George Washington and the Development of the Cabinet

How and why did George Washington create the cabinet structure that he used in his Presidency? How did it help create new political norms and traditions in the early United States? What was its long-standing effect? Professor Lindsey Chervinsky explains all! Episode #395. —Buzzkill Bookshelf Lindsay M. Chervinsky, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation…

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Gustav Stresmann – Man Crush Monday!

Professor Philip Nash explains his man-crush on Gustav Stresemann, the important German politician during the Weimar period. What do Stresemann’s career and his hopes for Germany tell us about the strengths that can be found in nationalism? And we engage in some “what if Stresemann had lived” speculation. Would we have seen the rise of…

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Rallies for “More History” at the Gettysburg Battlefield

Professor Scott Hancock from Gettysburg College joins us to explain the development of efforts to contextualize and historicize the Confederate Monuments at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The summer of 2020 saw a great deal of tension and confrontation during these presentations. Dr. Hancock explains how this helped the “We Want More History” movement. One…

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Election Polling Errors in US History

The pollsters correctly predicted a Biden win in the 2020 Presidential election. But there was no Blue Wave, and Senate seats didn’t flip, as many pollsters predicted. Polling prediction errors are common in American history. Professor W. Joseph Campbell explains why! Episode #389 —Buzzkill Bookshelf W. Joseph Campbell, Lost in a Gallup: Polling Failure in…

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Native Americans in Film, 1941-1960

Professor Liza Black enlightens us about her new book, Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film 1941-1960. She examines many misunderstandings and misconceptions about Native Americans working in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Episode #388 Get a copy of Picturing Indians at a 40% by going to https://blackli0.wixsite.com/picturingindians/book and using the code: GAF20 The Sovereign Bodies…

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The Myth of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Panic

A 1938 radio play based on H.G. Wells’ novel, The War of the Worlds, supposedly panicked America. The Martians were invading! People went hysterical and ran for their lives! Or did they? Listen to Professors Jefferson Pooley and Michael Socolow explain what really happened. Episode #387. — J.E. Hayes, K. Battles, and W. Hilton-Morrow (eds.),…

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October Surprises in US Presidential Elections

There seem to have been a lot of October Surprises in American Presidential elections since the 1940s. And there have been different types of October Surprises, for different reasons, and with different motivations. But have they ever seriously affected the election results? Our political history genius, Professor Philip Nash, explains all! Episode #386 — Buzzkill…

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