Lectures in History
Lectures in History features top professors lecturing on various topics in American history. New episodes are posted every Saturday evening. The podcast is produced by C-SPAN, the network known for 'After Words' and 'C-SPAN's The Weekly'.
Episodes
America 250: What Did the World Look Like in 1776?
What was the natural world like during the American Revolution — and how did it shape the fight for independence? Washington University’s Rachael DeWitt and Hester Blum explore the landscapes, weather, waterways, plants, and animals that were part of everyday life during the Revolutionary War. This lecture is part of Washington University’s “1776: Then and Now” series.
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Vietnam War Espionage
University of Wisconsin professor Alfred McCoy explored how espionage played a critical role during the Vietnam War.
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Comparing Federal & State Constitutions
San Diego State University professor Edward Blum examines the state constitutions created before the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. He explores how states approached questions of political power, representation, and individual rights—and how those early experiments in government helped shape the federal Constitution.
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1776 Then and Now - Early American Political Thought
The Founding Fathers have inspired many writers and politicians, but who inspired the Founding Fathers? Washington University in St. Louis professor Fannie Bialek looked at the people who inspired early American political thought.
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9/11: Air National Guard Pilot Heather Penney Recalls Her Mission
This week on Lectures in History — from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the story of one Air National Guard pilot’s experience on September 11th, 2001.
Heather Penney was one of the first F-16 pilots scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base after the terrorist attacks.
She discusses her mission that day, including the possibility that she might have had to bring down Unit
Thomas Jefferson, the Qur’an and His Study of Islam
Washington University hosts its “1776: Then and Now” lecture series. This lecture examines why Thomas Jefferson owned a Qur’an and explores his study of Islam and its influence on his thinking about religion and religious freedom.
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Music and Race Throughout History
Santa Clara University music professor Christina Zanfagna teaches a class about the relationship between race and music throughout history.
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Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary War, Civil War & 20th Century America
Bestselling presidential historian Michael Beschloss joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on American history. They discuss the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the pivotal events and presidents that shaped the United States in the twentieth century.
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The American Revolution Era and the Rest of the World
Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the international context of the American Revolution.
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Why Did America Declare Independence?
ashington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the reasons behind the Declaration of Independence.
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Was America Founded as a Secular or Christian Nation?
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Appalachia's Role in America's Founding
History Professor Aaron Aster of Maryville College (TN) explores Appalachia's role in the founding of the United States, including how the American Revolution unfolded alongside conflicts among European and indigenous people over control of the land.
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Why Did America Declare Independence?
Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the reasons behind the Declaration of Independence.
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International Context of the American Revolution
This week, professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kathleen DuVal examines the international context of the American Revolution.
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Revolutionary War Leadership
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, author Rick Atkinson, and retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford discussed Revolutionary War leadership at an event held at George Washington's Mount Vernon.
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Religion & The American Revolution
Washington University hosts a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now" with the first exploring religion in Revolutionary America.
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U.S. Court System in Revolutionary War
How did a rebel nation establish a federal court system? Utah Valley University professor Matthew Brogdon shows how the U.S. court system formed during the Revolutionary War.
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Revolutionary War Roots of the Civil War
Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Gordon Wood delivered a talk titled "The Revolutionary Roots of the Civil War." Professor Wood discussed the Founders views on slavery and argued that the Civil War was inevitable. The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation hosted this event
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When the Sea Came Alive - An Oral History Of D-Day
Author Garrett Graff discussed his oral history of the allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This event took place at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City.
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The Serial Killer H.H. Holmes
Nebraska history professor James Garza teaches a class on H.H. Holmes, described as "America's First Serial Killer," and his crimes during the Gilded Age.
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FEED DROP A250: Abraham Lincoln and Conditions Leading to the Civil War
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edda Fields-Black and other scholars gathered by the Abraham Lincoln Institute explored Lincoln and the paths leading up to the Civil War. The event took place at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
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FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent & James Patterson
Hear another collection of memorable 2026 commencement speeches from campuses across the country featuring Erika Kirk, Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent, and bestselling author James Patterson. This edition of C-SPAN’s Commencement Addresses podcast features reflections on leadership, faith, creativity, public service, curiosity, and navigating an uncertain future.
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FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi & Jalen Rose
Highlights from the 2026 commencement season featuring speeches from Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi, and Jalen Rose. Hear advice and reflections on leadership, creativity, resilience, and public service from campuses across the country.
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The History of the Oil Business
University of Iowa professor Richard Priest traces the history of the oil business from rudimentary drilling to John Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and how competition grew across the globe.
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Red Dead's History - A Video Game, An Obsession, and America's Violent Past
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, history professor Tore Olsson discussed what the video games Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 get right and wrong about American history. This event was hosted by Union Ave Books and the East Tennessee Historical Society
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FEED DROP: BN+ - Bob Crawford, "America's Founding Son"
This week, Lectures in History is taking a break— So we’re bringing you Booknotes+. Hosted by Brian Lamb, this episode features Bob Crawford—of The Avett Brothers—on his book America’s Founding Son.
Bob Crawford plays upright bass, bass guitar, and violin with the Grammy nominated Americana band, the Avett Brothers. He's been with the band for 25 years. Since 2016, Mr. Crawford has had his own
FEED DROP: America's Book Club with Beverly Gage
Historian and Yale University Professor Beverly Gage joined David M. Rubenstein to discuss her Pulitzer Prize winning biography of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and her road trip across the U.S. to visit historic sites.
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"Whiteness" & U.S. Citizenship
USC lecturer Nora Lessersohn looks at how racial classifications were used during the naturalization process throughout American history. This lecture takes place at University of Southern California's campus in Washington, DC.
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Allen Guelzo on Abraham Lincoln
University of Florida professor Allen Guelzo teaches a class on Abraham Lincoln's intellectual interests and how the 16th president was more than just a talented politician.
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FEED DROP BN+: Investigative Journalist Seth Harp Explores The Fort Bragg Cartel
Seth Harp is a lawyer and an Iraq war veteran and an investigative writer and journalist. His first book, "The Fort Bragg Cartel," is about drug trafficking and murder in the Special Forces. Near the end of his book, Harp writes: "Between January 2017 and September 2022, a total of 15,293 active duty service members suffered drug overdoses, and 322 of those were fatal. The Defense Department data
2002 George W. Bush Speech Making the Case for Military Action in Iraq
The October 2002 speech by George W. Bush making the case for military action in Iraq was the topic of a class taught by University of Kansas political communication professor Robert Rowland. The University of Kansas is in Lawrence.
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President Jimmy Carter's Impact On the End of the Cold War
Gonzaga history professor Robert Donnelly argues that Jimmy Carter's role in ending the Cold War has largely been overlooked. He looks at how the 39th president's policies weakened the Soviet Empire.
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FEED DROP: BN+ David Sirota "Master Plan"
David Sirota, who is based in Denver, Colorado, has some very strong views about money and politics. His book is called "Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America." There are 11 chapters which reflect the 11 episodes of his podcast, "Master Plan." In order to tell his story, he points his finger at the 1971 Powell secret memo. That's former US Supreme Court Associate Justice L
Hawaiian History and Culture
Gonzaga University professor Veta Schlimgen chronicles the history of Hawaii and how it maintained its culture after becoming a U.S. state in 1959. Gonzaga University is located in Spokane, Washington.
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Supreme Court Cases and Privacy
History professor Lawrence Cappello analyzes Supreme Court cases that address the right to privacy, focusing on police and phone wiretaps.
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The Spanish-American War
University of Louisville history professor Matthew Goldberg chronicles the 1898 Spanish-American War, fought primarily in Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines.
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Reaganomics
Brigham Young University professor Grant Madsen examines supply-side economics which was termed "Reaganomics." Brigham Young University is located in Provo, Utah.
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Marion Orr "House of Diggs"
Brown University professor Marion Orr lectures on the life & legacy of Congressman Charles Diggs, Jr. The Michigan Democrat founded the Congressional Black Caucus and was the only federal official to attend the trial of Emmett Till's killers.
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The History of the Space Program
In 1957, the beeps from Sputnik, a small Russian satellite, sent the USSR & US into a space race. Teasel Muir-Harmony of the Air & Space Museum chronicles the history of space travel and how the U.S. landed on the Moon and how we're going back in 2026.
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Williamsburg Revolutionary War Encampment
William & Mary lecturer Robyn Schroeder discusses the Williamsburg, Virginia, site where colonial troops built an encampment ahead of the 1781 battle of Yorktown during the Revolutionary War.
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How Martin Luther King Jr. Used Political Strategy
Boise State history professor Jill Gill lectures on Martin Luther King Jr.'s political strategies in the Civil Rights Movement up until his assassination in 1968.
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Blake Gilpin on Reconstruction-Era Supreme Court Cases That Led to Jim Crow Segregation
Tulane professor Blake Gilpin discusses three Reconstruction-era Supreme Court cases and how they led to the establishment of Jim Crow segregation.
