Now & Then

Latest Episodes:

Women Change Makers: Three Legal Battles Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

To honor the beginning of Women’s History Month, Heather and Joanne tell the stories of three women who changed the American legal tapestry: Martha Bradstreet and her fight against coverture, Josephine Goldmark and her quest for labor justice, and Rosa Parks and her battle to to find accountability for victims of rape and sexual assault.

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

Listen to the first episode of “Up Against The Mob: The Springfield Crew”: apple.co/3x4sgYj

For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/women-change-makers-three-legal-battles/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What UFOs Say About Us Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

With the recent spate of UFO shootdowns by the U.S. Air Force, Heather and Joanne discuss America’s historical fascination with aerial mysteries, from John Winthrop and Increase Mather’s colonial reports of sightings, to the 1890s “Mystery Airship” craze, to the 1942 “Battle of Los Angeles," to the 1970s pop cultural UFO moment.

What can UFOs tell us about American hopes and fears?

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/what-ufos-say-about-us/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Check out other CAFE podcasts:

Stay Tuned with Preet: apple.co/2BxXfiO

Up Against The Mob: apple.co/3x4sgYj

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Congressional Committees…and Power Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

In light of the new Republican House majority’s denial of committee seats to Representatives Ilhan Omar, Eric Swalwell, and Adam Schiff, Heather and Joanne discuss the history and functioning of committees, from early debates over committee secrecy, to the role of the crucial 1890s role of the House Committee on Ways and Means, to the development of the Ethics and Intelligence Committees.

How can congressional committees help us to understand the politics and culture of Washington?

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/congressional-committeesand-power/

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Asian American Identities: A National Story (with Mary Lui) Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

In the aftermath of two mass shootings involving AAPI populations, Mary Lui, a professor of History and American Studies at Yale, joins Heather and Joanne to discuss the influence of Asian Americans on the nation’s trajectory, from the origins of the “Old China Trade,” to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, to the 1960s protest movements that fought for Asian American rights in the academy and beyond.

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/asian-american-identities-a-national-story-with-mary-lui/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Check out other CAFE podcasts:

Stay Tuned with Preet: apple.co/2BxXfiO

Up Against The Mob: apple.co/3x4sgYj

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Advisors and Chiefs of Staff: The Powers of the President’s People Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Following the announcement that Chief of Staff Ron Klain is leaving his position and Jeff Zients is taking over, Heather and Joanne look back at the history of unelected and unconfirmed presidential advisors, from Andrew Jackson’s Kitchen Cabinet, to the transformative work of early 1900s White House mainstay George B. Cortelyou, to the rise and fall of Eisenhower Chief of Staff Sherman Adams.

How have these figures communicated with the chief executive over the course of American history? How has the public perceived these important aides?

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/advisors-and-chiefs-of-staff-the-powers-of-the-presidents-people/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 'Constitutional Sheriff' Myth Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

Why are some American sheriffs resisting government policies, including gun safety laws and even the peaceful transition of presidential power, while claiming constitutional authority? And how has the role of the sheriff impacted our national life?

Heather and Joanne discuss how sheriffs have enforced and defied laws throughout U.S. history, from the emergence of the office in colonial America, to the frontier violence of the 1892 Johnson County War, to 1960s standoffs with segregationist sheriffs.

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-constitutional-sheriff-myth/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Horses, Cats, and Chickens: Animal Power and Us Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

How have animals influenced the American economy over the course of the nation’s history? And why have we seen such a sizable pandemic pet boom?

Heather and Joanne discuss three moments where animals shaped national culture and financial health: the rise of the frontier cat in the mid-1800s, the decline of the urban horse in the early 1900s, and the brief craze in backyard chicken coops that accompanied both World Wars.

Now & Then has won the inaugural Signal Award for Best History Podcast! Thank you so much for voting for us!

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/horses-cats-and-chickens-animal-power-and-us/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things Are Looking Up? A New Year’s Show Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

Could the arrival of a new Congress and the more hopeful national tone be the start of a new era in American life?

Heather and Joanne discuss past transitions between national epochs, from the advent of the Era of Good Feelings, to the rise of the Progressive Era, to the sea change triggered by the 1964 arrival of The Beatles.

Now & Then has won the inaugural Gold and Listener's Choice Signal Awards for Best History Podcast! Thank you so much for voting for us!

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/things-are-looking-up-a-new-years-show/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Encore: From Monopoly to Mystery Date Dec 28, 2022

Show notes

How do board games reflect America? How do debates over politics and identity show up in popular games? And how have these games shifted along with the nation?

In this holiday encore presentation of an August episode, Heather and Joanne discuss the development of the American board game, from the influence of the Game of the Goose in Early America, to the pre-Civil War origins of the Checkered Game of Life, to several impactful 1960s games.

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/encore-from-monopoly-to-mystery-date/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Georgia (Voting Rights) On My Mind (with Carol Anderson) Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

How have marginalized Georgians fought for voting rights and equality over the course of the state’s history?

Emory University African American Studies Professor Carol Anderson joins Heather and Joanne for a special year-end episode to discuss the pain and promise of the quest for equality in Georgia, from the 1868 Camilla Massacre, to the 1966 struggle to seat Black state legislator Julian Bond, to Senator Rafael Warnock’s recent victory.

Vote for Now & Then in the Best History Podcast category of the Signal Awards: bit.ly/3WhbYWL

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/georgia-voting-rights-on-my-mind-with-carol-anderson/

Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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