American History Hit
- Episodes
- 440
- Released
- several times a week
- Latest episode
- Nov 12, 2026
About the podcast
Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today.
We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park.
From pre-colonial America to independence, slavery to civil rights, the gold rush to the space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.
New episodes every Monday and Thursday.
Brought to you by History Hit, the award-winning podcast network and world’s best history channel on demand, featuring shows like Dan Snow’s History Hit, Not Just The Tudors and Betwixt the Sheets.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
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.
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Episodes 440
Downfall of Richard Nixon
We're repeating a classic-episode today - the downfall of President Richard Nixon. He is a complex figure. There are sides to him that get overlooked, like that he had a deeper understanding of foreign affairs …
Show notes
We're repeating a classic-episode today - the downfall of President Richard Nixon. He is a complex figure. There are sides to him that get overlooked, like that he had a deeper understanding of foreign affairs than any other US President. But it's hard to see the light for the shade and the tragic fall that overshadows everything.
Don's guest today is Professor Nicole Hemmer whose latest book is "Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s".
Produced by Freddy Chick. 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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Death Penalty in America
Besides language, religion and social customs, one of the most important things that North America inherited from Britain in its early years was its legal system, including the death penalty.But how did capital …
Show notes
Besides language, religion and social customs, one of the most important things that North America inherited from Britain in its early years was its legal system, including the death penalty.
But how did capital punishment evolve after the American Revolution? How has the nation gone back and forth over its morality? Why was it ruled unconstitutional in 1972, and how did it then continue on?
Don is joined by returning guest Cliff Sloan to discuss the history of the death penalty in America. Cliff is a professor at Georgetown Law, and has previously served in all three branches of the Federal Government.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Crossing the Delaware: George Washington’s Greatest Victory
We've all seen the famous painting of General George Washington leading his men across the icy waters of the Delaware River. But what happened next? Today, we're exploring the Battle of Trenton, where …
Show notes
We've all seen the famous painting of General George Washington leading his men across the icy waters of the Delaware River. But what happened next? Today, we're exploring the Battle of Trenton, where Washington struck a devastating blow against the British and their Hessian allies, and discovering how this daring victory helped turn the tide of the American Revolutionary War.
Our guest today is Major Jonathan Bratten, Command historian with the Maine National Guard. He’s the award-winning author of ‘To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919.’
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
Rise & Fall of the Aztec Empire
What made the Aztecs one of the most sophisticated empires of their age? How widespread was human sacrifice? And what brought about their fall from power?Our guest today is Dr. Camilla Townsend, author of Fifth …
Show notes
What made the Aztecs one of the most sophisticated empires of their age? How widespread was human sacrifice? And what brought about their fall from power?
Our guest today is Dr. Camilla Townsend, author of Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, to talk us through the rise of the Aztec Empire and the 16th century Spanish conquest.
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Jersey Devil Uncovered
Have you ever heard of the Jersey Devil? A creature with bat-like wings, horse's hooves and hellish horns that stalks the New Jersey Pine Barrens, terrorising humans and killing livestock.According to legend …
Show notes
Have you ever heard of the Jersey Devil? A creature with bat-like wings, horse's hooves and hellish horns that stalks the New Jersey Pine Barrens, terrorising humans and killing livestock.
According to legend, one cold New Jersey night in 1735, a woman in labour with her 13th child cried out, "Let this one be a devil!" If you believe the stories, she got her wish, and over the next two and a half centuries the Jersey Devil was sighted by some of history's most unlikely players, from Napoleon Bonaparte's brother to a distinguished Navy officer.
But what is the Jersey Devil really? Where did it come from? What can we learn from the continued popularity of the Jersey Devil today? And did Don ever catch a glimpse of it while camping in the Pine Barrens as a boy?!
Our guest today is Dr Lynne McNeill, Associate Professor of Folklore Studies in the Department of History, Culture & Ideas at Utah State University to bring the Jersey Devil to life like never before.
Produced by Tim Arstall & Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. 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.
Salem Witch Trials
It all started with two young girls and three accused women. It ended with more than 200 accused, 20 executed and the name Salem forever connected with another word: witch.Don is joined by Professor Mikki Brock …
Show notes
It all started with two young girls and three accused women. It ended with more than 200 accused, 20 executed and the name Salem forever connected with another word: witch.
Don is joined by Professor Mikki Brock from Washington and Lee University to find out what really happened in Salem Village in the late 17th century.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
Takeover of Alcatraz Island
In November 1969 a group of Native American activists, protesting against centuries of forced relocation, broken treaties and the erosion of tribal sovereignty, launched a daring operation to take over the old …
Show notes
In November 1969 a group of Native American activists, protesting against centuries of forced relocation, broken treaties and the erosion of tribal sovereignty, launched a daring operation to take over the old prison on the Island of Alcatraz. Over the following nineteen month, it would become one of the most remarkable acts of protest in American history... but who were the figures that led this movement? And what did it achieve?
