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PODCAST

American History Hit

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

history

All Episodes

33:21

Battle of the Alamo

American History Hit ·

2023/10/16

A 13 day siege. 90 minutes of fighting. An almost 200 year legacy and the most popular tourist site in the state of Texas.The 1836 Battle of the Alamo has become a symbol of Texan pride and independence, and also a springboard for conversations about Texas' relationship with slavery.To find out more about the battle, the site and what really happened to David Crockett, Don spoke with Kolby Lanham, Senior Researcher and Historian at the Alamo.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior

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41:00

President John Quincy Adams

American History Hit ·

2023/10/12

John Quincy Adams didn't just share a name with his father. He also followed in his footsteps to take the Presidency, and then lose it after one term.In this episode of our series on the Presidencies of the United States, we're onto the sixth commander-in-chief.Don is joined once again by Christopher Young. Chris is a Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest and among his many publications wrote “Serenading the President: John Adams, the XYZ Affair, and the 18th-Century American

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42:24

What if the South Won the Civil War?

American History Hit ·

2023/10/09

What if the Civil War had ended differently, with the South seceding from the Union? Would slavery have continued? Would the southern states have continued as a whole? Would any other states have followed suit?To explore this hypothetical history, Don spoke to Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Department Chair of history at Louisiana State University. Aaron specialises on the Civil War and reconstruction and is the author of 'The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War', 'Reckoning with

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34:51

Origins of the Vietnam War

American History Hit ·

2023/10/05

In 1969, at the height of US presence, there were over half a million Americans in Vietnam.But why were they there in the first place? When did the conflict in Vietnam begin and how did it escalate towards US involvement?Pierre Asselin 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. He and Don discuss the origins of the Vietnam war in domestic and international relations.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by

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45:06

The American Buffalo with Ken Burns

American History Hit ·

2023/10/02

'It's one of those threads you pull on and immediately you're connected to the whole fabric of American history.'The American Buffalo, Bison Bison, is an icon of American identity. It is also the subject of a new two part documentary from legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his team.In this episode, Don and Ken explore the relationship between the United States and the buffalo, and how this relationship spills into 10,000 years of social, economic and ecological history.Watch 'The American

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35:10

President James Monroe

American History Hit ·

2023/09/28

Serving from 1817 to 1825, James Monroe's presidency was only the fifth presidency of the United States. Monroe's time in power saw the development of republicanism and the Missouri Compromise of 1820 signalled the growing cracks between north and south.But this was also the end of an era. Monroe was the final President of the United States to have been a Founding Father.He was also the last of the three presidents to have died on July 4th. To find out why this was a strangely fitting end to

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42:04

Battle of Little Bighorn

American History Hit ·

2023/09/24

Not one of the US forces led by General George Custer into the attack on 25 June 1876 survived. But the story of 'Custer's Last Stand' as it was known for a long time, has long been told by the settlers, rather than the indigenous people who survived.In this episode, Don talks to Lindsay Stallones Marshall, Assistant Professor of History at Illinois State University. Together, they talk through the battle and the opposing narratives and names of it.She is the author of 'Teaching Us to Forget: The

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36:01

Sabotage & Secret Weapons: The WW2 Dirty Tricks...

American History Hit ·

2023/09/21

What is a bat bomb? Why would you cover a fox in radioactive paint? And who are the masterminds behind the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA?In this episode, Don is joined by John Lisle to discuss the creations of the Research and Development branch at the Office of Strategic Services.John is the author of 'The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare' and a lecturer at the University of Texas, specialising in the

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33:10

Three Mile Island: Nuclear Accident in Pennsylvania

American History Hit ·

2023/09/18

It's the worst accident in US commercial nuclear power history. In March 1979, the Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island nuclear generating station came half an hour from full meltdown. Two days later, an explosive bubble of hydrogen gas was found in the reactor.To talk technical malfunction, human error and public response, J Samuel Walker joins Don for this episode. Sam is a former historian of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and author of 'Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical

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48:21

President James Madison

American History Hit ·

2023/09/14

His life is one of firsts for the United States. Having contributed to the Federalist Papers, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in 1812 James Madison became the first President to make a declaration of war.In the fourth episode of our presidential series, we're taking a closer look at Madison's two terms. How did his policies differ from those of his predecessors? How much was his diplomacy influenced by his former role as Jefferson's Secretary of State? Why might this period of Madison's

