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American History Hit: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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 space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.
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- Yesterday38 min
What Made America? The Professional Military
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 “Abraham Lincoln and the American West".Edited by Tim Arstall. 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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 5 days ago53 min
Eisenhower's Countdown to D-Day
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 Delargy. 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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago34 min
What Made America: The Constitution & The Franklins
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 Harvard University and a staff writer at The New Yorker.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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago44 min
Inside a Serial Killer's 'Murder Castle'
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 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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago42 min
How 'New Amsterdam' Became 'New York'
Earlier this week we explored the Harlem Renaissance, but 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 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. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago50 min
The Worst Siege of the Civil War: Vicksburg
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 War.Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago48 min
When Was the Revolutionary War Won?
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 the National Guard, Don is pitting the British against the Americans once more. Join us to find out when the Revolutionary war was won.Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee. The 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. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago53 min
America's War Against Pirates
Just twenty years after independence, the United States fought a lesser-known war against the Barbary States of North Africa... some use the term 'Corsairs', others referred to them as 'Pirates'. But why was America there? How was diplomacy conducted during this time? And how did these conflicts help transform a fragile republic into an emerging naval power?Our guest today is Dr. Abby Mullen, professor at the United States Naval Academy. Her work includes hosting the ‘Consolation Prize’ podcast, and her book ‘To Fix a National Character: The United States in the First Barbary War, 1800–1805’, which won the ‘John R. Lyman Book Award’ in 2024.All opinions expressed here are Abby's, and not those of the US Naval Academy, US Department of Defense or the US Government.Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. 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 https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds.American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About 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 space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.
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