Now & Then

Latest Episodes:

Avatars of Democracy: Zelensky & More Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a symbol of democracy around the world. What does this mean for the United States? This week, Heather and Joanne look at past foreign and international figures who’ve fought fervently for democratic values and have compelled and challenged Americans.

Heather and Joanne discuss how Zelensky’s current battle against Russia evokes the quests of the French-born Revolutionary War hero Lafayette, the Latin American liberator Simón Bolívar, and South African political prisoner and president Nelson Mandela.

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

Attend the Stay Tuned with Preet in-person live event with special guests Ben Stiller and Garry Kasparov on March 31: cafe.com/events

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/avatars-of-democracy-zelensky-more

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

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

Heather Cox Richardson's Interview with President Biden Mar 04, 2022

Show notes

Historian Heather Cox Richardson sat down with President Biden last week in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court.

Heather posted the interview on her Facebook and Substack profiles and is sharing it here for the CAFE and Vox Media audience.

Listen to this timely conversation between a historian and a president during a time of great upheaval, and as always, send us your thoughts and questions to letters@cafe.com.

Head to CAFE.com to explore more content and to listen to Heather and Joanne Freeman on Now & Then: cafe.com/now-and-then

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

Defining the State of the Union Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

How do small and extreme groups take over the American political conversation? In this final installment of a three-part series on educating citizens, Heather and Joanne look at how reactionary movements utilize bullying tactics to wrest control from the majority.

Heather and Joanne offer a comparison between the path to secession at the start of the Civil War, the rise of American Nazi-sympathizing groups in the 1930s, and the current reactionary movements around COVID-19 protocols and the education system.

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/defining-the-state-of-the-union

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

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

Bans, Schools, & Power: False Majorities Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

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/bans-schools-power-false-majorities

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

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

Bans, Schools, & Power: Public Education Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Why have public schools become a setting for heated political debates? In this second installment of a special three-part series, Heather and Joanne weigh in on the current nationwide tensions over censorship and parental control in American public schools.

Heather and Joanne look back on the founding concepts of American education, the rise of school reformers in the late 19th century, and the development of segregation academies during the 1960s.

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/bans-schools-power-public-education

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

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

Bans, Schools, & Power: Book Panics Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

Book bans are back. What’s causing this resurgence? What have similar acts of censorship meant throughout American history? And how should concerned citizens respond? In this first installment of a special three-part series, “Bans, Schools, & Power: Book Panics,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss three past book panics: the political uproar over Hinton Helper’s 1857 The Impending Crisis of the South, the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial over the teaching of evolution, and the 1966 Virginia school controversy over Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Tune back in next week for a closer look at the specific role of schools in the battle over bans and censorship.

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/bans-schools-book-panics

The executive producer is Tamara Sepper. The editorial producer is David Kurlander. The audio producer is Matthew Billy. The Now & Then theme music was composed by Nat Weiner. The Cafe team is Adam Waller, David Tatasciore, Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, and Jake Kaplan. Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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

The Culture of Cash Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

What has money meant in American society? On this episode of Now & Then, “The Culture of Cash,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman look at the culture of American currency & capital. They examine attempts in the early republic to create a viable national coinage system, the introduction of greenbacks during the Civil War, the success of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1933 bank holiday, and the songs and films that defined national conversations about money in the 20th century. How do systems of exchange reflect national values? How can different currencies highlight or spur political change? And how can past money debates help to contextualize the current battles over Bitcoin and cryptocurrency?

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-culture-of-cash

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

CAFE Insider Special 1/27: Breyer Retires Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

In a special episode of CAFE Insider, former U.S. Attorneys Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement from the Supreme Court, and reflect on his legacy. President Biden now faces the tough question of nominating Breyer’s replacement. Who will it be? What will the confirmation process look like? And what does it mean for the Court?

To listen to the full episode for free, head to cafe.com/breyer and sign up to receive an email with the link to the show.

Stay informed. For insight into the most important issues of our time, try the membership free for two weeks: www.cafe.com/insider. You’ll get access to Now & Then Backstage, full episodes of the CAFE Insider podcast, and other exclusive benefits.

This podcast is brought to you by CAFE Studios and Vox Media Podcast Network.

Tamara Sepper – Executive Producer; Nat Weiner – Audio Producer; Jake Kaplan – Editorial Producer

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

When Americans Can't Turn Away Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

What kinds of events have inspired Americans to become activists? On this episode of Now & Then, “When Americans Can’t Turn Away,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman highlight moments where everyday people have spoken up to defend their rights and those of their neighbors. Heather and Joanne look at the catalyzing effects of the 1779 Battle of New Haven, John Quincy Adams’s 1840s crusade against the Gag Rule, and the 1946 blinding of Black World War II veteran Isaac Woodard. What does it take for Americans to suspend their everyday lives to support a cause? Why is activism important in a democracy? And what can past moments of political engagement tell us about the current push for voting rights activism?

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: www.cafe.com/history.

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/when-americans-cant-turn-away

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

Restitution & Reparations Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

How should the American government take responsibility for past actions that have caused significant harm? On this episode of Now & Then, “Restitution & Reparations,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the tangled history of restitution, with a specific focus on how the federal government wronged certain classes of people. They talk through the early debates over slavery reparations, the late-19th century indemnity payments to Italian and Mexican victims of vigilante violence, and the long reckoning over the damage caused by Japanese internment during World War II. How does democracy benefit from governmental acknowledgment of wrong? How can we measure pain in morality or money? And how can these historical debates inform the current controversy over restitution for families separated from their children 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: www.cafe.com/history

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/restitution-reparations

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected