x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

47:11

The Origins of Chicago

American History Hit ·

2026/04/09

Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. It's the windy city, the railroad capital, and home of countless film and tv hits.But when was it founded? Who were the first people living and working on this land? And when did Chicago become Chicago.Don is joined by Ann Durkin Keating, Professor of History at North Central College. Her book on this subject is ‘Rising Up from Indian Country: The Battle of Fort Dearborn and the Birth of Chicago’.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie

en

52:14

What Is The Kennedy Curse?

American History Hit ·

2026/04/02

Their name is synonymous with power, influence ... and tragedy. And with so much of the latter, many have taken to speculating - are the Kennedy family cursed?To find out more, Don is joined by Professor Barbara Perry, co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.What is the Kennedy Curse? How far back does it go? And how do the family interpret it?Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit

en

51:48

The Trail of Tears | The Frontier

American History Hit ·

2026/03/30

The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history: the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River. In this episode we focus specifically on the experiences of the Choctaw people.In this final episode of our 'Frontier' miniseries, we are lucky to welcome Ryan Spring to take us through this story. Ryan is a Cultural Research Associate in the Historic Preservation Department of the Choctaw

en

50:04

Rise and Fall of the Shakers

American History Hit ·

2026/03/26

The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, best known as the Shakers, emerged in the UK in the 18th Century. So how is it that the three remaining Shakers are based in the US? How did this religion cross the Atlantic? And where did they get their nickname from?Don is joined for this episode by Professor Doug Winiarski, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Richmond, and editor of upcoming 'Shakers at the Centre: Manifesting Spirits and Spectacles in 19th Century

en

38:21

The Texas Rangers | The Frontier

American History Hit ·

2026/03/23

We've all heard of the Texas Rangers: an undoubted icon of the American West.In this week’s instalment of our Frontier series, we’ll be exploring the history of lawmen famed for riding across a violent and uncertain landscape. But how much of their reputation reflects the realities of the frontier, and how much was shaped by legend? Were the Rangers truly defenders of order in a lawless land, or agents of expansion whose actions came at a devastating cost to neighbouring Indigenous and Mexican

en

27:48

The Battle of Fredericksburg

American History Hit ·

2026/03/19

This is the largest battle, by number of combatants, of the entire Civil War. But why? What was the federal objective at Fredericksburg? And how did it all go so wrong for Burnside and his troops?Don is joined to explore the Battle of Fredericksburg by returning guest Chris Mackowski. Chris is the Copie Hill Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust, and a professor at the Jandolin School of Communication at St Bonaventure University.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was

en

54:22

America's Bloodiest Day: Battle of Antietam

American History Hit ·

2026/03/12

It's known as the deadliest single day in American history: the Battle of Antietam.After weeks of Union defeats, Confederate forces pushed north into Maryland and carried the war onto Northern soil for the first time. Near a quiet creek in Maryland, two armies faced one another and engaged in a battle that would decide the course of American history.To take us through today's episode, we welcome our guest Garry Adelman. Garry is an award-winning author and vice president of the Center for Civil War

en

44:04

How Wild Was the Wild West? | The Frontier

American History Hit ·

2026/03/09

Heroic cowboys on horseback. Bands of outlaws. Brawls in small town saloons.This is the Wild West as popular culture remembers it. But was it really as “wild” as we’ve been led to believe? Did the violence of the frontier truly revolve around outlaws and lawmen... or were much larger forces shaping life on the Frontier?To explore this question, we welcome Tore Olsson as our guest for this episode. Tore is Professor of History at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and his most recent work is

en

51:30

Life and Death on the Oregon Trail | The Frontier

American History Hit ·

2026/03/02

In the first instalment of our Frontier miniseries, we explore one of the most iconic symbols in American history: the Oregon Trail. For decades, thousands of Americans packed their lives into wooden wagons and set out for the West. They crossed sun-scorched plains without shade, climbed mountains without roads, and forded rivers that could turn deadly in an instant. Along the way, many buried loved ones beside the trail and pressed on.What compelled ordinary people to leave everything behind and

en

52:19

The Making of Malcolm X

American History Hit ·

2026/02/26

Known by the end of his life as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the Black Nationalist leader best known as Malcolm X died at just 39. Despite his short life, however, his legacy continues to this day.Don is joined by Clarence Lang today, who introduces us to this legendary figure and takes us through the events that made him who he was.Clarence is the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and professor of African American studies at Penn State. He is currently working on his third book,

en

47:37

Darkest Hours: Origins of Slavery

American History Hit ·

2026/02/23

The Origins of Slavery in America, from its early colonial history to its expansion after the Revolutionary war, is the darkest chapter of American history. In this episode, we'll explore how European colonists first brought enslaved Africans to the Americas, how legal frameworks were devised to uphold the practice and what they were forced to endure on the plantations.Today's guest is Justene Hill Edwards, Historian and Professor at University of Virginia, as our guest on today’s episode. Justene

en

33:47

Rodeo: An All American History?

