Loading...

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

43:50

Winter at Valley Forge: Washington's Darkest Hour?

American History Hit ·

2026/10/04

After suffering defeat after defeat, George Washington’s battered army was forced to retreat into the forests of rural Pennsylvania, where they set up camp to wait out the winter. The encampment at Valley Forge would be their home for the next six months, during which thousands would endure freezing temperatures, hunger and disease...Our guest today is Prof. Rick Herrera, Senior Historian at the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of the award-winning 'Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving

en

39:54

Nazi Scientists in America: Operation Paperclip

American History Hit ·

2026/10/01

Why would the United States have welcomed Nazis after the Second World War? Through Operation Paperclip, more than 1,500 German and Austrian scientists and engineers moved to America to share technology developed in the Third Reich.Don is joined by Eric Lichtblau in this episode to find out who these people were, why the US needed them, and whether any of them should have faced punishment.Eric Lichtblau is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of 'The Nazis Next Door - How America

en

41:13

Jefferson & the Revolutionary War

American History Hit ·

2026/09/17

Thomas Jefferson has had no issue being remembered in American History. Ask anyone, this man was fundamental to Independence. But did he fight in the Revolutionary war itself?Don is joined by Michael Hattem, author of 'The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History'; 'Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution'; and 'The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History', which will be published in November 2026.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior

en

53:43

What Really Happened At Waco?

American History Hit ·

2026/09/14

76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire.Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter and author of ‘Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Dividians, and a Legacy of Rage’ to find out why the United States’ Government was interested in this religious compound outside Waco, Texas, and how the situation escalated to this

en

55:31

Sherman's March: Invading the South

American History Hit ·

2026/09/10

General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous invasion of the Confederacy in 1864 has become American legendary... but what did Union troops do along their route and how consequential was it to the final defeat of the Confederacy?Our guest today is Anne Sarah Rubin, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is the author of ‘Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory’, and her most recent work is ‘The Perfect Scout: A Soldier’s Memoir of the Great

en

32:28

America's Worst President

American History Hit ·

2026/09/07

What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? In this episode from the archive, Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can take part in our listener survey

en

43:16

The Truth About the Louisiana Purchase

American History Hit ·

2026/08/31

We're all taught in school about the Louisiana Purchase, supposedly the greatest bargain in American history. Napoleon's deal with the Americans is widely remembered as a triumph for the United States… but is this history really as simple as we’re often taught?Our guest today is historian Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is the author of award winning books including ‘The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History’ and, most recently, ‘The Louisiana

en

49:02

Why Did Reconstruction Fail?

American History Hit ·

2026/08/24

Over the course of this series, we've discussed the extraordinary promise of Reconstruction, as well as the relentless attacks these efforts came under. In this final episode, we're stepping back from the events themselves to ask the biggest question of all: why did Reconstruction fail?For today's episode, we welcome Prof. Aaron Sheehan-Dean of Louisiana State University back onto the show. His works include ‘Why Confederates Fought: Family and a Nation in Civil War Virginia’ and most recently

en

43:08

Reconstruction Era: Terror in the South

American History Hit ·

2026/08/17

Reconstruction promised freedom and political equality, but how quickly did that promise begin to unravel? Why did white Southern resistance become so violent, and why did Northern support for Reconstruction begin to fade? In this episode, we explore the rise of Jim Crow, the retreat of federal protection, and the political choices that transformed the South for generations.Our returning guest today is Bradley Rebeiro, Associate Professor of Law at BYU Law School. He is the author of ‘Until the Last

en

1:15:35

Civil War Battle Of The Ironclads

American History Hit ·

2026/08/13

In March 1862, wooden warships had dominated global warfare for centuries. In less than 48 hours off the coast of Virginia, two experimental metal monsters made every Navy on Earth obsolete overnight.Don Wildman is joined by Dr Howard Fuller reader in war studies at University of Wolverhampton, UK. His first book was Clad in Iron: The American Civil War and the Challenge of British Naval Power.Edited by Tim Artstall. Produced by Freddy Chick and Tomos Delargy.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of

en

38:49

Plessy v. Ferguson: The Supreme Court Case That...