Our guest today is Kent Blansett, Professor of Indigenous Studies and US History at the University of Kansas. He is the author of ‘A Journey to Freedom: Richard Oakes, Alcatraz, and the Red Power Movement’.
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
The Truth About Alexander Hamilton
We're rerunning a classic episodes today from a mini-series we did all about Alexander Hamilton. Who really was he, and what do we actually know about his life?A Founding Father, he fought in the Revolutionary …
Show notes
We're rerunning a classic episodes today from a mini-series we did all about Alexander Hamilton. Who really was he, and what do we actually know about his life?
A Founding Father, he fought in the Revolutionary War, founded the American financial system and was the first ever Secretary of the Treasury. But who really was Hamilton? How did his face come to be on our bank notes? Did he love his wife? And why would he go to duel even after his son had died in doing so? Don Wildman is talking to William Hogeland to find out. William is the author of 'The Hamilton Scheme: An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding' and his substack can be found here.
This was the first of a 4 part series on American History Hit, you can find the rest by going back to April 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.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Boston Courthouse Bombing
On April 22, 1976 a bomb went off at Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston. 22 people were injured in the blast, but no one was ever tried for the crime.Kevin Galvin joins Don today to explore who bombed the …
Show notes
On April 22, 1976 a bomb went off at Suffolk County Courthouse in Boston. 22 people were injured in the blast, but no one was ever tried for the crime.
Kevin Galvin joins Don today to explore who bombed the courthouse, why they did it, and who was caught up in it.
Kevin has been a correspondent for the Associated Press, a feature writer for The Seattle Times, and deputy national editor of the Boston Globe. His book is 'Troubled Times: The Boston Courthouse Bombing of 1976'.
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.
Life Down a California Goldmine
In 1848, James Marshall's discovery of gold in California's American River kicked off one of the biggest Gold Rushes in U.S. history. But what was life really like in California's Gold Fields? Who was actually …
Show notes
In 1848, James Marshall's discovery of gold in California's American River kicked off one of the biggest Gold Rushes in U.S. history. But what was life really like in California's Gold Fields? Who was actually making money? And how did gold fever shape a nation?
Our guest today is Stephen Aron, Calvin and Marilyn Gross Director and President and CEO of the Autry Museum of the American West. Stephen is Professor of History, Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Produced by Hannah Feodorov. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fur Trapping, Empire & the Hudson’s Bay Company
Did you know that almost 40% of the land that is now Canada was once owned by a single commercial company?The Hudson's Bay Company surrendered this area for the sum of £300,000 in 1869. But how did they come to …
Show notes
Did you know that almost 40% of the land that is now Canada was once owned by a single commercial company?
The Hudson's Bay Company surrendered this area for the sum of £300,000 in 1869. But how did they come to control it? What was life like for fur traders in North America? And what was the Pemmican War?
Don is joined today by Stephen R. Bown, author of ‘The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire’.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Winter at Valley Forge: Washington's Darkest Hour?
After suffering defeat after defeat, George Washington’s battered army was forced to retreat into the forests of rural Pennsylvania, where they set up camp to wait out the winter. The encampment at Valley Forge …
Show notes
After suffering defeat after defeat, George Washington’s battered army was forced to retreat into the forests of rural Pennsylvania, where they set up camp to wait out the winter. The encampment at Valley Forge would be their home for the next six months, during which thousands would endure freezing temperatures, hunger and disease...
Our guest today is Prof. Rick Herrera, Senior Historian at the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of the award-winning 'Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778' and 'For Liberty and the Republic: The American Citizen as Soldier, 1775-1861.'
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Aliza Dams. 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.
Nazi Scientists in America: Operation Paperclip
Why would the United States have welcomed Nazis after the Second World War? Through Operation Paperclip, more than 1,500 German and Austrian scientists and engineers moved to America to share technology …
Show notes
Why would the United States have welcomed Nazis after the Second World War? Through Operation Paperclip, more than 1,500 German and Austrian scientists and engineers moved to America to share technology developed in the Third Reich.
Don is joined by Eric Lichtblau in this episode to find out who these people were, why the US needed them, and whether any of them should have faced punishment.
Eric Lichtblau is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of 'The Nazis Next Door - How America Became A Safe Haven For Hitler’s Men'.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Early Humans of Ice Age America
When did the first humans arrive in America? Archaeologists have long pushed the theory that human habitation in the Americas dates back only to about 10,000 years. But now there's overwhelming evidence that …
Show notes
When did the first humans arrive in America? Archaeologists have long pushed the theory that human habitation in the Americas dates back only to about 10,000 years. But now there's overwhelming evidence that humans have been in the Americas for over 30,000 years. And perhaps much longer.
