Podcast Episodes

The U.S. Gets A New Capitol - For One Day (1814) [Archive Favorite]

It’s August 26th. This day in 1814, the small town of Brookeville, MD becomes the Capitol of the United States — for one night.

Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Brookeville became the seat of govern…

Published on 5 hours ago

Emergency Podcast: Smithsonian Showdown, Relitigating Slavery, More (2025)

This is audio of a video chat we recorded earlier this week in reaction to the recent attacks on the Smithsonian by the Trump administration, the conversation about slavery's legacy, and more. We rel…

Published on 2 days, 5 hours ago

The First Battle Over The Smithsonian (1846) [Archive Favorite]

The Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on museums and The Smithsonian. We're recoding a special reaction episode that will appear in our newsletter - sign up now to get it. In the meantim…

Published on 5 days, 5 hours ago

The Dumbest, Most Perfect, Political Question Ever (2012) [Archive Favorite]

It’s July 31st, 2012. This day, on the campaign trail, a reporter shouts a question at Mitt Romney: “What about your gaffes?!”

Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the question came to be asked and why …

Published on 1 week ago

Jefferson Gets An Anti-Slavery Appeal (1791) [Archive Favorite]

It’s August 19th. This day in 1791, Benjamin Banneker sent an advance copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson. Along with the almanac, he included a letter pleading with Jefferson to recognize slaver…

Published on 1 week, 2 days ago

Moral Panics, D&D, Steam Tunnels and More (1979) [Archive Favorite]

It’s August 17th. This day in 1979, a young college student by the name of James Dallas Egber III disappeared into a steam tunnel below his university, intending to commit suicide. But the story of h…

Published on 1 week, 5 days ago

Trump On Charlottesville: "Very Fine People" (2017) [Archive Favorite]

It's August 15th. This day in 2017, President Donald Trump gave a press conference in which he offered remarks about the violence that took place in Charlottesville, VA a couple days before.

Jody, NIk…

Published on 2 weeks ago

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail (1846) [Archive Favorite]

It's August 13th. This day in 1846, Henry David Thoreau is thrown in jail -- for one night -- for refusing to pay his back taxes.

Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why Thoreau objected to the poll tax, a…

Published on 2 weeks, 2 days ago

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and The Brutal Calculus of WWII (1945) w/ Garrett Graff

It's August 7th. This day in 1945, the US has bombed the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and two days later would drop a nuclear weapon on Nagasaki.

Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by author and journal…

Published on 2 weeks, 5 days ago

WWII Internment: Latin Americans in Texas (1944)

It's August 5th. This day in 1944, a crucial moment in World War II history, a series of internment camps are being set up in Texas. Unlike the more widely known camps on the US West Coast, these cam…

Published on 3 weeks ago