Lectures in History

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How FDR Built a 12-Million-Strong Military: Robert Brigham on America’s WWII Mobilization Dec 07, 2025

Show notes

Vassar College professor Robert Brigham discussed his upcoming memoir about his search for his biological father, who served as a Marine in Vietnam. This event was part of the 2025 LCpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt Symposium on War, Conflict, and Society at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth

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FEEDDROP: Chef José Andrés on Food, Humanity, and Global Relief Efforts Nov 30, 2025

Show notes

Chef, humanitarian, and author Jose Andres discussed his career, his global relief efforts with World Central Kitchen, his books, and his love of food with David M. Rubenstein.

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Geri Spieler on Housewife Assassin: The True Story Behind a Suburban Double Life Nov 23, 2025

Show notes

In September 1975, 17 days apart, two women, one in Sacramento and the other in San Francisco, attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The first attempt on September the 5th came from Annette Squeaky Fromm. The Charles Manson follower spent over 30 years in prison, is out on parole, and is 76 years old. The other attempt came on the non-entrance side of St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on September the 24th, 1975. The shooter, Sara Jane Moore, served 32 years in prison and died almost 50 years to the day on September the 24th, 2025. Author Geri Spieler wrote the book "Housewife Assassin" in 2009. She talked to and exchanged letters with Sara Jane Moore on several occasions. Here's her up-to-date story about the woman who tried to kill President Ford

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The 1967 Six-Day War and America’s Role in the Arab-Israeli Peace Process Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

The 1967 Six-Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and 2023 Israel-Hamas War have all garnered the United States' diplomatic involvement. Trinity College Professor James Stocker looks at the history of the U.S. negotiating ends to Israeli-Arab conflicts.

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FEED DROP: ABC David Grann on Killers of the Flower Moon and America’s Hidden History Nov 08, 2025

Show notes

Author David Grann joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his books, including "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "The Wager," and visits the vault of the Folger Shakespeare Library. This is an episode of C-SPAN's new series America's Book Club.

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The Mexican-American War: Causes, Consequences, and Legacy Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

On September 14, 1847, Winfield Scott's Army marched into Mexico City, marking the final stages of the Mexican-American War. University of Texas professor Aaron O'Connell chronicles the war's causes, the divisions it inflamed, and its aftermath.

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How Constitutional Order Emerged From Crisis Oct 26, 2025

Show notes

During Reconstruction, a campaign to overthrow the South Carolina government succeeded, triggering a constitutional crisis. University of North Carolina professor and author of "Sedition," Marcus Gadson, analyzed the history behind this event.

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Gettysburg College’s Timothy Shannon on the Mystery of Roanoke Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

This week on the Lectures in History podcast:

The mystery of the Roanoke Colony’s disappearance. In 1587, English settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina — only to vanish without a trace soon after. Gettysburg College Professor Timothy Shannon explores what we know about the lost colony, the people who lived there, and the theories behind one of early America’s greatest mysteries.

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The 1876 Great Sioux War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn Oct 12, 2025

Show notes

What happened when General Custer and Crazy Horse faced off in battle? Stetson University Professor David Morton chronicles the 1876 Great Sioux War in the South Dakota Black Hills. Stetson University is located in Deland, Florida.

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World War II History: Vichy France Collaboration and the U.S.-UK Alliance Oct 05, 2025

Show notes

United States Army War College history professor Michael Neiberg discusses Vichy France and the Anglo-American relationship during World War II.

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