Now & Then

Latest Episodes:

Puerto Rico Has Stories to Tell Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

How has Puerto Rico shaped American history? How does the national response to Hurricane Fiona reflect the complex relationship between Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States?

Heather and Joanne discuss Puerto Rico’s historical trajectory, from Spanish colonization, to the 1900s Insular Cases, to the cultural impact of Rafael Hernández Marín’s music and West Side Story.

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 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

NOTE: Next week’s episode will be released on Wednesday, October 12th.

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/puerto-rico-has-stories-to-tell/

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

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Immigration: Defining ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

How has American immigration policy shifted over our national history? What can these changes show about how the U.S. defines “us” and “them”?

Heather and Joanne discuss the politics and prejudices surrounding the two 1790s Naturalization Laws, the Immigration Act of 1924, the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, and the current Republican rhetoric about migrants at the Southern border.

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/immigration-defining-us-and-them/

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

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Mad About Monarchy Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

How do Americans view the British monarchy? What role have England’s Kings and Queens played in helping to define democracy in the United States? And what can the stateside reaction to Queen Elizabeth II’s death tell us about America and the United Kingdom today?

Heather and Joanne discuss moments from the reigns of the three longest-serving British monarchs: King George III, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II.

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/mad-about-monarchy/

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

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When Parties Push Back Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

When have American leaders confronted particularly hostile political opposition? How can fighting back against an unjust party help the nation? And what might the history of these back-and-forths say about the recent vibe shift in the Democratic Party?

Heather and Joanne discuss other moments where politicians pushed back, from Massachusetts Representative Anson Burlingame’s willingness to duel South Carolina's Preston Brooks after the caning of Charles Sumner in 1856, to FDR’s 1936 “I Welcome Their Hatred” speech, to the ubiquity of 1980s underdog movies.

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/when-parties-push-back/

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Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

How have Americans viewed personal debt over the course of history? What can the morality and functionality of debt tell us about the debate over President Bident’s student loan forgiveness program?

Heather and Joanne discuss the history of debtors’ prisons in early America, the rise of bankruptcy laws after the Civil War, and the Cold War origins of federal student loans.

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/forgiving-and-unforgiving-debts/

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

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

Encore: Abortion: Whose Choice? Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Who gets to decide the future of reproductive rights?

In this encore presentation of a Now & Then episode originally broadcast in September 2021, Heather and Joanne discuss the history of abortion from the colonial period to the present: the surprising availability of abortion until the mid-19th century, the physician-led campaign to ban abortion, and the GOP’s decision in the early 1970s to embrace the “pro-life” movement.

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-abortion-whose-choice

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

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

Vacation Nation Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

How have vacations shaped American democracy? What can travel reveal about identity and national culture? And how does the history of tourism reflect the uncertainty of travel today?

Heather and Joanne discuss the Grand Tour in early America, the rise of the post-Civil War “See America First” movement, and the efforts by Black motorists to remain safe during the mid-20th century.

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/vacation-nation

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

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

From Monopoly to Mystery Date Aug 16, 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?

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/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

Does Anyone Love Taxes? Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

How do Americans respond to taxation? What do trends around taxation say about American culture and values? And how can the history of tax policy help us to understand the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act?

Heather and Joanne discuss the legacies of the 1765 Stamp Act, the introduction of the income tax during the Civil War, and the tax-slashing ideology of 1920s Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon.

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/does-anyone-love-taxes/

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

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

Tracking History's Mysteries Aug 02, 2022

Show notes

What happens when there are gaps in the historical records of some of America’s most seismic political events? How do historians try to piece together those mysteries? And how might these question marks help to contextualize the missing Secret Service texts from January 6th?

Heather and Joanne discuss the mysteries surrounding the 1804 Burr-Hamilton Duel, the 1865 Hampton Roads Conference, and the 1920 Wall Street bombing.

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/tracking-historys-mysteries/

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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