American History Hit

Reunion with the dead. The return of lands, food supplies and buffalo. The disappearance of white settlers. By the end of the 19th Century, the forced assimilation of Native American people was official government policy and Native populations were already in severe decline. The promises of the Ghost Dance had a very story appeal. Professor Gregory Smoak is with Don in this episode to explore the Ghost Dance. What was it? Where did it come from? Was it as dangerous as some suggested? Gregory is Professor of History at University of Utah and author of ‘Ghost Dances and Identity: Prophetic Religion and American Indian Ethnogenesis in the Nineteenth Century’. His work with Indigenous Nations has included projects with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Navajo Nation, Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 11 December 2025

What would you do if you discovered that members of your family had spied for the Japanese at Pearl Harbor? When this happened to Christine Kuehn, she wanted to find out more. Alongside her husband, former journalist Mark Schiponi, Christine has been researching her father's family's movements from Nazi Germany, to Hawaii, and into the hands of the FBI. They join Don for this episode to untangle this story. Their book, 'Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor' is out now. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2025

How could walking naked through town be seen as religious? What about digging up a corpse? Or bursting into church services to cause mayhem? In this episode, Dr Erica Canela takes Don back to the first years of Quakerism to explore where this religion came from, and how it ended up in the United States. Erica is the author of Zealous: A Darker Side of the Early Quakers. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2025

For thousands of years, North America was a frozen frontier buried beneath miles-deep ice... How did the first people reach the Americas live here? What was it like to share the land with mammoths, mastodons, and sabre-toothed predators? And what triggered the dramatic warming that brought this icy epoch to a close? Our guest today is Dr. David Meltzer, archaeologist and Professor at Southern Methodist University in Texas. He's the author of numerous works including First Peoples in a New World: Populating Ice Age America. Edited by Aiden Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2025

In the fall of 1621, a year after the pilgrim ship the Mayflower landed on the coast of New England, the settlers of the Plymouth Colony celebrated their first successful harvest. Joining them at the three day feast were the Wampanoag people, Native Americans who had to taught the settlers how to grow corn, ensuring the community would survive the coming winter. Richard Pickering tells Don about the difficulties faced by the pilgrims as they made their way from Europe and how the first Thanksgiving forged diplomatic relations with the Wampanoag people. Creating the foundations for the national holiday now celebrated every year in America. Produced and mixed by Benjie Guy. Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 November 2025

The Lindbergh Kidnapping is one of the most influential crimes in American history; it plunged a national hero into an investigation which changed the way America thought about law, justice, and “celebrity” forever. In this episode, we’ll look at what happened inside the Lindbergh home that night, how the investigation unfolded, and how one suspect was tried, convicted, and executed amid an unprecedented media storm. Today, Don is joined by Thomas Doherty, Professor of American Studies at Brandeis University and author of Little Lindy Is Kidnapped: How the Media Covered the Crime of the Century. This episode was edited by Aidan Lonergan and produced by Tom Delargy. The Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2025

Why were more than 12 thousand cases of satanic abuse brought in the 1980s? Was the Prince of Darkness walking among us then? Or did something else cause the panic? Joseph Laycock joins Don for this episode to discuss the so-called Satanic Panic, from daycares to news outlets to board games. Joe is the author of many books including 'Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds' and 'The Penguin Book of Exorcisms'. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 2025

In 1845, the Republic of Texas stood at a crossroads. In our history, they chose to join the USA… but what if they chose another path? Was this even possible? What impact would this have had on life within Texas? And how would it have impacted its neighbours?  Today we welcome onto the show Prof. Sam W. Haynes of the University of Texas at Arlington, and he's the Director of the Centre for Greater Southwestern Studies. He's the author of Unsettled Land: From Revolution to Republic, The Struggle for Texas. Edited by Amy Haddow and produced by Tomos Delargy. The Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2025

Did New Orleans' officials bomb the levees protecting the Lower Ninth Ward in 1965? When Hurricane Betsy swept through the Atlantic Basin, it killed at least 76 people, led to a 10 foot storm surge, and was the first tropical cyclone to cause $1 billion worth of damages. It also left many of the residents of New Orleans wondering, was all that damage really natural? Or had the authorities given it a helping hand? Andy Horowitz, author of 'Katrina: A History, 1915-2015' joins Don for this episode to explore where this conspiracy theory came from, and whether there is any truth to it. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2025

