American History Hit
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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...
Episodis Recents
348 episodis
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 th...
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...
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...
How 'New Amsterdam' Became 'New York'
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?
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 woul...
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....
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 'Cor...
King Phillip's War
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?
...
Annexation of Alaska
In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in a deal that reshaped the map of North America... but what did that moment mean for the peop...
Stonewall Jackson's Last Battle: Chancellorsville
It was Robert E. Lee's greatest strategic triumph but it came at a heavy cost - the loss of his talismanic leader and friend Stonewall Jackson among t...
A Day in the Life of a Puritan
What if we told you that puritans were actually sex-crazed? Well maybe not crazed but definitely not opposed to it.
What if we told you that, ac...
The Astors, The Gilded Age & The Building of New York
From fur traders to rulers of the New York social scene - how did the Astors rise to the top? What did it mean to be 'Old Money' in the Gilded Age? An...
How to Escape Alcatraz
What was it like to live on Alcatraz? And was it possible to escape? In this episode, Don speaks to a historian with the unique experience of growing...
When the Mormons Rebelled Against America
Driven from the United States, the Mormons journeyed West to build a new society in the desert- one that would challenge the political, economic, and...
The Origins of Chicago
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.
...
The Making of Malcolm X
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...
The Annexation of Hawaiʻi
How did Hawaiʻi - once an independent, internationally recognised kingdom - become America's 50th state? It's a tale of economic pressure, political m...
Origins of the First Amendment
The First Amendment of the US Constitution is just forty-five words long, but its impact has drastically shaped American life. For much of American hi...
The Truth about the Two-Term Limit
The two-term limit, the idea that the President of the United States may not seek a third term, has a long history. Originating from a decision made b...
How Revolutionary was the Declaration of Independence?
In July 1776, a group of men in Philadelphia committed an unthinkable act: they challenged one of the most powerful empires in the world by signing wh...
How Did Fossils Change America?
When fossils were discovered in the US during the 19th Century, it altered American understandings of science, religion, race and more. So what was th...
Thanksgiving
In the fall of 1621, a year after the pilgrim ship the Mayflower landed on the coast of New England, the settlers of the Plymouth Colony celebrated th...
What if the Cuban Missile Crisis Sparked WW3?
On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in Cuba. Over the following days, the fate of the Ame...
Who was the Best President Ever?
What should we look for in a great President? Who was the greatest of all time? And is it harder for modern Presidents to make the top of the list? Do...
America's Invasion of Canada
'Canada ought to be the 14th colony' was a view held by many American revolutionaries. In the winter of 1775, Benedict Arnold led an incredible (if do...
Who Was the Worst President Ever?
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of...
Origins of the Second Amendment
'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'
What Caused the Civil War? | Secession
In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from the Union. Yet instead of plunging the country into w...
USA & Cuba: A Brief History
From being within its sphere of influence to acting as a thorn in its side, Cuba has always been seen as strategically important to the USA. What has...
What Caused the Civil War? | John Brown's Raid
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry helped cause the Civil War. His is a magnetic persona that's hard to take your eyes away from. But who were the peo...
The Origins of California
How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, gold miners, railroad builders and tourists, to na...
What Caused the Civil War? | Politics
How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: all out Civil War? We look at how the violent and...
How to Amend the Constitution
Why has it been so long since the US Constitution was amended? The incredible Jill Lepore joins Don to explore how the Constitution was designed for a...
What Caused the Civil War? | Slavery
What were the deep origins and root causes of the Civil War? In the first of four episodes we chart how the North and South became bitterly divided ov...
Who Designed the American Flag?
13 equal horizontal stripes in red and white, with a navy blue square in the top left bearing 50 small white five pointed stars. It's recognisable the...
American Traitors: The Rosenbergs
This week we’re stepping heart of Cold War America with the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Accused of espionage and executed at the height of an...
How To Survive the Revolutionary War
'If I turn from beholding mutilated bodies, mangled limbs, and bleeding, incurable wounds, a spectacle no less revolting is presented, of miserable ob...
American Traitors: Axis Sally
Is contributing to enemy propaganda treason? In this second episode on American Traitors, we are meeting 'Axis Sally', real name Mildred Gillars.
What If Lincoln Hadn't Been Shot?
It's the biggest 'What if?' in American history: What if Lincoln hadn't been shot? The assassination could so easily have failed and things went so wr...
American Traitors: Benedict Arnold
Is Benedict Arnold the biggest traitor in American History? In this episode, Don is joined by author Stephen Brumwell to examine how Arnold went from...