American History Hit ·

2026/02/19

Roughstock, roping and risk - the sport and spectacle of rodeo has become one of the most iconic American pastimes over the last couple of centuries. But where did it begin and how has it changed over time?Don is joined by Dr Tracey Hanshew, Assistant Professor of History at Eastern Oregon University. Tracey's article, 'Here she comes wearin’ them britches!’ Saddles, Riding Skirts, and Social Reform in the Turn-of-the-Century Rural West,' was recently published in Montana The Magazine of Western

en

45:15

The Monroe Doctrine

American History Hit ·

2026/02/12

A two-hundred-year-old presidential speech has shaped how the United States sees its role in the world ever since. At the time, it sounded like a modest declaration from a young and uncertain nation. What would come to be known as the Monroe Doctrine would grow into something far more powerful... and far more controversial.Christopher Nichols, Professor of History at Ohio State University, joins us for this episode. Chris is the Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies and his works

en

48:58

Darkest Hours: The Great Depression

American History Hit ·

2026/02/09

The Great Depression was, as Professor John Moser puts it, the result of a perfect storm. So what brought it on? What was it like to live through it? And could it have been prevented in any way?In this second episode of our series on America's Darkest Hours, we are examining the disastrous fall out of the great depression with John Moser. John is a Professor at Ashland University and author of 'Global Great Depression and the Coming of World War II'Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee

en

54:59

The Annexation of Hawaiʻi

American History Hit ·

2026/01/29

How did Hawaiʻi - once an independent, internationally recognised kingdom - become America's 50th state? It's a tale of economic pressure, political manoeuvring, and ruthless military might. We’ll explore how a sovereign nation was overthrown, how annexation followed without consent, and why this history still matters today.Our guest today is Noah Dolim, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Noah primarily focuses on the history of nineteenth-century Hawai’i.Edited by Aidan

en

44:14

America's Worst General

American History Hit ·

2026/01/26

Who was the worst American army general of all time? We round off our month of military history by looking at the leaders who standout for all the wrong reasons. Don's guest is the wonderful Cecily Zander author of the upcoming 'Abraham Lincoln and the American West', and 'The Army Under Fire: Antimilitarism in the Civil War Era'. Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new

en

46:59

America's Greatest General

American History Hit ·

2026/01/19

Eisenhower, Washington, Greene, Grant. There have been thousands of Generals in the United States' Armed Forces. Picking out the best of the crop would be impossible, right?In this episode, Don is joined once again by Major Jonathan Bratten of the National Guard to sift through some of the stand out figures in our military history. The impossible questions are only just getting started.Edited by Richard Power, produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for

en

36:00

America's Bloodiest General

American History Hit ·

2026/01/05

Ruthless tactics. Extreme violence. The loss of huge numbers of their own troops. The deaths of the most opposing troops. What makes a general 'bloody'? And who fits that description best?In this first of four episodes on American Generals, Don and Jonathan Bratten sort through the rolodex of military leaders. Robert E. Lee, John Bell Hood, John J. Pershing or Douglas MacArthur. Who will win this unwelcome title?Major Jonathan D. Bratten is command historian for the Maine National Guard and a

en

42:47

What Was The Ghost Dance?

American History Hit ·

2025/12/11

Reunion with the dead. The return of lands, food supplies and buffalo. The disappearance of white settlers.By the end of the 19th Century, the forced assimilation of Native American people was official government policy and Native populations were already in severe decline. The promises of the Ghost Dance had a very story appeal.Professor Gregory Smoak is with Don in this episode to explore the Ghost Dance. What was it? Where did it come from? Was it as dangerous as some suggested?Gregory is

en

50:19

The Quakers' Rebellious Origins

American History Hit ·

2025/12/04

How could walking naked through town be seen as religious? What about digging up a corpse? Or bursting into church services to cause mayhem?In this episode, Dr Erica Canela takes Don back to the first years of Quakerism to explore where this religion came from, and how it ended up in the United States.Erica is the author of Zealous: A Darker Side of the Early Quakers.Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of

en

270 results

Similar Podcasts

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

جنود خلدهم التاريخ

ALSUMOOD PODCAST

Film History - Daily

Inception Point Ai

Madonna - Biography Flash

Inception Point Ai