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PODCAST

Now & Then

How can the past help inform today’s most pressing challenges? Every Wednesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got us here today. Now and Then is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

history news commentary

All Episodes

54:21

Avatars of Democracy: Zelensky & More

Now & Then ·

2022/03/08

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a symbol of democracy around the world. What does this mean for the United States? This week, Heather and Joanne look at past foreign and international figures who’ve fought fervently for democratic values and have compelled and challenged Americans. Heather and Joanne discuss how Zelensky’s current battle against Russia evokes the quests of the French-born Revolutionary War hero Lafayette, the Latin American liberator Simón Bolívar, and South

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31:26

Heather Cox Richardson's Interview with President Biden

Now & Then ·

2022/03/04

Historian Heather Cox Richardson sat down with President Biden last week in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court. Heather posted the interview on her Facebook and Substack profiles and is sharing it here for the CAFE and Vox Media audience. Listen to this timely conversation between a historian and a president during a time of great upheaval, and as always, send us your thoughts and questions to

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49:55

Defining the State of the Union

Now & Then ·

2022/03/01

How do small and extreme groups take over the American political conversation? In this final installment of a three-part series on educating citizens, Heather and Joanne look at how reactionary movements utilize bullying tactics to wrest control from the majority. Heather and Joanne offer a comparison between the path to secession at the start of the Civil War, the rise of American Nazi-sympathizing groups in the 1930s, and the current reactionary movements around COVID-19 protocols and the

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52:27

Bans, Schools, & Power: False Majorities

Now & Then ·

2022/02/22

How do small and extreme groups take over the American political conversation? In this final installment of a three-part series on educating citizens, Heather and Joanne look at how reactionary movements utilize bullying tactics to wrest control from the majority. Heather and Joanne offer a comparison between the path to secession at the start of the Civil War, the rise of American Nazi-sympathizing groups in the 1930s, and the current reactionary movements around COVID-19 protocols and the

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47:36

Bans, Schools, & Power: Public Education

Now & Then ·

2022/02/15

Why have public schools become a setting for heated political debates? In this second installment of a special three-part series, Heather and Joanne weigh in on the current nationwide tensions over censorship and parental control in American public schools. Heather and Joanne look back on the founding concepts of American education, the rise of school reformers in the late 19th century, and the development of segregation academies during the 1960s. Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,”

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51:16

Bans, Schools, & Power: Book Panics

Now & Then ·

2022/02/08

Book bans are back. What’s causing this resurgence? What have similar acts of censorship meant throughout American history? And how should concerned citizens respond? In this first installment of a special three-part series, “Bans, Schools, & Power: Book Panics,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss three past book panics: the political uproar over Hinton Helper’s 1857 The Impending Crisis of the South, the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial over the teaching of evolution, and the 1966 Virginia

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55:35

The Culture of Cash

Now & Then ·

2022/02/01

What has money meant in American society? On this episode of Now & Then, “The Culture of Cash,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman look at the culture of American currency & capital. They examine attempts in the early republic to create a viable national coinage system, the introduction of greenbacks during the Civil War, the success of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1933 bank holiday, and the songs and films that defined national conversations about money in the 20th century. How do

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0:57

CAFE Insider Special 1/27: Breyer Retires

Now & Then ·

2022/01/27

In a special episode of CAFE Insider, former U.S. Attorneys Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement from the Supreme Court, and reflect on his legacy. President Biden now faces the tough question of nominating Breyer’s replacement. Who will it be? What will the confirmation process look like? And what does it mean for the Court? To listen to the full episode for free, head to cafe.com/breyer and sign up to receive an email with the link to the show. Stay informed

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48:03

When Americans Can't Turn Away

Now & Then ·

2022/01/25

What kinds of events have inspired Americans to become activists? On this episode of Now & Then, “When Americans Can’t Turn Away,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman highlight moments where everyday people have spoken up to defend their rights and those of their neighbors. Heather and Joanne look at the catalyzing effects of the 1779 Battle of New Haven, John Quincy Adams’s 1840s crusade against the Gag Rule, and the 1946 blinding of Black World War II veteran Isaac Woodard. What does it take

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45:57

Restitution & Reparations

Now & Then ·

2022/01/18

How should the American government take responsibility for past actions that have caused significant harm? On this episode of Now & Then, “Restitution & Reparations,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the tangled history of restitution, with a specific focus on how the federal government wronged certain classes of people. They talk through the early debates over slavery reparations, the late-19th century indemnity payments to Italian and Mexican victims of vigilante violence, and the