A Supreme Court decision that sent shockwaves across America. Dred Scott v Sandford, 1857. Who was the Chief Justice responsible for the decision? On what grounds did he rule that Dred Scott, and by extension all African Americans, was not a citizen of the US? Don is joined by renowned historian Kate Masur, author of "Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement". Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Producer is Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

Why not have a go at understanding one of the most famous conspiracies of the 20th Century? We will probably never get an answer for what really happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963. But in this episode, we're questioning why? What is the evidence that prevents us from believing the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman. To explore this, Don is joined by Jefferson Morley. Jefferson is a former Washington Post writer and the journalist responsible for the JFK Facts substack, where he investigates the evidence and any new evidence as it comes to light. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2025

Was 'Bleeding Kansas' a dress rehearsal for the Civil War to come? During the 1850s pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed in the newly created territory of Kansas. From guerrilla raids and political chaos to the rise of key figures like John Brown, we uncover how this brutal conflict exposed the deep national divide — and ask whether the Civil War truly began long before 1861. Our guest is Dr Kristen Epps is a historian of slavery, the sectional conflict, and the Civil War. She is an associate professor at Kansas State University. Her first book was Slavery on the Periphery. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

How did the pre-Christian commemoration of Samhain travel across the seas from Ancient Ireland to America? And how did it evolve into the Halloween we know and love to this day? In this special spooky episode Don welcomes Dr Kelly Fitzgerald, Head of the School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore at University College Dublin, to take us through Halloween's stateside origins. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2025

What makes a war a World War? If it's the involvement of multiple major world powers, will France, Spain and the Netherlands do? If it's battles fought globally, do Canada, West Africa, India and the Mediterranean count? On top of the 13 colonies? In this episode, Don is joined by Richard Bell from the University of Maryland. Richard is the author of ‘The American Revolution and the Fate of the World'. Edited by Tim Arstall and Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

‘No occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations.' This was George Washington's response when the idea of his becoming 'King' was put to him. But what if he had? What would an American royalty look like? Who would have succeeded Washington? And why did this not happen? Don is joined for this episode by Michael Hattem, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History’ and ‘Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution’. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2025

On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in Cuba. Over the following days, the fate of the Americas was on the line. In this episode, Don is joined once again by Renata Keller to explore the causes and events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and to discuss what might have happened had the situation not been resolved. Renata's new book 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War' shows how this was not just a Soviet-US event. She explores how leaders and citizens throughout South America, the area at most risk from nuclear missiles, impacted on the events of October 1962. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

The Agency. The Company. Langley. Without the Central Intelligence Agency, would we talk about conspiracy theories as much as we do? Who would be in power in Guatemala? What about Iran? Would the Bourne films ever have been made? Don is joined by Jeffrey Rogg to discuss what would have happened had the CIA never been founded. Jeff is a Senior Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida. His book is The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 16 October 2025

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 2026, tall ships of the world will be coming to Port of New York and New Jersey. Find out more here: https://sail4th.org/ Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

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 The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy. Edited by Sophie Gee and Freddy Chick. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2025

'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 to be joined again by Maj. Jonathan D. Bratten, historian for the Maine National Guard. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2025

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 who is the best President ever! Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 2025

'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, was ratified in 1791. It went largely unquestioned until the mid 20th century but is now one of the most contentious questions in US politics. So what did the writers of the Second Amendment set out to protect? How has it been interpreted? And why has it become so controversial so many years later? Jill Lepore joins Don once again for this episode. Jill is a staff writer for the New Yorker, David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and author of multiple books. The most recent is 'We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution'. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 29 September 2025

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. There were, as we'll learn today, twists and turns on the path from Secession to all out Civil War. Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 25 September 2025

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 historically? What is the legacy of the Cold War within Cuba? And what does the future hold for prospects of normalisation? In this episode, Professor Michael Bustamante joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Cuban-American relations. Michael is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami and is the author of 'Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile'. Edited by Tom Delargy. Produced by Tom Delargy and Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2025

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 him on the raid? It turns out there's a lot more to the story as Don learns with today's guest Dr Kellie Carter Jackson author of We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance" and co-host of the "This Day" podcast. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 18 September 2025

