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PODCAST

American History Hotline

Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

history

All Episodes

41:56

Did Willy Wonka’s Creator Spy on America?

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/18

Roald Dahl is a beloved children’s author. Turns out, he was also a British spy during WWII! So how does one transition from seducing prominent Americans’ wives to writingMatilda? Well, we’re glad you asked! We called up the creator of a new docu-series called The Secret World of Roald Dahl to get all the dirt on this famous children’s author. Aaron Tracy, Creator of The Secret World of Roald DahlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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51:28

American History Hotline: A Washington & Lincoln...

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/16

In honor of President's Day, we're sharing some of the best conversations we've had about Honest Abe and General Washington. We speak with historian Alexis Coe (You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington) about George Washington myths, including whether or not his teeth were made of wood. We also speak with Julian Zelizer about which party Abraham Lincoln would belong to today. Check out Julian's Substack, The Long View. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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51:28

A Washington & Lincoln Birthday Special!

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/16

In honor of President's Day, we're sharing some of the best conversations we've had about Honest Abe and General Washington. We speak with historian Alexis Coe (You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington) about George Washington myths, including whether or not his teeth were made of wood. We also speak with Julian Zelizer about which party Abraham Lincoln would belong to today. Check out Julian's Substack, The Long View. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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34:35

America Loves Trains. Why Can’t We Build Them...

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/13

It takes decades to build a new subway line in the United States. Meanwhile, China is building entire high-speed rail networks in just a few years. So, how did America's once-great love of trains getderailed? We use New York City’s Second Avenue Subway as a test case to answer this bigger question: Why is building trains in America so hard compared to places like China? Bob calls up Dan McNichol, author of Second Avenue Subway: Building the Most Famous Thing Never Built in New York City, and

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24:22

Abraham Lincoln Before the Presidency: What He...

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/12

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent just one term in Congress. So how did "the best known two-time Senate loser in the country" become one of the greatest presidents in American history? Bob calls up historian and author Chris DeRose (Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President)to help answer this question. Together, they explore how Lincoln's short stint on Capitol Hill shaped his presidency — from his early and consistent resistance to the expansion of

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35:41

Are the Olympics an Appropriate Place for Protest?

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/11

You gotta keep 'em separated. That's a lot of people's opinion about mixing sports and politics. But as the world turns its eyes to Italy for the 2026 Winter Games, you have to wonder if this is the ideal place to make a political statement. To understand how acts of political activism have played out at the Olympics throughout history, we call up Jules Boykoff. He's the author of numerous books about the Olympics, including What are the Olympics For? So, are the Olympics fair game for protest? Or

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42:18

Who Integrated the NFL?

American History Hotline ·

2026/02/04

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. That's a well known piece of history. But who integrated the NFL? Well, it's an amazing story with lots of binge drinking, miraculous comebacks and hot dog eating. Seriously. Just in time for the Super Bowl, we're calling up David Fleming, author of A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History. He explains how one of the worst teams in NFL history shaped the game we know today. See

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42:55

Can the President Tear Down the White House?

American History Hotline ·

2026/01/28

Who owns the White House? Is it the American people or the person who lives inside of it — AKA, the president? If the President of the United States of America controls the White House, does ANYONE have say over what he does with it (we're looking at you, preservation societies and Congress)? Here to help us answer these questions (and weigh in on President Trump's renovations to the East Wing) is Robert Klara, author of The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of

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24:22

Abraham Lincoln Before the Presidency: What He...

American History Hotline ·

2026/01/21

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent just one term in Congress. So how did "the best known two-time Senate loser in the country" become one of the greatest presidents in American history? Bob calls up historian and author Chris DeRose (Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President)to help answer this question. Together, they explore how Lincoln's short stint on Capitol Hill shaped his presidency — from his early and consistent resistance to the expansion of

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32:09

Did Montezuma Surrender? Debunking the Myth of the...

American History Hotline ·

2026/01/14

For centuries, the story has been told the same way: Montezuma surrendered to Hernán Cortés, and a small band of Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire. But that story has always seemed a bit ... fishy. To get the TRUE story, Bob calls up historian Matthew Restall to debunk one of the most enduring myths of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. As it turns out, when you dig into Indigenous sources a whole new story begins to emerge. Shocker, Montezuma did not surrender and Cortés

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34:35

America Loves Trains. Why Can’t We Build Them...

