For the Ages: A History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

John Quincy Adams: Early Life and the Road to the Presidency Jan 08, 2024

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As the son of a Founding Father and with a political career that lasted until his death in 1848, John Quincy Adams was eulogized by many of his peers as one of the last links between the founding generation and the United States of the 19th century. In this first of two conversations, James Traub, author of John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit, explores the origins of Adams’ political career, bridging a connection between his childhood and college years to the start of his career in diplomacy, against the backdrop of his father’s presidency.
Recorded on August 23, 2023

Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise of an American Dynasty Dec 18, 2023

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Described by former mayor Ed Koch as “the closest we’ve got to royalty in New York City,” the Morgenthau family immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1866 and went on to build a powerful real estate empire and make history in international diplomacy, domestic politics, and America’s criminal justice system. With links to figures ranging from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Donald Trump, the Morgenthau family played a role in advancing the New Deal, exposing the Armenian genocide and both consequential and controversial prosecutions through the DA’s office in New York City. Andrew Meier joins David M. Rubenstein to dive into the history and legacy of this American dynasty.
Recorded on June 27, 2023

Conflict: The Evolution of Modern Warfare Dec 11, 2023

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The conflicts that have marked the past 60 years have seen new weapons, new strategies, and complex new webs of alliance, enmity, and proxy violence. However, the evolution of warfare shows that certain challenges and solutions echo across history. General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) and Lord Andrew Roberts examine the nuances of warfare over the last 20 years, including the complications of urban battlefields, guerilla warfare, and civilian casualties, as well as common elements of conflict throughout the 20th century.
Recorded on November 16, 2023

Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court Dec 04, 2023

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While the Supreme Court is often presented in American history as a protector of civil liberties, its record across the centuries provides a more complex picture. While the short period of the 1930s to the 1970s saw the Court end segregation and safeguard both free speech and the vote, during the preceding period, the Court largely ignored or suppressed basic rights for many Americans. The succeeding period, too, saw a retreat and even regression on gains made toward racial justice. Prizewinning author and professor of history Orville Vernon Burton charts the Court’s racial jurisprudence, discussing the many cases involving America’s racial minorities and the impact of individual rulings.
Recorded on July 6, 2023

The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution Nov 27, 2023

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The US Constitution did not create or provide for the presidential cabinet. When George Washington called for the first convening of his department secretaries two and a half years into his presidency, he drew on his military experience to seek counsel on the wide array of challenges facing the new nation. Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky dissects the reasons behind the cabinet’s creation, and the far-reaching consequences that resulted, from the development of the party system to the balance of powers.
Recorded on August 7, 2023

The Liberation Trilogy: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 Nov 20, 2023

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Exploring the final installment of the Liberation Trilogy, historian Rick Atkinson discusses the titanic battle for Western Europe that defined the later years of the Second World War. Beginning with the commencement of D-Day, this period of the war saw the final campaign for European liberation, including the pivotal fight at Normandy, the liberation of Paris, the disaster of Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and the final push into the depths of the Third Reich.
Recorded on August 21, 2023

The Liberation Trilogy: The War in Sicily, Italy, and North Africa Nov 13, 2023

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In this first of two conversations, Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson dives into the first two volumes of his monumental Liberation Trilogy, looking at North Africa during WWII and the harrowing campaigns that took place in Sicily and Italy. A pivotal point in history, this period of the war saw American and British armies clash with Vichy France forces in Morocco and Algeria, and then take on the Axis powers in Tunisia. Meanwhile, the fight to drive the German army up the Italian peninsula led to lethal battles at Salerno, Anzio, and Monte Cassino.
Recorded on August 21, 2023

Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World Nov 06, 2023

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Since the dawn of civilization, land stewardship has served as the foundation for how societies coalesce and interact. In a wide-ranging conversation that examines European imperialism, the dispossession of Native American populations, and Joseph Stalin’s brutal collectivization in Society territories, bestselling author Simon Winchester illuminates how humanity’s conquest to acquire territory and wield its power has so definitively shaped history.
Recorded on January 11, 2022

The Witches: Salem, 1692 Oct 30, 2023

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In the harsh New England winter of 1692, a minister’s daughter began to scream and convulse, as if possessed by a demonic spirit. This incident marked the beginning of a year-long panic in Salem, Massachusetts, which culminated in the infamous witch trials and the execution of 20 individuals. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff uncovers the origins of this phenomenon and the impact it had on the future republic.
Recorded on April 26, 2022

Beyond the White House: From George Washington to Donald Trump Oct 23, 2023

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While American presidents are only eligible to serve two terms in office and are beholden to protect the peaceful transfer of power to their successors, their influence in politics and public service can span decades following their presidency. Douglas Brinkley joins David M. Rubenstein to look at the post-presidential lives of the commander-in-chief from George Washington to Donald Trump, some establishing presidential libraries and others playing a powerful role in foreign policy.
Recorded on August 18, 2023

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