Podcast Episodes

Origins of the US Navy: America's Revolutionary Pirate

Episode 322

Happy 250th Birthday to the US Navy! Today Don asks, who was John Paul Jones and did he really father the US Navy? Our guest is historian James L. Nelson, author of 'Washington's Secret Navy'.

In July…

Published on 5 hours ago

Who was the Best President Ever?

Episode 321

What should we look for in a great President? Who was the greatest of all time? And is it harder for modern Presidents to make the top of the list? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of T…

Published on 4 days, 5 hours ago

America's Invasion of Canada

Episode 320

'Canada ought to be the 14th colony' was a view held by many American revolutionaries. In the winter of 1775, Benedict Arnold led an incredible (if doomed) mission to make it happen.

We're delighted t…

Published on 1 week ago

Who Was the Worst President Ever?

Episode 319

What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.

Next week we'll be looking at w…

Published on 1 week, 4 days ago

Origins of the Second Amendment

Episode 318

'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'

The Second Amendment, included in the Bill of Rights…

Published on 2 weeks ago

What Caused the Civil War? | Secession

Episode 317

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from the Union. Yet instead of plunging the country into war, what followed next was a tense standoff. Ther…

Published on 2 weeks, 4 days ago

USA & Cuba: A Brief History

Episode 316

From being within its sphere of influence to acting as a thorn in its side, Cuba has always been seen as strategically important to the USA. What has the nature of their relationship been historicall…

Published on 3 weeks ago

What Caused the Civil War? | John Brown's Raid

Episode 315

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry helped cause the Civil War. His is a magnetic persona that's hard to take your eyes away from. But who were the people who inspired him? Who funded him? Who joined …

Published on 3 weeks, 4 days ago

The Origins of California

Episode 314

How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, gold miners, railroad builders and tourists, to name a few.

Don is joined by Michael Hiltzik, author…

Published on 4 weeks ago

What Caused the Civil War? | Politics

Episode 313

How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: all out Civil War? We look at how the violent and frat house culture that existed within D.C. playe…

Published on 1 month ago