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Kentucky and Slavery: From Statehood to the Civil War
When Kentucky in 1792 became a state, it had a choice; keep slavery or abolish it. University of Kentucky professor Melanie Goan teaches a class on the state's relationship with the institution of slavery until the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
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FEED DROP: America 250 Battle of Bunker Hill Commemoration
The National Park Service and other groups held a ceremony in Boston marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
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The Barbary Pirates and Early American Foreign Policy
Carroll College professor Jeanette Fregulia chronicles the Barbary pirates' conflict with American ships during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Gunmaking & the Roots of Mass Production
Northwestern professor Ken Alder presented an image of an 1851 Colt Navy Revolver and asked why the gun was one of the first mass produced technologies in the United States. Professor Alder chronicled the origins of American mass production through gunmaking.
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How FDR Built a 12-Million-Strong Military: Robert Brigham on America’s WWII Mobilization
Vassar College professor Robert Brigham discussed his upcoming memoir about his search for his biological father, who served as a Marine in Vietnam. This event was part of the 2025 LCpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt Symposium on War, Conflict, and Society at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth
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FEEDDROP: Chef José Andrés on Food, Humanity, and Global Relief Efforts
Chef, humanitarian, and author Jose Andres discussed his career, his global relief efforts with World Central Kitchen, his books, and his love of food with David M. Rubenstein.
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Geri Spieler on Housewife Assassin: The True Story Behind a Suburban Double Life
In September 1975, 17 days apart, two women, one in Sacramento and the other in San Francisco, attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The first attempt on September the 5th came from Annette Squeaky Fromm. The Charles Manson follower spent over 30 years in prison, is out on parole, and is 76 years old. The other attempt came on the non-entrance side of St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco o
The 1967 Six-Day War and America’s Role in the Arab-Israeli Peace Process
The 1967 Six-Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and 2023 Israel-Hamas War have all garnered the United States' diplomatic involvement. Trinity College Professor James Stocker looks at the history of the U.S. negotiating ends to Israeli-Arab conflicts.
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FEED DROP: ABC David Grann on Killers of the Flower Moon and America’s Hidden History
Author David Grann joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his books, including "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "The Wager," and visits the vault of the Folger Shakespeare Library. This is an episode of C-SPAN's new series America's Book Club.
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The Mexican-American War: Causes, Consequences, and Legacy
On September 14, 1847, Winfield Scott's Army marched into Mexico City, marking the final stages of the Mexican-American War. University of Texas professor Aaron O'Connell chronicles the war's causes, the divisions it inflamed, and its aftermath.
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How Constitutional Order Emerged From Crisis
During Reconstruction, a campaign to overthrow the South Carolina government succeeded, triggering a constitutional crisis. University of North Carolina professor and author of "Sedition," Marcus Gadson, analyzed the history behind this event.
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Gettysburg College’s Timothy Shannon on the Mystery of Roanoke
This week on the Lectures in History podcast:
The mystery of the Roanoke Colony’s disappearance. In 1587, English settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina — only to vanish without a trace soon after. Gettysburg College Professor Timothy Shannon explores what we know about the lost colony, the people who lived there, and the theories behind one o
The 1876 Great Sioux War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
What happened when General Custer and Crazy Horse faced off in battle? Stetson University Professor David Morton chronicles the 1876 Great Sioux War in the South Dakota Black Hills. Stetson University is located in Deland, Florida.
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World War II History: Vichy France Collaboration and the U.S.-UK Alliance
United States Army War College history professor Michael Neiberg discusses Vichy France and the Anglo-American relationship during World War II.
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Kentucky and Slavery: From Statehood to the Civil War
When Kentucky in 1792 became a state, it had a choice; keep slavery or abolish it. University of Kentucky professor Melanie Goan teaches a class on the state's relationship with the institution of slavery until the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
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Black Education in Colonial America: The Story of the Williamsburg Bray School
William & Mary Bray School Lab director Maureen Elgersman Lee discusses the history of the 18th-century Williamsburg Bray School for Black children and the legacies of the 300 to 400 scholars it enrolled.
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Lectures in History: 1992 Republican National Convention
The 1992 Republican National Convention speeches by former President Ronald Reagan and Pat Buchanan - who had run for the GOP nomination that year against incumbent President George H.W. Bush - was the topic of a class taught by University of Kansas political communication professor Robert Rowland. The University of Kansas is in Lawrence.
