American Origins of Halloween
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the pre-Christian commemoration of Samhain travel across the seas from Ancient Ireland to Am...
Was the American Revolution a World War?
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a war a World War? If it's the involvement of multiple major world powers, will France, S...
What If George Washington Became King?
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
‘No occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations.' This was George Was...
What if the Cuban Missile Crisis Sparked WW3?
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in ...
What If There Were No CIA?
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Agency. The Company. Langley.Without the Central Intelligence Agency, would we talk about conspi...
Origins of the US Navy: America's Revolutionary Pirate
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 250th Birthday to the US Navy! Today Don asks, who was John Paul Jones and did he really fathe...
Who was the Best President Ever?
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What should we look for in a great President? Who was the greatest of all time? And is it harder for...
America's Invasion of Canada
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
'Canada ought to be the 14th colony' was a view held by many American revolutionaries. In the winter...
Who Was the Worst President Ever?
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, a...
Origins of the Second Amendment
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people ...
What Caused the Civil War? | Secession
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from t...
USA & Cuba: A Brief History
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From being within its sphere of influence to acting as a thorn in its side, Cuba has always been see...
What Caused the Civil War? | John Brown's Raid
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry helped cause the Civil War. His is a magnetic persona that's hard...
The Origins of California
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, ...
What Caused the Civil War? | Politics
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: ...
How to Amend the Constitution
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why has it been so long since the US Constitution was amended? The incredible Jill Lepore joins Don ...
What Caused the Civil War? | Slavery
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What were the deep origins and root causes of the Civil War? In the first of four episodes we chart ...
Who Designed the American Flag?
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 sma...
American Traitors: The Rosenbergs
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re stepping heart of Cold War America with the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. A...
How To Survive the Revolutionary War
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
'If I turn from beholding mutilated bodies, mangled limbs, and bleeding, incurable wounds, a spectac...
American Traitors: Axis Sally
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is contributing to enemy propaganda treason? In this second episode on American Traitors, we are mee...
What If Lincoln Hadn't Been Shot?
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's the biggest 'What if?' in American history: What if Lincoln hadn't been shot? The assassination...
American Traitors: Benedict Arnold
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Benedict Arnold the biggest traitor in American History? In this episode, Don is joined by author...
The End of the Pacific War
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On August 14, 1945, the Japanese government accepted Allied terms of surrender. The war in the Pacif...
Italians in America
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Columbus onwards, Italians have been a part of American culture. Don explores this rich history...
The Battle for the Philippines
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The largest ever surrender of American forces occurred in May 1942. The event resulted in medals of ...
5 Key Weapons of the Civil War
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did new weapons shape the Civil War? Why were the muskets so deadly? What on earth were the Iron...
The Roosevelt Brothers' Panda Hunt
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1928, President Teddy Roosevelt's sons Teddy and Kermit set out on an expedition to hunt a semi-m...
Revolutionary War: The Swamp Fox's Guerilla War
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Francis Marion aka the 'Swamp Fox' is a legend of the Revolutionary War. He was the basis for the mo...
Origins of New York
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1624 the first Dutch settlers arrived on Manhattan and established New Amsterdam, what is now New...
Revolutionary War: How Good Was George Washington?
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whisper it quietly, but could our original commander-in-chief possibly be overrated as a military le...
200 Years Inside Sing Sing Prison
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In May 1825, a group of prisoners arrived on the banks of the Hudson, thirty odd miles up river from...
Revolutionary War: What If the British Won?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're heading back 250 years to the end of the Revolutionary War - but this time, we're asking...
When Britain Sent Its Convicts to America
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britain shipped convicts to America from the days of Jamestown right up until 1775. More than 50,000...
Revolutionary War: When Was the Turning Point?
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, t...
Frenemies: China & the USA, a History
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The People's Republic of China has only existed since 1949, but in just 75 years its relationship wi...
George H. W. Bush: Ending the Cold War
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President George H. W. Bush presided over the Gulf War, the conclusion of the Cold War, the collapse...