American History Hotline ·

2026/01/07

It takes decades to build a new subway line in the United States. Meanwhile, China is building entire high-speed rail networks in just a few years. So, how did America's once-great love of trains getderailed? We use New York City’s Second Avenue Subway as a test case to answer this bigger question: Why is building trains in America so hard compared to places like China? Bob calls up Dan McNichol, author of Second Avenue Subway: Building the Most Famous Thing Never Built in New York City, and

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38:00

Can We Add a Fifth Face to Mount Rushmore? The...

American History Hotline ·

2025/12/31

Could a new president ever be carved into Mount Rushmore? It depends on who you ask. We call up historian Matthew Davis (author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore) to learn about the history of the monument and what its future might hold. It’s a story with a lot of surprising twists and turns, from the hills of Georgia to the sacred mountains of South Dakota. How does Mount Rushmore reflect America’s battles over who and what America chooses to

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29:10

Are These Really the Best Movies of the 21st Century?...

American History Hotline ·

2025/12/24

What is the greatest movie of the 21st century? The New York Times says it’s Parasite, but not everyone agrees. We call up Rotten Tomatoes correspondent Mark Ellis to debate the NYT’s list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century and explore how cinema has changed in the past 25 years. Mark says it’s an era of “hopeless films in a time of hopelessness.” Grab some popcorn and silence your phone (unless you’re using it to play this podcast) and sit back as we tear

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55:04

Death by Lightning: What Netflix Got Right (and...

American History Hotline ·

2025/12/17

Netflix’s Death by Lightning is gripping, dramatic and TRUE. Or is it? We call up historian and New York Times bestselling author Alexis Coe for a lightning round fact check of Netflix’s new James A. Garfield series Death by Lightning. What does the series gets right? What does it bend for dramatic effect? And how does it rank compared to other presidential biopic(esque) series? We'll hit all the highlights: The assassination of President James A. Garfield The portrayal of Chester A

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32:48

Was Johnny Appleseed a Real Person? The Man Behind...

American History Hotline ·

2025/12/10

Was Johnny Appleseed a real person or just another American tall tale? We get to the core of the issue with author William Kerrigan (Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard: A Cultural History) to see how one man's true story inspired an enduring folk legend. In this episode Bob and William explore how John Chapman's religious revival led him to pioneer apple nurseries across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Just like some hybrid apples, Chapman was a mix of naturalist and capitalist. He bought vast tracts

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35:05

The Surprising History of Vaccines in America with...

American History Hotline ·

2025/12/03

Many Americans have turned their backs on the vax, but early Early Americans would literally have killed for some vaccines. In this episode, we explore the history of America's first vaccines, which can be traced to a mandate from none other than General George Washington.Dr. Kathryn Olivarius (author of Necropolis: Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom) explains the surprising story of how vaccines shaped American life — from smallpox inoculations during the Revolution to

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33:36

Why Were There So Many Serial Killers in 1970s America?

American History Hotline ·

2025/11/26

Was it the rise of hitchhiking? Lead in the water pipes? Or was it something a little darker in our culture? Bob rings up private investigator and host of the podcast Hell & Gone: Murder Line — Catherine Townsend — to learn why there were so many serial killers in America during the 1970s. From Ted Bundy to the Night Stalker and John Wayne Gacy, we dive into the “golden age” of serial killers to see how difficult it was to catch predators in a world before DNA testing,

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38:33

Is Thanksgiving a Feast of Lies?! Historian David J....

American History Hotline ·

2025/11/19

We all have that relative that tells us there was actually no green bean casserole at the first Thanksgiving. Yeah, we know, Grandma! But how much do we really know about that first feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians? Well, a lot. But the story most of us learned in school is completely wrong. AuthorDavid J. Silverman, (This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving) joins us to carve up the myths about Turkey Day and serve a nice

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25:02

When Murder Was Legal …ish

American History Hotline ·

2025/11/12

In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles murdered Philip Barton Key (son of the man who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner) in a fit of jealous rage just steps from the White House. The resulting trial became America’s first true media circus, and gave rise to the “crime of passion” defense. In short, it basically became legal to kill a man for sleeping with your wife. While this wasn't technically a law, it was the "Unwritten Law" for way longer than you might think. Chris DeRose, author

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35:35

How Did Big Tech Take Over Our Elections?

American History Hotline ·

2025/11/05

You won't see it on the ballot, but it's always the winner in American elections. That's right, we're talking about big tech. From Facebook to Google and AI, technology not only has the power to affect the outcomes of our elections ... it's already doing it! Who could have seen this coming? Well, we're glad you asked, because Roger McNamee has been ringing alarm bells since you were playing Snake on your Nokia. Roger joins Bob to talk about the evolution of technology in politics, from the rise of

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41 results

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