Our guest today is Dr. Paulette Steeves, professor of geography, archeology, and land stewardship at Algoma University. She is also author of the books The Indigenous Paleolithic of the Western Hemisphere, and Reclaiming Deep Human Histories of the Western Hemisphere: Archaeologists Who Braved Prejudice to Reveal the Evidence.
Produced by Hannah Feodorov. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
LBJ & the Vietnam War
How did a President who was so reluctant to ramp up America's presence in Vietnam become the one who increased it more than any other? When Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President, he had big plans for his …
Show notes
How did a President who was so reluctant to ramp up America's presence in Vietnam become the one who increased it more than any other? When Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President, he had big plans for his domestic agenda... but it would be his foreign policy decisions that eventually brought him down.
Our guest today is Pierre Asselin, professor of American Foreign Relations at San Diego State University. He is a leading authority on the Vietnam War and is the author of A Bitter Peace: Washington, Hanoi, and the Making of the Paris Agreement and Hanoi’s Road to the Vietnam War, 1954-1965.
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Mormon Founding of Salt Lake City
What drew the Latter Day Saints to Utah? Was anyone living there before the arrival of Brigham Young? And how did the city develop?Max Perry Mueller joins Don today to discuss Salt Lake City. Max is an …
Show notes
What drew the Latter Day Saints to Utah? Was anyone living there before the arrival of Brigham Young? And how did the city develop?
Max Perry Mueller joins Don today to discuss Salt Lake City. Max is an associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He writes more about this topic in 'Wakara’s America: The Life and Legacy of a Native Founder of the American West'.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jefferson & the Revolutionary War
Thomas Jefferson has had no issue being remembered in American History. Ask anyone, this man was fundamental to Independence. But did he fight in the Revolutionary war itself?Don is joined by Michael Hattem …
Show notes
Thomas Jefferson has had no issue being remembered in American History. Ask anyone, this man was fundamental to Independence. But did he fight in the Revolutionary war itself?
Don is joined by Michael Hattem, author of 'The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History'; 'Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution'; and 'The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History', which will be published in November 2026.
Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Really Happened At Waco?
76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the …
Show notes
76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire.
Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter and author of ‘Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Dividians, and a Legacy of Rage’ to find out why the United States’ Government was interested in this religious compound outside Waco, Texas, and how the situation escalated to this point.
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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sherman's March: Invading the South
General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous invasion of the Confederacy in 1864 has become American legend... but what did Union troops do along their route and how consequential was it to the final defeat of the …
Show notes
General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous invasion of the Confederacy in 1864 has become American legend... but what did Union troops do along their route and how consequential was it to the final defeat of the Confederates?
Our guest today is Anne Sarah Rubin, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is the author of ‘Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory’, and her most recent work is ‘The Perfect Scout: A Soldier’s Memoir of the Great March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas,’
Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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.
America's Worst President
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? In this episode from the archive, Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.Edited …
Show notes
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? In this episode from the archive, Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.
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.
The People's Founding Father
Signatory of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, James Wilson was a sitting Supreme Court justice when he died. So why is he missing from popular history?From inspiring the phrase 'we the …
Show notes
Signatory of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, James Wilson was a sitting Supreme Court justice when he died. So why is he missing from popular history?
From inspiring the phrase 'we the people' to starting the ball rolling on the Electoral College, Jesse Wegman joins Don to discuss Wilson's influence on the United States.
Jesse is Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and author of 'The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution'.
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.
All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Truth About the Louisiana Purchase
We're all taught in school about the Louisiana Purchase, supposedly the greatest bargain in American history. Napoleon's deal with the Americans is widely remembered as a triumph for the United States… but is …
Show notes
We're all taught in school about the Louisiana Purchase, supposedly the greatest bargain in American history. Napoleon's deal with the Americans is widely remembered as a triumph for the United States… but is this history really as simple as we’re often taught?
Our guest today is historian Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is the author of award winning books including ‘The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History’ and, most recently, ‘The Louisiana Purchase: The Grand Bargain and the Making of America’.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did Lee's Surrender End the Civil War?
When and where did the Civil War end? Was it really over when Lee surrendered at Appomattox?Don is joined for this episode by Caroline E. Janney, Professor at the University of Virginia and author of 'Ends of …
Show notes
When and where did the Civil War end? Was it really over when Lee surrendered at Appomattox?
Don is joined for this episode by Caroline E. Janney, Professor at the University of Virginia and author of 'Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army after Appomattox'.
Listen to hear why Lee's and Grant's armies ended up at Appomattox Court House, what the terms of surrender were, and when the war actually ended.
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.
All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why Did Reconstruction Fail?