Frenemies: Russia & the USA, a History
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly half a century, the United States and Russia stood as adversaries, entrenched in a tense ...
What is Juneteenth?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that ...
The Battle of Bunker Hill
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did the British win the first major battle of the Revolutionary War? In this episode, Don is joi...
The Truth About Native American Boarding Schools
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Government. Tens of thousands of Native American children. Around 50 boarding schools ac...
Frenemies: France & the USA, a History
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since their respective revolutions, the USA and France have been intrinsically linked. But what have...
Ronald Reagan: The Hollywood President
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Think what you like about him, Ronald Reagan was a big hitter and his presidency changed America. Th...
Frenemies: Mexico & the USA, a History
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
With almost 2,000 miles of shared border, the United States and Mexico have a long history of cooper...
Battle of Shiloh
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The staggering casualties of the Battle of Shiloh shocked both the North and South, marking a turnin...
Heaven's Gate: The UFO Cult
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What did the appearance of a comet in 1997 have to do with a tragic event in San Diego? Was Heaven's...
Gerald Ford: The Unelected President
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Gerald Ford is the only person to serve as president without being elected to either the presidency ...
The Manson Family: Cult Murder in Hollywood
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In the summer of 1969, Hollywood was shaken by a set of brutal murders. Their perpetrators? The infa...
How to Survive the Desert: Cities of the Southwest
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How did cities grow in America's largest and hottest desert? How did the rivers of the South West sh...
Jonestown: The Death of a Cult
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Did you ever wonder where the phrase 'drink the Kool-Aid' came from? In this second episode about th...
1945: America & Victory in Europe
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
May 8th saw the final surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. ...
Jonestown: The Birth of Peoples Temple
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
On November 18th, 1978, over 900 people died at an American settlement in the jungle of Guyana calle...
The Fall of Richard Nixon
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Who was the real Richard Nixon? There are sides to him that get overlooked, like that he had a deepe...
Vietnam: The End of the War?
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How did the US get out of Vietnam? In this episode, we are diving into how 'peace' was agreed in Par...
Richard Nixon: Rise from Poverty
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
To understand Watergate, to understand the fall of Nixon, you need to look first at the rise. How th...
Vietnam: Conscientious Objection in a Warzone
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
During the Vietnam War, 170,000 men received conscientious objector deferments. In this episode, we ...
The Truth About Paul Revere's Ride
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride is a legend of the American Revolutionary War - galloping through the Ma...
Vietnam: The My Lai Massacre
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How did a US Army mission in Vietnam end with the massacre of up to 500 people?In this episode, Don ...
President Lyndon B. Johnson: Triumph to Tragedy
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Born in poverty in Texas Hill Country, President Johnson delivered an unsurpassed series of legislat...
Vietnam War: Turning Points
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The Vietnam War is a defining chapter in American military history. But how did the US get so involv...
Battle of Fort Donelson
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Almost a year into the American Civil War, Union forces laid siege to Fort Donelson. In this episode...
Bobby Kennedy: Assassination of a Future President
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign had an aura around it. Its urgency, idealism and raw emot...
Battle of Iwo Jima
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
80 years ago, the battle of Iwo Jima came to an end on 26 March 1945. After 36 days of fighting, nea...
Confederacy: Myth of the Lost Cause
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How do you justify a war you lost, and that destroyed countless homes, businesses, towns and familie...
What If JFK Wasn't Shot?
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The biggest counterfactual that hangs on the assassination of JFK is this: Would JFK have launched a...
The Confederacy: Could They Have Won?
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Did the Confederates predict that secession would lead to war? How ready were they to fight? And wha...
President Eisenhower: War on Soviets & Segregation
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Dwight D. Eisenhower is a fixture in the lists of America's favourite Presidents. How did Eisenhower...
The Confederacy: Life In The South
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The Civil War consumed the Confederacy for its entire existence, draining it of supplies, food and p...