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62:36

The Lure of Political Outsiders

Now & Then ·

2022/01/11

How have outsider legislators changed American history? On this episode of Now & Then, “The Lure of Political Outsiders,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the history of the eccentric and anti-establishment members of Congress, from the frontier politics of Jackson-era Tennessee Representative Davy Crockett, to the conspiratorial works of post-Civil War Illinois Representative Ignatius Donnelly, to the headstrong socialism of World War I-era Wisconsin Representative Victor Berger,

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52:19

Historians Have Their Heroes

Now & Then ·

2021/12/21

Who are the most relevant and inspiring heroes from American history? On this year-end episode of Now & Then, “Historians Have Their Heroes,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss their definitions of American heroism and the figures–from Ida B. Wells, to Sitting Bull, to Pete Seeger–who they most admire. What attributes do these political and cultural leaders share? What is the point of having heroes? And how can we honor those who most deserve recognition? This week, Heather and

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59:15

God & Morality in American Politics

Now & Then ·

2021/12/14

How have religion and morality shaped the United States? On this episode of Now & Then, “God & Morality in American Politics,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss how politicians and reformers have interacted with faith systems, from Thomas Jefferson’s push for religious liberty, to the 19th-century move for a Christian constitutional amendment, to the rise of the Moral Majority and the religious right. What are the roots of recent calls to bring religion into our government? What are

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57:39

Disinformation and Democracy

Now & Then ·

2021/12/07

What damage does disinformation cause our body politic? On this episode of Now & Then, “Disinformation and Democracy,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman trace the history of disinformation in America, with an emphasis on how technology has fueled the rise of misleading and outright false political news. They discuss the role of the partisan press in shaping early American disinformation, the development of the telegraph in 19th century information warfare, and the rise of GOP-led dirty

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53:48

Encore: Creating Federal Holidays, July 4th to...

Now & Then ·

2021/11/30

As we come out of Thanksgiving and welcome in Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Years, we revisit Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman’s look at the American debates that accompanied the creations of July 4th, Columbus Day, and Election Day. Why do Americans celebrate? Why do we fight about our holidays? And what role have economics, popular culture, and governmental politics contoured our national festivities? NOTE: This episode was originally released on July 6th, 2021. Join CAFE

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50:50

Thanksgiving Wars

Now & Then ·

2021/11/23

How have Americans fought over Thanksgiving? And what can the holiday tell us about democracy and national styles of celebration? On this episode of Now & Then, “Thanksgiving Wars,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman explore past debates over the holiday, from early congressional disputes during the Washington administration, to writer Sarah Josephus Hale’s advocacy to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, to the various 20th-century battles over the cultural placement of Thanksgiving. How do

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42:42

Mill ‘Girls,’ Company Men, & the Great Resignation

Now & Then ·

2021/11/16

How have American experiences of work changed throughout our history? On this episode of Now & Then, “Mill ‘Girls,’ Company Men, & the Great Resignation,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the evolution of American work, from the emergence of industrial labor, to the development of welfare capitalism, to the current “Great Resignation” and shifting contemporary expectations for labor. How has work reflected American democracy? How has the nature of national labor changed the way that

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64:47

Associations: From the Masons to the Mob

Now & Then ·

2021/11/09

What’s the history of associations and powerful internal groups in American life? On this episode of Now & Then, “Associations: From the Masons to the Mob,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the popularity of the Freemasons and other secret clubs among the early national elite, the growth of political machines like Tammany Hall during the 1800s, and the development of organized crime during Prohibition. Then, Elie Honig, the host of Up Against the Mob and a former mafia prosecutor,

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46:05

Democracy Is In the Mail

Now & Then ·

2021/11/02

On this episode of Now & Then, “Democracy Is In the Mail,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman talk about the development of the post office in American culture. They explain why the Framers believed so deeply in a government-backed mail service, trace how Western expansion changed the culture and organizational structure of the Post Office Department, and recount the 1970 postal strike and the impact of the resultant Postal Reorganization Plan. How has the mail bolstered democracy? Should the

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53:02

Gastropod: Trick or Treat: Soul Cakes, Candy Corn,...

Now & Then ·

2021/10/29

This week, Heather and Joanne appeared on the food podcast Gastropod, hosted by journalists Cynthia Graber and Nicky Twilley, to discuss the history of Halloween candy, trick-or-treating, and poison candy paranoia. Listen and subscribe to Gastropod at gastropod.com or wherever you get podcasts! Happy Halloween! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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