Throughline
Episodes
High Crimes And Misdemeanors
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after ...
American Exile
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries, the United States has been a prime destination for migrants hoping for better economic opportunities, fleeing danger in their home coun...
Puerto Rico
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they struggle...
Three Chords And The Truth
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Lil Nas X released his viral hit "Old Town Road" last year, he sparked a conversation about what country music is and who is welcome in the genre...
The Litter Myth
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There is more waste in the world today than at any time in history, and the responsibility for keeping the environment clean too often falls on indivi...
On The Shoulders Of Giants
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police brutality...
Strange Fruit
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Billie Holiday helped shape American popular music with her voice and unique style. But, her legacy extends way beyond music with one song in particul...
Mass Incarceration
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and a disproportionate number of those prisoners are Black. What are the ...
Scorched Earth
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The term "concentration camp" is most associated with Nazi Germany and the systematic killing of Jews during World War II. But colonial powers used co...
Huey Long Vs. The Media
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Huey Pierce Long: you either loved him, or hated him. He combined progressive economic ideas with an autocratic streak, earning him thousands of adori...
Milliken v. Bradley
25 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, public schools across the country were supposed to become more integrated, but by the 1970...
Rules Of Engagement
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After Iran shot down an American surveillance drone in June, tensions between the two countries have only gone up. But the US and Iran have been in so...
Four Days In August
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? This week, we feature our very first episode about an event f...
American Anthem
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for mi...
Before Stonewall
27 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years ago, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police, and what followed were days of rebellion where protesters a...
The X On The Map
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson was an unarmed black civil rights activist who was murdered in Marion, Ala., after a peaceful protest. His murder brought ...
Apocalypse Now
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Evangelicals have played an important role in modern day American politics - from supporting President Trump to helping elect Jimmy Carter back in 197...
Mitch McConnell
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the cou...
Savarkar's India
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Right-wing Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi has won reelection as India's Prime Minister. As the political philosophy of Hindu nationalism gains ground...
A Dream Of Modern China
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
China is a world superpower today. But just over a century ago, the country was in complete turmoil — foreign powers had carved up the country, the ...
El Libertador
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Venezuela is facing an economic and humanitarian crisis as extreme poverty and violence have forced many to flee the country in recent years. How did ...
White Nationalism
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The white nationalist ideas of Madison Grant influenced Congress in the 1920s, leaders in Nazi Germany, and members of the Trump administration. This ...
Outbreak
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
More than 700 measles cases have been recorded in the U.S. in the recent outbreak, the worst being in New York. This past April, Mayor Bill de Blasio ...
Resistance Is Futile
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence, gene modification, and self-driving cars are causing fear and uncertainty about how technology is changing our lives. But hum...
War Of The Worlds
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Sunni-Shia divide is a conflict that most people have heard about - two sects with Sunni Islam being in the majority and Shia Islam the minority. ...
Nancy Pelosi
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in American politics. She made her first run for public office at 47 years old and went on to become Speaker...
Opioids In America
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A record number of Americans have died from opioid overdoses in recent years. But how did we get here? And is this the first time Americans have faced...
The Phoebus Cartel
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why your smartphone or toaster oven doesn't seem to last very long, even though technology is becoming better and better? This ...
The Border
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In February, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. Last year, he ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the bo...
The Moth
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Vladimir Putin has been running Russia since 2000 when he was first elected as President. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top seat...
American Shadows
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Conspiracy theories are a feature of today's news and politics. But they've really been a part of American life since its founding. In this episode, w...
High Crimes And Misdemeanors
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after ...
The Forgotten War
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un are preparing to meet for a second nuclear summit. What has fueled the hostility between these two...
On the Shoulders of Giants
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police brutality...
Four Days in August
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that Iran and the U.S. have a history of animosity toward each other. But when and how did it begin? This week we look back at four day...
Introducing Throughline
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
NPR's new history podcast hosted by Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah. New episodes every Thursday starting February 7th.Learn more about sponsor m...