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34:42

9/11: Toxic Gas, PTSD & Rebuilding

American History Hit ·

2023/09/11

New York was a city of 8 million people in 2001. A city that would be changed forever by the events of 9/11.In this episode, we will not recount the day itself. Instead, we're looking at the after effects of the attack on New York city. What dangers remained after the buildings collapsed? How did it alter the communities of Manhattan? And how did the city decide how to fill the spaces left behind?Don speaks to Susan Opotow and Zachary Baron Shemtob, authors of 'New York after 9/11' about the impact

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34:54

The Mexican-American War

American History Hit ·

2023/09/07

In 1848, after almost two years of fighting, the US annexation of former Mexican territory was signed into a treaty.Mexico lost a third of its territory, land which would later yield metals and stretch the United States from coast to coast.To find out how the war broke out, and how it ended in the deal that it did, Don spoke to Peter Guardino from Indiana University. Peter's third book, The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War, is a social and cultural history of this 1846-48

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47:12

Oppenheimer: What If America Never Dropped the Atomic...

American History Hit ·

2023/09/04

The new Oppenheimer movie has everyone asking questions about the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 - were two bombs necessary? Would the war have ended without it? Was there an ulterior motive? Would the Americans have dropped a third if they had it?To answer some of the questions and more, Professor Paul Poast joined our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit. Paul, from the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago, explains how the decision to drop the bombs was really

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41:52

President Thomas Jefferson

American History Hit ·

2023/08/31

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, so how did it work out when he became the leader of this nation that he was so instrumental in founding?For the third episode in our special series about the Presidents, we're exploring Jefferson's presidency. What challenges did he face during his time as President, and how did he mould the early years of the nation?Don is joined for this episode by Professor Frank Cogliano, direct from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

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28:41

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

American History Hit ·

2023/08/28

45 seconds. An estimated 7.9 on today's Richter scale. The deadliest earthquake in US history.In this episode, we're examining the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. What happened? Why were this earthquake and the fires it caused so disastrous? And who did this seemingly indiscriminate force of nature hit the hardest?Don is joined by Joanna Dyl, an environmental historian at Pomona College and author of 'Seismic City: An Environmental History of San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake'.Produced by Sophie Gee

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28:12

Prehistoric North America

American History Hit ·

2023/08/24

What could the prehistoric artists of North America have in common with the graffiti artists of today? Picked into the rocks of southwestern Arizona, a couple hour drive from Tucson, are marks of the Patayan and Hohokam traditions. The petroglyphs are an insight into these civilisations, their religions and their lives.Aaron Wright is a Preservation Archaeologist whose research is currently focused on the Hohokam and Patayan traditions. He joined Don to explore what this rock art has in common with

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31:52

Pocahontas: The True Story

American History Hit ·

2023/08/21

Despite her's being a household name, how much do we really know about Pocahontas? Where did she come from? How old was she? And what was her real relationship with the colonists?Don is joined for this episode by Camilla Townsend, a Historian of Early Native American and Latin American History at Rutgers University. Camilla is the author of 'Pocohontas and the Powhatan Dilemma' and, most recently, 'Indigenous Life After the Conquest: The De la Cruz Family Papers of Colonial Mexico'.Produced by

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40:38

President John Adams

American History Hit ·

2023/08/17

Sequels are always hit and miss. So what must it have been like to be the second President of the United States, following the man who originated the role?This was John Adams' position, stepping into the shoes of fellow founding father George Washington. To find out about how Adams navigated his presidency and the diplomatic crises that arose during it, Don spoke to Christopher Young.Chris is a Professor of History at Indiana University Northwest and, among his many publications, wrote “Serenading

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28:37

The Texas Chicken Ranch: Famous Brothel to Broadway

American History Hit ·

2023/08/14

When it closed in 1973, the Texas Chicken Ranch was the oldest continually operating brothel in the United States. Why was this brothel able to survive for so long? Who were the women at work there? And where did it get its name?In this episode, Don explores the brothel behind the Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds musical with Jayme Blaschke, author of Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was

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35:32

The Pueblo Revolt

American History Hit ·

2023/08/10

On August 10 1680, the Pueblo people began the most successful uprising against colonial power in North America.For 11 days, Spanish colonisers were driven out, taken prisoner or killed, their horses were stolen and Christian churches were burnt to the ground. They did not manage to return for the following 12 years. The Pueblo people rebuilt their society and ensured the survival of their traditions, languages and religions.Matt Liebmann joins Don today to discuss the revolt and to share some of

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