Retropod

Latest Episodes:

How Harry S. Truman went from being a racist to desegregating the military Aug 20, 2018

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When Harry Truman became president in 1945, Southern members of Congress were delighted. They thought he’d be sympathetic to segregationists. He proved them wrong.

The long-lost 'Laws of Baseball' Aug 17, 2018

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On display in Washington, D.C. are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and another document that details a fundamental institution in American life: baseball.

The congressman who shot a waiter Aug 16, 2018

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A hungry congressman didn’t get the breakfast he ordered. So he shot the waiter.

The time Truman met with Stalin and it went well Aug 15, 2018

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Back in 1941, a get-together that should have been fraught with uneasiness didn't turn out that way, which is surprising given the participants: President Harry S. Truman and Joseph Stalin.

Meet Paul Manafort’s century-old forefather, who also liked fancy suits Aug 14, 2018

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Samuel Cutler Ward, also known as the “King of the Lobby,” is credited with shaping the craft of lobbying. And like lobbyist and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, he also had some seriously expensive tastes.

An aviation flop was a stamp collector’s dream and the U.S. Postal Service’s nightmare Aug 13, 2018

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A stamp collector’s discovery of the “Inverted Jenny” stamp created a headache for the U.S. Postal Service.

How Mister Rogers talked to children and families about tragedy Aug 10, 2018

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Mister Rogers’s approach to dealing with tragedy began with the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

The storied past of Alderson federal women’s prison Aug 09, 2018

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The Alderson Federal Prison Camp has a history filled with powerful women who both pushed for the walls to be built there and served time within them.

Rebels, turn out your dead! Aug 08, 2018

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During the American Revolution, more patriots died as prisoners of war in or around New York City than died in combat.

The Saturday Night Massacre Aug 07, 2018

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The one night that changed President Nixon’s fate has stuck with us as a reminder of the limits of presidential power.