Episodes

Join me this week as I dive into another listener request and tackle the history of Bourbon. In this episode I cover when Bourbon got its start in the United States, how it differs from Scottish Whiskey, and why it is considered America's drink. 

The episode also mentions the Whiskey Rebellion, which you can learn more about by listening to the episode I dedicated to it back in 2021 here. Happy listening!

Join me this week as I chat with Dr. Anita Chan to discuss her latest book, Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future.

To learn more about Dr. Chan, be sure to visit her website at: https://www.anitachan.org/

Join me this week as I sit down and dive into the Panic of 1873. Learn how one man, Jay Cooke, brought the United States economy to the brink and how the panic has connections with the recession of 2008.

Victoria Woodhull is perhaps best known to contemporary audiences for her decision to launch a questionable, and ultimately unsuccessful, bid for the presidency in 1872. But there is much more to Woodhull than her failed political career. Join me this week as I dive into the life and legacy of Victoria Woodhull.

Join me this week as I dive into the cause and legacy of the Great Chicago Fire. What sparked the massive blaze? How did the city recover? And how did the fire inspire new structural technologies?

Soon after assuming office, President Grant was overwhelmed with letters from residents telling of the constant reign of terror they faced for exercising their right to vote. Unable to act as forcefully as he wanted, Grant asked Congress for a new law that would provide the necessary tools to combat the racial political violence. Their answer? The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. Tune in this week as I dive into the law and how it was used to break the backs of the Ku Klux Klan in the south.

Join me this episode as I sit down with author Robert O'Connor to discuss his historical novel about the Morale Corps during World War II, Jeep Show.

Join me this week as I dive into the life and legacy of First Lady Julia Grant. Learn about Grant's early life living in the border state of Missouri, how she met her future husband, and how she impacted the role of First Lady.

This week I wrap up the presidency and legacy of President Ulysses S. Grant. Learn about Grant's time in office, his work to preserve the civil rights of African Americans, and the struggles he faced due to his lack of political experience.

Join me this week as I begin my coverage of the life and legacy of 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. In this episode, I cover Grant's early life including his decision to enroll at the Military Academy at West Point and his experiences during the Civil War.

Join me this week for my conversation with Dr. Anthony Grasso where we discuss his latest book, Dual Justice: America's Divergent Approaches to Street and Corporate Crime. Learn all about how different ideologies influenced the criminal justice system and how they are still impacting carceral policy today.

Join me this week as I wrap up my coverage of the Colorado Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder. In this episode I dive into Schroeder's legislative accomplishments and her decision to launch a campaign for president.

This week's episode comes to you thanks to a listener request! Join me as I dive into part one of feminist politician Patricia Schroeder's life and legacy. In this episode I cover Schroeder's early life, including her experience attending Harvard Law School, and her unlikely 1972 campaign to represent Colorado in the House of Representatives.

Join me this week as I dive into the history of the transcontinental railroad. Learn all about how it got started, how the two companies bested nature, and the complicated legacy the rail left in its wake.

Tune into this listener's request where I dive into the story of Reuel Colt Gridley who stumbled into a creative way to raise money for the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. Learn about Gridley, the fundraiser, and how Mark Twain is involved.

Join me in this episode as I sit down with Dr. Paul Gagliardi to discuss his book All Play and No Work which analyzes complex portrayals of labor and work relief through plays selected by the Federal Theatre Project. Tune in to learn about the Federal Theatre Project and the organization's role in the New Deal.

Join me for another bonus episode where I sit down with Dr. Brittany Friedman to discuss her book, Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons.

Join me this week as I explore the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Learn why the United States and Plains tribes engaged in yet another negotiation aimed at securing peace, how the agreement was eventually violated by the U.S. government, and how it all ties to a still-active Supreme Court case.

Join me this week as I explore the history of the first iteration of the Ku Klux Klan. Learn about the earliest days of the organization, how it evolved into a dangerous domestic terrorist group, and how their acts of violence sough to depress the influence of Black Americans and the Republican Party throughout the former Confederacy. 

Please note, there is mature content shared in this episode.

Join me for this BONUS episode where I welcome Dr. Andrew Sillen to discuss his latest book, Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White.

Frances Harper was an abolitionist, author, and activist who spent her life in the pursuit of a better nation. Risking her safety to tour on the anti-slavery lecture circuit before the war, Harper became one of the loudest critics of Andrew Johnson during Reconstruction. Tune in this week as I dive into her life, motivations, and legacy.

Join me this week as I dive into the life of Eliza McCardle Johnson. In this episode I dive into McCardle's early years, her relationship with Andrew Johnson, and how she chose to run the house as First Lady.

Joining me this week is historian and author Dr. Alexis Peri. In this episode we discuss her latest book Dear Unknown Friend, which tells the story of the Soviet and American women who traded correspondence toward the end of World War II and during the Cold War.

Join me this week as I wrap up my coverage of the life and presidency of 17th President Andrew Johnson. In this episode, I dive into Johnson's meeting with Black abolitionists and his impeachment - the first in United States history.