BackStory with the American History Guys Podcasts

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BackStory is a new public radio show that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us every day. Each week, renowned US historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh tear a topic from the headlines and explore its historical depth through interviews, features, and call-in segments. Primary Format : History Language : en Also Listed as: City : Charlottesville State/Province : VA User Tags: american culture american history commentary current events democracy education government historians public radio social sciences society User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: View this Podcast on a Google Map. Podcast iTunes Link Text Only listing of BackStory with the American History Guys Podcasts Methings.com listings of BackStory with the American History Guys Podcasts If you like this podcast, you might also like:

Coming Home: A History of War Veterans How have war veterans been treated in the aftermath of America's past wars? How much depends on the politics of the war? Are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In the Beginning: Evolution & Creation in America The "Scopes Monkey Trial" has come to symbolize the fundamental conflict between science and religion... but are the two necessarily opposed? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In the Beginning: Evolution & Creation in America The "Scopes Monkey Trial" has come to symbolize the fundamental conflict between science and religion... but are the two necessarily opposed? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Indian Country Virginia: Real & Imagined In this live performance at Colonial Williamsburg's Kimball Theatre, the History Guys take on the history of Indians in Virginia. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Heart of the Stranger that Hovered Near BackStory correspondent Catherine Moore collects segments of Walt Whitman's Civil War memoirs, diary entries, and poetry to tell the story of the poet's extended encounter with America's wounded. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Borrowed Times: A History of the National Debt The History Guys explore why the national debt has continued to be so controversial in a country that was founded on borrowing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Borrowed Times: A History of the National Debt The History Guys explore why the national debt has continued to be so controversial in a country that was founded on borrowing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Independence Daze: A History of July Fourth In the early days of our nation, July Fourth wasn’t an official holiday at all. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938 that it became a paid day-off. So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? Historian Pauline Maier offers some answers, and explains how radically the meaning of the Declaration [...] Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: The Road to Civil War As America launches a multi-year commemoration of the Civil War, it’s easy to overlook the fact that back in the spring of 1861, disunion was anything but inevitable. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: Questions Remain After 150 years of national conversation--and tens of thousands of books--why does the Civil War still fascinate? Share your stories, questions, and comments here! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: Questions Remain After 150 years of national conversation--and tens of thousands of books--why does the Civil War still fascinate? Share your stories, questions, and comments here! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: Why They Fought Join the History Guys as they explore the forces and motivations behind Americans' willingness to take up arms against one another. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: Why They Fought Join the History Guys as they explore the forces and motivations behind Americans' willingness to take up arms against one another. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Civil War 150th: The Road to Civil War As America launches a multi-year commemoration of the Civil War, it’s easy to overlook the fact that back in the spring of 1861, disunion was anything but inevitable. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Love Me Did: A History of Courtship In this Valentine's Day special, BackStory delves into the history of courtship. From "bundling" to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Beyond Numbers: A History of the U.S. Census We're digging into the little-considered story of the U.S. Census – the invisible backbone of American democracy. Join us to explore why the idea was so revolutionary in 1787, and how it has continued to shape our society in fundamental ways. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Beyond Numbers: A History of the U.S. Census We're digging into the little-considered story of the U.S. Census – the invisible backbone of American democracy. Join us to explore why the idea was so revolutionary in 1787, and how it has continued to shape our society in fundamental ways. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned, and a little disgusted, by what transpired there. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Coming Home: A History of War Veterans How have war veterans been treated in the aftermath of America's past wars? How much depends on the politics of the war? Are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grand Old Parties: A History of Partisanship When it comes to partisan politics, Americans today are deeply conflicted. We want an engaged citizenry without the deep fissures in the body politic, but can we have it both ways? Have we EVER had it both ways? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grand Old Parties: A History of Partisanship When it comes to partisan politics, Americans today are deeply conflicted. We want an engaged citizenry without the deep fissures in the body politic, but can we have it both ways? Have we EVER had it both ways? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Dawn from Charlottesville On each episode of Call of the Week, we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls. This week, our call is from Dawn in Charlottesville, VA. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Dawn from Charlottesville On each episode of Call of the Week, we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls. This week, our call is from Dawn in Charlottesville, VA. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American Spirit: A History of the Supernatural With Halloween in the air, the History Guys set out to explore Americans’ relationship with ghosts, spirits, and witches throughout our nation’s history. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American Spirit: A History of the Supernatural With Halloween in the air, the History Guys set out to explore Americans’ relationship with ghosts, spirits, and witches throughout our nation’s history. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Borderlands and Bordered Lands State border plant inspection maintained by the US Dept. of Agriculture between Mexico and the United States. Shoppers returning from Juarez to El Paso over the bridge which carries all the traffic are required to open their packages for inspection. 1937 (Library of Congress) In this special podcast produced in conjunction with HISTORY.COM, the History Guys mark Hispanic Heritage Month with an in-depth look at the history of the US-Mexico border Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Borderlands and Bordered Lands State border plant inspection maintained by the US Dept. of Agriculture between Mexico and the United States. Shoppers returning from Juarez to El Paso over the bridge which carries all the traffic are required to open their packages for inspection. 1937 (Library of Congress) In this special podcast produced in conjunction with HISTORY.COM, the History Guys mark Hispanic Heritage Month with an in-depth look at the history of the US-Mexico border Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment With unemployment at its highest level in 25 years, we're taking on the history of Americans between jobs. When did the concept of "unemployment" arise in the first place? Are people more or less attached to their jobs than they used to be? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment With unemployment at its highest level in 25 years, we're taking on the history of Americans between jobs. When did the concept of "unemployment" arise in the first place? Are people more or less attached to their jobs than they used to be? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jefferson Then and Now (Pt. 2) From FDR to Sarah Palin, public figures on all sides of the political spectrum have claimed Thomas Jefferson as their own. But what did Jefferson really stand for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jefferson Then and Now (Pt. 2) From FDR to Sarah Palin, public figures on all sides of the political spectrum have claimed Thomas Jefferson as their own. But what did Jefferson really stand for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jefferson, Then and Now (Pt. 1) From FDR to Sarah Palin, public figures on all sides of the political spectrum have claimed Thomas Jefferson as their own. But what did Jefferson really stand for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jefferson, Then and Now From FDR to Sarah Palin, public figures on all sides of the political spectrum have claimed Thomas Jefferson as their own. But what did Jefferson really stand for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Independence Daze: A History of July Fourth In the early days of our nation, July Fourth wasn’t an official holiday at all. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938 that it became a paid day-off. So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? Historian Pauline Maier offers some answers, and explains how radically the meaning of the Declaration [...] Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations How did Supreme Court nomination battles play out in the past? Was the Court always so "supreme?" Help us build our new episode about the history of the Supreme Court! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations How did Supreme Court nomination battles play out in the past? Was the Court always so "supreme?" Help us build our new episode about the history of the Supreme Court! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grave Matters: A History of Death and Mourning On Memorial Day we ask -- how have we lived with the dead throughout American history? Have improvements in public health and medicine made death less a part of our everyday lives? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grave Matters: A History of Death and Mourning On Memorial Day we ask -- how have we lived with the dead throughout American history? Have improvements in public health and medicine made death less a part of our everyday lives? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grave Matters: A History of Death and Mourning On Memorial Day we ask -- how have we lived with the dead throughout American history? Have improvements in public health and medicine made death less a part of our everyday lives? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Teed Off: The Tea Party, Then and Now The History Guys take a closer look at the Tea Party Movement. They ask whether 2010 really has anything in common with 1773, and what the history of populism suggests about the Tea Party's future. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Teed Off: The Tea Party, Then and Now The History Guys take a closer look at the Tea Party Movement. They ask whether 2010 really has anything in common with 1773, and what the history of populism suggests about the Tea Party's future. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Good Mother: A History of American Motherhood For most of American history, women were charged with raising productive citizens, but not given full citizen status, themselves. Our Mother's Day episode explores this enduring paradox. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Paying Up: A History of Taxation With April 15th just around the corner, BackStory delves into the history of taxes. From the Stamp Act of 1765 to the Tea Party Movement of 2010, how have our attitudes about taxation changed over time? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Control: A History of Heating & Cooling What was life like before the era of the thermostat? And how did America become the "land of comfort?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Control: A History of Heating & Cooling What was life like before the era of the thermostat? And how did America become the "land of comfort?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Control: A History of Heating & Cooling What was life like before the era of the thermostat? And how did America become the "land of comfort?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Love Me Did: A History of Courtship With Valentine's Day coming down the pike, BackStory is delving into the history of courtship. From "bundling" to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Love Me Did: A History of Courtship From "bundling" to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Love Me Did: A History of Courtship With Valentine's Day coming down the pike, BackStory is delving into the history of courtship. From "bundling" to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Jennifer from DC On each "Call of the Week," we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls.This week, it's from Jennifer in Washington, DC. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Jennifer from DC On each "Call of the Week," we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls.This week, it's from Jennifer in Washington, DC. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Jennifer from DC On each "Call of the Week," we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls.This week, it's from Jennifer in Washington, DC. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned, and a little disgusted, by what transpired there. