned spies, their secrecy and precision proved that even the quietest network could alter the course of a revolution.

Our guest today is Dr. Alexander Rose, historian and author of Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring, was adapted into the AMC period drama series, Turn: Washington’s Spies.

Don's new documentary on Fort Laramie is available to watch now for all History Hit subscribers. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

Geronimo's Rebellion and the Apache Wars Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Geronimo's name is famous across the world: the Apache warrior who led a resistance movement against the United States out in the South West for years...

But what happened to Geronimo (or Goyaałé) that led to his campaign of resistance? Why did the US and Mexico feel like they had to bring him down? And how did his story end?

Our guest today is Dr. Veronica Tiller, a writer of Native American History and editor & publisher of the award-winning economic reference guide Tiller’s Guide to Indian Country.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Hannah Feodorov. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

The Astors, The Gilded Age & The Building of New York Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

From fur traders to rulers of the New York social scene - how did the Astors rise to the top? What did it mean to be 'Old Money' in the Gilded Age? And where did that power go?

Don is joined by New York Times best-selling historian and novelist, Katherine Howe. From the Titanic, to the slums of New York, to the penthouse of the Waldorf Astoria, Katherine today guides us through a family story like no other.

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

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

Shays' Rebellion: An Honorable Rebellion? Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Shays’ Rebellion has long been taught as a dangerous uprising, one that risked shaking the newly founded United States of America. But by tracing the events from mounting grievances to the march on the Springfield Armory, one might argue it was as a disciplined, community-driven movement born out of economic injustice...

Our guest for today’s episode is Dr. Daniel Bullen, author of the book ‘Daniel Shays's Honorable Rebellion’. His other works include ‘The Dangers of Passion: The Transcendental Friendship of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller’ & ‘The Love Lives of the Artists: Five Stories of Creative Intimacy.’

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

How to Escape Alcatraz Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

What was it like to live on Alcatraz? And was it possible to escape? In this episode, Don speaks to a historian with the unique experience of growing up there.

Jolene Babyak's father worked on Alcatraz during its 29 years as a federal maximum-security prison. She and Don discuss the origins of the prison, the people who were imprisoned there and the escape of 1962.

Jolene is the author of a number of books about the history of Alcatraz, including 'Breaking the Rock: The Great Escape from Alcatraz'.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

When the Mormons Rebelled Against America Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

Driven from the United States, the Mormons journeyed West to build a new society in the desert- one that would challenge the political, economic, and moral norms of the nation they had left behind. But when the United States lay claim to the Utah Territory, a tense standoff developed between the two sides...

Our guest today is Prof. Peter Coviello, University of Illinois, who studies American literature and queer theory. His book, Make Yourselves Gods: Mormons and the Unfinished Business of American Secularism was published in 2019 and was a finalist for the John Whitmer Historical Association award for best history book.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

The Origins of Chicago Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. It's the windy city, the railroad capital, and home of countless film and tv hits.

But when was it founded? Who were the first people living and working on this land? And when did Chicago become Chicago.

Don is joined by Ann Durkin Keating, Professor of History at North Central College. Her book on this subject is ‘Rising Up from Indian Country: The Battle of Fort Dearborn and the Birth of Chicago’.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

Nat Turner's Rebellion Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

In 1831, a rebellion erupted in Virginia that sent shockwaves across the United States, and challenged the brutal system of slavery in a way that white slave-owners had long feared. Led by an enslaved man named Nat Turner, he and his followers carried out one of the most significant slave rebellions in American history.

To help us in the retelling of this event, we’re lucky to be joined by Dr. Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky, where she is the Associate Professor of History of African American & Africana Studies and serves as Director of the Central Kentucky Slavery Initiative. Her work includes the award winning ‘Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in Nat Turner’s Community.’

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

What Is The Kennedy Curse? Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Their name is synonymous with power, influence ... and tragedy. And with so much of the latter, many have taken to speculating - are the Kennedy family cursed?

To find out more, Don is joined by Professor Barbara Perry, co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

What is the Kennedy Curse? How far back does it go? And how do the family interpret it?

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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

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