The Illuminati in the US
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What do Thomas Jefferson and Beyonce have in common? They have both been thought to be members of th...
The Confederacy: Who Was Jefferson Davis?
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Only one person has ever held the title of President of the Confederate States of America. In this e...
President Harry Truman: From Farm to Oval Office and the Atom Bomb
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The end of the Second World War. The start of the Cold War. The dropping of the Atomic Bomb and the ...
Jamestown: Decline & Fall?
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In 1699, Virginia’s government and capital moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, renaming it ...
Jamestown: Surviving The Fort
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What was it like to live in the fort at Jamestown? Who was in charge? What provisions were there? An...
Did Vikings Reach the US?
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What is a Viking? Did they really make it to the United States? And if so, how far did they get?Don ...
Frederick Douglass: Civil War to Statesman
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How did Frederick Douglass, born into enslavement, rise to become one of the most influential orator...
Jamestown: The British and The Powhatan
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
From suspicion, to siege, to collaboration, to all out war - in this episode we uncover the complex ...
Frederick Douglass: Enslavement & Escape
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Born enslaved in 1818, by the time of the Civil War Frederick Douglass was famous around the United ...
Jamestown: The Journey To America
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In May 1607, over 100 English settlers arrived at Chesapeake Bay on the East Coast of North America....
FDR & Churchill
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
FDR and Winston Churchill spent 113 days in each others' company during WWII. FDR even saw Churchill...
What Does 'Caucasian' Mean?
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In the 19th Century, a war on the boundary between Europe and Asia had an unexpected effect. It caus...
FDR & Stalin
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
They say that the enemy of your enemy is your friend, but did that apply to President Franklin D. Ro...
Romans in America
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Why was there once a fashion for styling your hair like Brutus, the most famous of Julius Caesar's a...
FDR vs Hitler
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The leaders of the two most powerful nations fighting in the Second World War, President Franklin D....
Who Was Sitting Bull?
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Sitting Bull, Jumping Badger, Slow - what do we know about the man who went by each of these names? ...
President FDR & the New Deal
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the Un...
The First 12 Days of the Civil War
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In April 1861, Union forces having lost the first battle of the Civil War, attention turned to the C...
President Herbert Hoover: Did He Cause the Great Depression?
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
President Herbert Hoover is synonymous with failure. As the Great Depression hit, shanty town across...
Remembering Jimmy Carter: Life & Legacy
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
In this special episode, Don Wildman is joined by experts Jonathan Alter and Jefferson Cowie to delv...
Japanese in America
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
When the US turned to Japan for workers in the late 19th Century, they probably never foresaw that o...
Lexington & Concord: The First Battles of the Revolutionary War
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
The shot heard ‘round the world'; the start of the American Revolution. An event that would have p...
How Old is America?
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
When fossils were discovered in the US during the 19th Century, it altered American understandings o...
Outlaws vs the FBI: J. Edgar Hoover's G-Men
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What makes the ideal gangster hunter? In the 1930s, outlaws like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson an...
Was the Civil War Won by Chance?
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
How did a couple's holiday save Kyoto from certain ruin? How did a landslide contribute to the Revol...
President Calvin Coolidge: The Roaring 20s' Quiet Leader
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Sworn in after the death of President Harding by the light of a kerosene lamp, the 30th President of...
Waco: A Cult, the FBI and a Fiery Ending
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went ...
Pearl Harbor: The Man Who Spied For Japan
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
On 7th December, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy struck the United States. In an action which kille...
UFOs in the US
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Alien spacecraft, phenomena from another dimension, ghosts, demons of satan, a trick of light - what...
The Mayflower: What Was Life Like At Sea?
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
A cargo hold, just 5 feet tall and divided up with canvas - this is what served as the living quarte...
The Mayflower: Why Did the Pilgrims Leave Europe?
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and 30 crew aboard the Ma...
President Warren G. Harding: Scandals, Affairs & Cabinet Selections
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Despite dying as one of the most popular presidents in history, the 29th Commander-in-Chief has been...