Over the course of this series, we've discussed the extraordinary promise of Reconstruction, as well as the relentless attacks these efforts came under. In this final episode, we're stepping back from the …
Show notes
Over the course of this series, we've discussed the extraordinary promise of Reconstruction, as well as the relentless attacks these efforts came under. In this final episode, we're stepping back from the events themselves to ask the biggest question of all: why did Reconstruction fail?
For today's episode, we welcome Prof. Aaron Sheehan-Dean of Louisiana State University back onto the show. His works include ‘Why Confederates Fought: Family and a Nation in Civil War Virginia’ and most recently ‘Fighting with the Past: How Seventeenth Century History Shaped the American Civil War’.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Fire That Changed New York
On March 5 1911, 146 people died in a fire that lasted just 18 minutes. This event was to change the history of New York, and has an ongoing impact in each of our workplaces.Don is joined for this episode by …
Show notes
On March 5 1911, 146 people died in a fire that lasted just 18 minutes. This event was to change the history of New York, and has an ongoing impact in each of our workplaces.
Don is joined for this episode by David Conrad-Pérez to find out what made the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire so deadly, who is to credit for the changes made after it, and whether anyone ever faced justice for it.
David is the author of ‘Fire in the Heart of the City: The Triangle Shirtwaist Tragedy and the Origins of Modern Charity’.
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.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reconstruction Era: Terror in the South
Reconstruction promised freedom and political equality, but how quickly did that promise begin to unravel? Why did white Southern resistance become so violent, and why did Northern support for Reconstruction …
Show notes
Reconstruction promised freedom and political equality, but how quickly did that promise begin to unravel? Why did white Southern resistance become so violent, and why did Northern support for Reconstruction begin to fade? In this episode, we explore the rise of Jim Crow, the retreat of federal protection, and the political choices that transformed the South for generations.
Our returning guest today is Bradley Rebeiro, Associate Professor of Law at BYU Law School. He is the author of ‘Until the Last Yoke is Broke: The Constitutional Vision of Frederick Douglass’, which is out on September 29th of this year.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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.
Civil War Battle Of The Ironclads
In March 1862, wooden warships had dominated global warfare for centuries. In less than 48 hours off the coast of Virginia, two experimental metal monsters made every Navy on Earth obsolete overnight.Don …
Show notes
In March 1862, wooden warships had dominated global warfare for centuries. In less than 48 hours off the coast of Virginia, two experimental metal monsters made every Navy on Earth obsolete overnight.
Don Wildman is joined by Dr Howard Fuller reader in war studies at University of Wolverhampton, UK. His first book was Clad in Iron: The American Civil War and the Challenge of British Naval Power.
Edited by Tim Artstall. Produced by Freddy Chick and Tomos Delargy.
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All music from Epidemic Sounds.
American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reconstruction Era: A False Dawn of Freedom?
With the end of the Civil War, four million formerly enslaved people in the South were now free. It was the beginning of a remarkable experiment: rebuilding the South on the foundations of freedom and equal …
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With the end of the Civil War, four million formerly enslaved people in the South were now free. It was the beginning of a remarkable experiment: rebuilding the South on the foundations of freedom and equal citizenship. For a brief moment, the United States of America begins its first real attempt at establishing a multi-racial democracy.
Our guest today is Bradley Rebeiro, Associate Professor of Law at BYU Law School. He is the author of ‘Until the Last Yoke is Broke: The Constitutional Vision of Frederick Douglass’, which is out on September 29th of this year.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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.
Plessy v. Ferguson: The Supreme Court Case That Enshrined Jim Crow
In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled that Jim Crow segregation laws were not unconstitutional in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. This is the case that Brown v. Board of Education would eventually overturn but not …
Show notes
In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled that Jim Crow segregation laws were not unconstitutional in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. This is the case that Brown v. Board of Education would eventually overturn but not until six decades of Jim Crow laws had been endured. Who was Plessy? Who was Ferguson? And how on earth did the Supreme Court reach its conclusions?
Don Wildman's guest today is Dr Michael Ross, historian of constitutional history with a focus on Reconstruction era at the University of Maryland.
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chick and Tomos Delargy.
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.
What Happened to the Confederates?
Across the defeated Confederacy, there had been an expectation that those who had taken up arms against their citizens would be punished. This did not happen however and instead ex-Confederates were gradually …
Show notes
Across the defeated Confederacy, there had been an expectation that those who had taken up arms against their citizens would be punished. This did not happen however and instead ex-Confederates were gradually brought back into the fold. Decades later, they managed to cultivate a dangerous mythology that obscured the truth about the nature of the Confederacy and the Civil War in general...
Our guest today is Brigadier General Ty Seidule, Professor Emeritus of History at West Point and teaches at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He’s the author of ‘Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause.’
Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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.
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