American History Hit ·

2026/08/06

In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled that Jim Crow segregation laws were not unconstitutional in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. This is the case that Brown v. Board of Education would eventually overturn but not until six decades of Jim Crow laws had been endured. Who was Plessy? Who was Ferguson? And how on earth did the Supreme Court reach its conclusions?Don Wildman's guest today is Dr Michael Ross, historian of constitutional history with a focus on Reconstruction era at the University of

en

38:51

What Made America? The Professional Military

American History Hit ·

2026/06/15

Today's United States of America boasts one of the largest and most expensive militaries in the world. But this wasn't always a guarantee.In this episode, we're hearing how the professional military was created despite it's existence being at odds with the Republican ideals the nation was founded on.Don is joined by friend of the podcast, Cecily Zander. Cecily is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wyoming and author of “The Army under Fire: Antimilitarism in the Civil War Era” and

en

53:49

Eisenhower's Countdown to D-Day

American History Hit ·

2026/06/11

On June 6, 1944, a combined Allied force carried out the largest amphibious invasion in history. They were led by an American.What was General Eisenhower's role in D-Day? How was American officer training key to the strategy used? And how did the British weather change everything?Don's guest is John C. McManus, professor of military history at Missouri University of Science and Technology and host of the podcasts 'Someone Talked!' and 'World War 2 Live'.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos

en

34:33

What Made America: The Constitution & The Franklins

American History Hit ·

2026/06/08

We've asked some of our favorite historians for their number one moment from these 250 years of the United States' History. For this episode, we're honored to welcome Jill Lepore back to the show.How do the life and letters of Jane Franklin, beloved sister of THE Benjamin Franklin, reflect the nature and constitution of America?You can read more about this in Jill's book THESE TRUTHS: A History of the United States, the Jubilee Edition of which is out now.Jill is a Professor of American History at

en

44:53

Inside a Serial Killer's 'Murder Castle'

American History Hit ·

2026/06/04

He's one of the most famous serial killers in American history... but how much of H.H Holmes' gruesome crimes were sensationalised by the press at the time?Our guest today is Dr. Harold Schechter, professor at Queen’s College, City University of New York. He is the author of dozens of non-fiction books, including ‘Depraved: the Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-Of-The-Century Chicago.’Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was

en

42:57

How 'New Amsterdam' Became 'New York'

American History Hit ·

2026/06/01

Have you ever wondered how Harlem got its name? There are countless remnants of the Dutch colony on Manhattan island. But when did it end? And why?Don is joined by best selling author Russell Shorto to discuss the British takeover of New Amsterdam. Russell is the author of 'The Island at the Center of the World’, and ‘Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America'.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History

en

50:59

Worst Siege of the Civil War: Vicksburg

American History Hit ·

2026/05/28

The Siege of Vicksburg was a pivotal turning point in the Civil War. Should the Union capture the stronghold, the South's hold on the Mississippi would be broken forever... But what about the lives of those trapped inside the city? And what measures did they resort to to survive the bombardment?Our guest today is Dr. Lindsay Privette, Associate professor of history at Anderson University. She’s the author of The Surgeon’s Battle: How Medicine Won the Vicksburg Campaign and Changed the Civil

en

48:13

When Was the Revolutionary War Won?

American History Hit ·

2026/05/25

In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years.A relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people facing off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time, it seemed like a tall order. So when did the tide turn? When did it become certain that the revolutionaries would gain their independence?In this episode from the archive with podcast host Dan Snow and Major Jonathan Bratten of

en

47:58

King Phillip's War

American History Hit ·

2026/05/18

This is one of the deadliest conflicts in North American History. But who was King Philip? What started the war? And how did it change history?Don is joined by Professor David Silverman from George Washington University to head back to the late 17th century.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 release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at

en

38:01

Geronimo's Rebellion and the Apache Wars

American History Hit ·

2026/04/27

Geronimo's name is famous across the world: the Apache warrior who led a resistance movement against the United States out in the South West for years...But what happened to Geronimo (or Goyaałé) that led to his campaign of resistance? Why did the US and Mexico feel like they had to bring him down? And how did his story end?Our guest today is Dr. Veronica Tiller, a writer of Native American History and editor & publisher of the award-winning economic reference guide Tiller’s Guide to Indian

en

294 results

Similar Podcasts

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

pplpod

pplpod

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

This Day in Disney History

ATIS Products

Blues Moments in Time...

The Blues Hotel Collective