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 of 'Golden State: The Making of California', to explore the history of the home of one in eight Americans. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2025

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. played its part, and at the chronic failure of leadership from those sitting atop of this steaming mess - the Presidents. We're joined by returning guest (from our Franklin Pierce episode) Brian C Neumann, author of 'Bloody Flag of Anarchy: Unionism in South Carolina during the Nullification Crisis' and managing director of the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia. Produced by Freddy Chick. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 11 September 2025

Why has it been so long since the US Constitution was amended? The incredible Jill Lepore joins Don to explore how the Constitution was designed for amendment, and how this has been utilised through its history. Jill is a staff writer for the New Yorker, David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and author of multiple books. The most recent is 'We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution'. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2025

What were the deep origins and root causes of the Civil War? In the first of four episodes we chart how the North and South became bitterly divided over slavery. Don is joined by Professor Chandra Manning, author of 'What This Cruel War was Over' to discuss how slavery led to the American Civil War. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 4 September 2025

13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 small white five pointed stars. It's recognisable the world over as the flag of the United States of America. But how did this become the American flag? When did it develop its own 'cult'? And does Betsy Ross have anything at all to do with this story? Don is joined by Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 1 September 2025

This week we’re stepping heart of Cold War America with the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Accused of espionage and executed at the height of anti-communist paranoia, their trial gripped the nation due to the controversy, family betrayal, and questions of justice that still echo today.  Join host Don Wildman and historian Professor Lori Clune as they unravel the secrets, the courtroom drama, and the enduring legacy of a case that changed history forever. You can find out more about Professor Clune's work here. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 28 August 2025

'If I turn from beholding mutilated bodies, mangled limbs, and bleeding, incurable wounds, a spectacle no less revolting is presented, of miserable objects languishing under afflicting diseases of every description.' Dr James Thatcher wrote these words after the Battle of Saratoga, 1777. Coming before the advent of modern medicine, the danger of fighting in the Revolutionary War was not limited to physical injury, instead extending mercilessly into infection and disease. Dr. Sanders Marble, Senior Historian at the Army Medical Department Center of History & Heritage, has been looking into the history of military medicine for 20 years. He joins Don for this episode to explore the real risks soldiers took during the Revolutionary War. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

Is contributing to enemy propaganda treason? In this second episode on American Traitors, we are meeting 'Axis Sally', real name Mildred Gillars. Professor Michael Flamm joins us to explore the life of this American citizen who broadcast American music, scripted dramas and hateful rhetoric from the heart of the Nazi Third Reich, Berlin. Listen to find out how she was found guilty of treason. Michael is a scholar of modern American political history at Ohio State University. He taught at Mildred Gillar's former college, Ohio Wesleyan University from 1998 to 2024. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2025

It's the biggest 'What if?' in American history: What if Lincoln hadn't been shot? The assassination could so easily have failed and things went so wrong in the aftermath (looking at you Andrew Johnson). Could Reconstruction have looked different with Abraham Lincoln at the helm? Don's guest is friend of the pod Aaron Sheehan-Dean, professor of history at Louisiana State University. Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

Is Benedict Arnold the biggest traitor in American History? In this episode, Don is joined by author Stephen Brumwell to examine how Arnold went from hero to villain. How important was he to the Revolutionary cause? Why did he decide to go against it? And do his actions even count as treason? Stephen Brumwell is a writer and independent historian specialising in British-American military affairs of the eighteenth century. He is the author of a number of books, the most recent being ‘Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty’. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

On August 14, 1945, the Japanese government accepted Allied terms of surrender. The war in the Pacific was over. But how had it come to this? Don is joined for this episode by Ian W. Toll, author of a three-volume history of the Pacific War. They discuss the Japanese view of surrender, the Allied offensive, Midway, Okinawa and finally the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

From Columbus onwards, Italians have been a part of American culture. Don explores this rich history with Professor Anthony Tamburri, Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute in New York. Produced by Sophie Gee and Freddy Chick. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORY. You can take part in our listener survey here. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