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned, and a little disgusted, by what transpired there. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned, and a little disgusted, by what transpired there. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Abe from Montreal On each "Call of the Week," we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls.This week, it's from Abe in Montreal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Call of the Week: Abe from Montreal On each "Call of the Week," we feature one of our favorite listener phone calls.This week, it's from Abe in Montreal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Coming Home: A History of War Veterans Rambo, Elvis Presley, and former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders have one important thing in common: military service. So who are America’s veterans? Soldiers travel far away to risk their lives, but how easy is returning home? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Coming Home: A History of War Veterans Rambo, Elvis Presley, and former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders have one important thing in common: military service. So who are America’s veterans? Soldiers travel far away to risk their lives, but how easy is returning home? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Coming Home: A History of War Veterans Rambo, Elvis Presley, and former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders have one important thing in common: military service. So who are America’s veterans? Soldiers travel far away to risk their lives, but how easy is returning home? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Coming Home: A History of War Veterans Rambo, Elvis Presley, and former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders have one important thing in common: military service. So who are America’s veterans? Soldiers travel far away to risk their lives, but how easy is returning home? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Moulder in Peace, John Brown Most people think the "John Brown's Body" song is about John Brown the abolitionist. But it's not...really... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Moulder in Peace, John Brown Most people think the "John Brown's Body" song is about John Brown the abolitionist. But it's not...really... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Body Politics: A History of Health Care Recent fights about health care reform have landed several people in the hospital. So who foots the bill? Historically, what's been the government's role in keeping Americans healthy? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Body Politics: A History of Health Care Recent fights about health care reform have landed several people in the hospital. So who foots the bill? Historically, what's been the government's role in keeping Americans healthy? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Web Extra: Extended Interview with Jon Zimmerman They’re a national icon, but little red schoolhouses were often cramped, cold and poorly managed.  In this extended version of their interview, education historian Jon Zimmerman talks to host Brian Balogh about why Americans on both sides of the political spectrum romanticize 19th century one-room schoolhouses, and why this much-mythologized emblem represents America’s educational ambitions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Web Extra: Extended Interview with Jon Zimmerman They’re a national icon, but little red schoolhouses were often cramped, cold and poorly managed.  In this extended version of their interview, education historian Jon Zimmerman talks to host Brian Balogh about why Americans on both sides of the political spectrum romanticize 19th century one-room schoolhouses, and why this much-mythologized emblem represents America’s educational ambitions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website School Days: A History of Public Education The statistics look grim, but is America's educational system any worse off than it's ever been? Why have schools been the sites of so many social movements? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website School Days: A History of Public Education The statistics look grim, but is America's educational system any worse off than it's ever been? Why have schools been the sites of so many social movements? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment With unemployment at its highest level in 25 years, we're taking on the history of Americans between jobs. When did the concept of "unemployment" arise in the first place? Are people more or less attached to their jobs than they used to be? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Independence Daze: A History of July Fourth In the early days of our nation, July Fourth wasn’t an official holiday at all. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938 that it became a paid day-off. So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? Historian Pauline Maier offers some answers, and explains how radically the meaning of the Declaration [...] Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Adorable Origins of Yellow Journalism: podcast only The Yellow Kid was wise beyond his years.  By 1900, he’d already sold cigars, staged a cock fight and been around the world. So what was the appeal of this unlikely pop icon?  And what did he have to do with yellow journalism? Associate producer Rachel Quimby explains. Looking for the main Yellow Kid page? Click [...] Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grave Matters: A History of Death and Mourning How present is death in American culture? Have improvements in public health and medicine removed death from our everyday lives? Join the History Guys in this Memorial Day episode of BackStory. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Good Mother: A History of American Motherhood For most of American history, women were charged with raising productive citizens, but not given full citizen status, themselves. Our Mother's Day episode explores this enduring paradox. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Just the Facts?: Partisanship and the Press What ever happened to good, old-fashioned, objective reporting? In this hour, the History Guys turn that question on its head, and ask instead where the notion of “objective” reporting came from in the first place. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Laboratories of Democracy: The State of the States In its early years, the US wasn't so much "United" as "States." Power has steadily shifted to the federal government, but states have continued to assert independence on important issues. If we're all Americans, why do states still matter? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The More Things Change: The History of Presidential Transitions Commanders come and go—but what difference does it really make? In this hour, BackStory takes a closer look at the realities of presidential transitions. Send us your ideas, questions, and stories so you can join us on the air! Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website