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FEED DROP: BN+ Richard J. Evans, "Hitler's People"
Sir Richard J. Evans has been writing about Germany and Adolf Hitler for his entire professional life. He was knighted in Britain in 2012 for his service to scholarship. From 2003-2008, Professor Evans published a trilogy of the Third Reich with a total of over 2,500 pages. His latest book is titled "Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich." In his preface, Sir Richard, a former professor at
James Broussard, Colonial America Before the Revolution
Professor James Broussard taught a class on the lead-up to the American Revolution. He described actions by the British government, such as the Stamp Act and stationing British troops in Boston, that American colonists began to view as an overreach of power
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Eric Hinderaker, Western Lands Before and After the American Revolution
University of Utah Professor Eric Hinderaker taught a class about western settlement before, during and after the American Revolution. Using the Kentucky territory as an example, he described the conflicts and relationships between the new federal government, settlers and Native Americans.
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Professor Joyce Lee Malcolm, Benedict Arnold
Law professor and author Joyce Lee Malcolm discussed Benedict Arnold's triumphs as an American army general in the Revolutionary War and questioned whether his legacy as a notorious American traitor is entirely accurate. Professor Malcolm is the author of, The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold: An American Life. This one hour talk was hosted by the University of Mary Washington as part of their Great Liv
Garrett Graff, "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky"
Historian Garrett Graff discusses his oral history of the development, testing and deployment of the atomic bomb in August 1945.
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George Washington's Character
Gene Allen Smith, a Texas Christian University history professor, taught a class about George Washington's character. He examined how the first president interacted with his contemporaries, how he viewed himself, and how he is remembered.
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Colonial Tensions Pre-Revolution
Ithaca College professor Michael Trotti discussed the escalating tensions between colonists and the British government before the American Revolution. Ithaca College is located in New York.
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1607 Jamestown Settlement
College of William & Mary lecturer Amy Stallings discussed the history of the 1607 Jamestown fort and settlement in Virginia, and how Americans have tried to preserve and remember the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The College of William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia
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Army Explorers of the West
Texas Woman's University history professor Cecily Zander discussed the federal government's efforts to explore and control the American west from the early 1800's through the Civil War. Texas Woman's University is located in Denton.
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Weapons Technology in the Revolutionary War
Wright State University professor Paul Lockhart taught a class on the development of weapons technology in the American Revolution. Wright State University is located in Dayton, Ohio.
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Gilded Age Bohemians
University of North Carolina at Pembroke professor Ryan Anderson discussed the rise of a Bohemian culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that rejected conventional societal restraints and embraced the arts.
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World War II Interracial Relationships in Japan & Hawaii
Santa Clara University history professor Sonia Gomez discusses the intimate relationships between people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds that occurred in Hawaii and Japan during and immediately after World War II.
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America's National Pastime
Boston College communications professor Michael Serazio discussed how baseball connects Americans to their past and culture.
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Christian Nightlife in the 1970s
California State University Fullerton professor Eric Gonzaba taught a class about evangelical nightlife and Christian nightclubs in 1970s California.
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Islam & Judaism in American History
George Mason University religious studies department chair John Turner teaches a class on the history of Islam and Judaism in America.
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Schools of Thought on the Vietnam War
Hillsdale College history professor Mark Moyar discusses competing interpretations of the Vietnam War when it comes to questions about the necessity of the conflict and whether it was winnable for the United States.
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Ronald Reagan & the 1980s Conservative Resurgence
University of Texas history professor Mark Lawrence discusses the rise of Ronald Reagan, his impact on the conservative movement, and the Reagan Administration's performance in his first term.
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Native Americans & the American Revolution
Tulane University history professor Keely Smith discusses Native American alliances during the Revolutionary War and how the U.S. government and American society viewed various tribes during the early Republic.
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FEED DROP: BN+ Alexandra Richie, "Warsaw 1944"
As a follow up to our recent podcast regarding the life and times of Anne Frank, we asked author Alexandra Ritchie to tell us more about the horrors of World War II and Poland. Ritchie, a citizen of Canada, now lives in the city which is the title of her book, Warsaw. Her focus is on 1944 and what was called the Warsaw Uprising. In her introduction, she writes, "Himmler and Hitler had decided that
Winston Churchill, the Special Relationship and the Cold War
American University professor Laura Beers teaches a class on Winston Churchill and the "special relationship" between Great Britain and the U.S during World War II and the Cold War
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Cold War Refugees & the 1980 Refugee Act
Tulane University history professor Jana Lipman discusses Cold War refugees from Cuba and Vietnam and the impact of the Refugee Act of 1980.
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