The largest ever surrender of American forces occurred in May 1942. The event resulted in medals of honour for two American military leaders - one who escaped, another who became the highest ranking prisoner of war of the Second World War. In this episode, Don is joined by Jonathan Horn to discuss the loss of the Philippines, and the fight to get it back. Jonathan, who previously came onto the podcast to talk about Robert E. Lee, is a former White House presidential speechwriter and author of 'The Man Who Would Not Be Washington'. His new book on this subject is ‘The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines’. Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

How did new weapons shape the Civil War? Why were the muskets so deadly? What on earth were the Ironclads all about? Don explores five key weapons of the civil war with a favourite guest, Cecily Zander from the University of Wyoming, author of "The Army Under Fire". Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

In 1928, President Teddy Roosevelt's sons Teddy and Kermit set out on an expedition to hunt a semi-mythical beast: the Panda. Don's guest today to help tell the incredible story of what happened next is Nathalia Holt whose new book brings this tale to life: The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda. Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

Francis Marion aka the 'Swamp Fox' is a legend of the Revolutionary War. He was the basis for the movie The Patriot. But what is the truth about this guerilla warrior who harried the British in the South? Don is joined by historian Patrick O'Kelley, author of 'Be Cool and Do Mischief: Francis Marion's Orderly Book' and 'Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas' to find out. Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

In 1624 the first Dutch settlers arrived on Manhattan and established New Amsterdam, what is now New York. We hear about life in that Dutch colony and meet some of the very first New Yorkers. Don's guest is Andrea Mosterman, author of Spaces of Enslavement: A History of Slavery and Resistance in Dutch New York. To find out more about how the Sail4th 250 parade of tall ships will help celebrate America’s birthday on July 4, 2026, visit https://www.sail4th.org. Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Whisper it quietly, but could our original commander-in-chief possibly be overrated as a military leader? To find out Don is joined once again by Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard. Together they examine George Washington's strategic skill, tactical capacity and overall revolutionary record. How did he get the job? What could he have done better? And what sets him apart in our national memory? Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sound. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

In May 1825, a group of prisoners arrived on the banks of the Hudson, thirty odd miles up river from New York. They began to build what would become their own jail — Sing Sing. Don talks about the history of Sing Sing with Professor Lee Bernstein, historian of the American prison system and author of “America Is the Prison: Arts and Politics in Prison in the 1970s”. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Today we're heading back 250 years to the end of the Revolutionary War - but this time, we're asking what might have happened if the British had won. How would the revolutionaries have been punished? How might the colonies of North America have developed differently? And would independence have been achieved anyway? Don once again welcomes Major Jonathan Bratten and Dan Snow to the podcast. Check out last week's episode 'Revolutionary War: When Was the Turning Point?' for more from Don, Dan and Jonathan. Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Britain shipped convicts to America from the days of Jamestown right up until 1775. More than 50,000 were sent. To explore this too seldom told tale, we are joined by Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool, a historian of prisoners in the British Empire. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years. A relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people facing off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time, it seemed like a tall order. So when did the tide turn? When did it become certain that the revolutionaries would gain their independence? In this first of two episodes with podcast host Dan Snow and Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard, Don is pitting the British against the Americans once more. Join us to find out when the Revolutionary war was won. Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

The People's Republic of China has only existed since 1949, but in just 75 years its relationship with the United States is in a strong position to be the most tumultuous of all. Don is joined by Rana Mitter for this episode of Frenemies. Rana is S. T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and, with Don, he helps to unravel the ups and downs of this relationship. How did the two countries start off on the wrong foot? And how has China since become one of the U.S.'s top trading partners? Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

President George H. W. Bush presided over the Gulf War, the conclusion of the Cold War, the collapse of the USSR and the fall of the Berlin Wall during what proved an eventful single term of office from 1989 to 1993. But what was his answer to the burning question of the age, the legacy of which rumbles on down to this very day: 'What next?'  Don's guide to this pivotal presidency is Professor Jeremi Suri author of The Impossible Presidency and host of the podcast This Is Democracy. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

For nearly half a century, the United States and Russia stood as adversaries, entrenched in a tense geopolitical rivalry known as the Cold War. Yet this period represents only a brief chapter in the broader, more complex history of their relationship... In this episode, Professor Vladislav Zubok joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Russo-American relations. Vlad is a professor at LSE and is the author of many books including Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union and The World of the Cold War, 1945-1991. Edited and produced by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   You can take part in our listener survey here. All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025