Myths
Southern Violence and White Supremacy in the Civil War Era
Professor James Hill Welborn joins us to discuss the question – how did white Southerners in the nineteenth century reconcile a Christian faith that instructed them to turn the other cheek with a pervasive code of honor that instructed them to do just the opposite—to demand satisfaction for perceived insults? He analyzes the birth of…
Read More“May You Live in Interesting Times” – Ancient Chinese Curse? 2024 Encore
There’s an old Buzzkill curse — may you subscribe to interesting podcasts. If you do, your life will become so gloriously enlightened with new information, presented in such an engaging way, that you’ll forget to feed your cat, you’ll mix your laundry colors, and you’ll neglect taking your medication That reminds me of another “famous”…
Read MoreThe John Birch Society and Its Influence on American Politics
The John Birch Society is one of the most extreme right-wing groups in American history. It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch…
Read MoreFelons and the Declaration of Independence
Lordy. A historian’s work is never done. I often talk on this show about how history is contested, and always has been. And for this 4th of July, I had been preparing to do a show on the various myths about the Declaration of Independence. A sort of combined version of all the small myths…
Read MoreThe American Liberty Pole
Americans put up Liberty Poles to express political beliefs in the period of the Early Republic. These poles were massive, highly decorated, and highly contested. Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists used them to promote their ideas of what the new Republic should reflect in terms of “liberty.” Join us to discuss how different early American political…
Read MoreBefore Trans: Three Gender Stories from 19th Century France
Professor Rachel Mesch guides us through three compelling lives and careers in 19th-century France. The lives of French writers, Jane Dieulafoy (1850–1916), Rachilde (1860–1953), and Marc de Montifaud (1845–1912), did not conform to nineteenth-century notions of femininity. In their work, they contested the conventional norms, and refused to be categorized by traditional gender standards. These…
Read MoreJuneteenth and the End of Slavery in the US: What’s in a Date? 2024 Encore
Juneteenth is nearly here. June 19th was made a national holiday in the United States on June 17th, 2021 when President Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. It was the day that slavery was ended in Texas, the most remote state in the Confederacy. And it’s now widely considered that…
Read MoreLoving Day: 2024 Encore
It’s June 12th! Loving Day! You might think that Loving Day is Valentine’s Day, February 14th, but it’s not, it’s today, June 12th. If you don’t know what Loving Day is, let me tell you a story, a love story, in this brief episode. In the 1950s, a 17-year-old young man named Richard fell in…
Read MoreHeather Haley: Historian for the US Navy
Heather Haley, a civilian historian for the United States Navy, enlightens us about the work of a historian outside traditional academic institutions. She works for the US Naval History and Heritage Command, doing naval history research, finding and preserving historical records related the the Navy and its ships, and writing analytical works. And she encourages…
Read MoreComing Out Republican: a History of the Gay Right
Dr. Neil Young helps us understand how and why gay Republicans regularly faced condemnation from both the LGBTQ+ community and their own political party. They’ve been active and influential for decades, however. Gay conservatives were instrumental, for example, in ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and securing the legalization of same-sex marriage—but they also helped lay…
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