American History Hit

<p>Their name is synonymous with power, influence ... and tragedy. And with so much of the latter, many have taken to speculating - are the Kennedy family cursed?</p><br><p>To find out more, Don is joined by Professor Barbara Perry, co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.</p><br><p>What is the Kennedy Curse? How far back does it go? And how do the family interpret it?</p><br><p>Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history: the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River. In this episode we focus specifically on the experiences of the Choctaw people.</p><br><p>In this final episode of our 'Frontier' miniseries, we are lucky to welcome Ryan Spring to take us through this story. Ryan is a Cultural Research Associate in the Historic Preservation Department of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.</p><br><p>Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, best known as the Shakers, emerged in the UK in the 18th Century. So how is it that the three remaining Shakers are based in the US? How did this religion cross the Atlantic? And where did they get their nickname from?</p><br><p>Don is joined for this episode by Professor Doug Winiarski, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Richmond, and editor of upcoming 'Shakers at the Centre: Manifesting Spirits and Spectacles in 19th Century America'.</p><br><p>Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We've all heard of the Texas Rangers: an undoubted icon of the American West.</p><br><p>In this week’s instalment of our<em> Frontier</em> series, we’ll be exploring the history of lawmen famed for riding across a violent and uncertain landscape. But how much of their reputation reflects the realities of the frontier, and how much was shaped by legend? Were the Rangers truly defenders of order in a lawless land, or agents of expansion whose actions came at a devastating cost to neighbouring Indigenous and Mexican communities?</p><br><p>To help take us through this story, we welcome Ben Johnson, professor of history at Loyola University Chicago, onto the show. Ben is the author of numerous works, including ‘<em>Texas: An American History,’</em> and ‘<em>Revolution in Texas: How a Forgotten Rebellion and Its Bloody Suppression Turned Mexicans into Americans.’</em></p><br><p>Check out more of Ben's work: <a href="https://refusingtoforget.org/the-history/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://refusingtoforget.org/the-history/</a></p><br><p>Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This is the largest battle, by number of combatants, of the entire Civil War. But why? What was the federal objective at Fredericksburg? And how did it all go so wrong for Burnside and his troops?</p><br><p>Don is joined to explore the Battle of Fredericksburg by returning guest Chris Mackowski. Chris is the Copie Hill Fellow at the American Battlefield Trust, and a professor at the Jandolin School of Communication at St Bonaventure University.</p><br><p>Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The words 'Donner Party' have become synonymous with disaster in the American imagination. In this week’s instalment of our<em> Frontier</em> miniseries, we’ll be exploring how this group of pioneers' journey across the Old West ended with fatal consequences...</p><br><p>To tell us more about this story, we’re very lucky to welcome Daniel James Brown as our guest. Daniel is a writer who specialises in historical non-fiction and is the author of <em>The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party</em>.</p><br><p>Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>It's known as the deadliest single day in American history: the Battle of Antietam.</p><br><p>After weeks of Union defeats, Confederate forces pushed north into Maryland and carried the war onto Northern soil for the first time. Near a quiet creek in Maryland, two armies faced one another and engaged in a battle that would decide the course of American history.</p><br><p>To take us through today's episode, we welcome our guest Garry Adelman. Garry is an award-winning author and vice president of the Center for Civil War Photography. He works full time as Chief Historian at the American Battlefield Trust.</p><br><p>For those who are interested, here are some of images referenced in the episode: <a href="https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2021644156/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2021644156/</a></p><br><p>Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Heroic cowboys on horseback. Bands of outlaws. Brawls in small town saloons.</p><br><p>This is the Wild West as popular culture remembers it. But was it really as “wild” as we’ve been led to believe? Did the violence of the frontier truly revolve around outlaws and lawmen... or were much larger forces shaping life on the Frontier?</p><br><p>To explore this question, we welcome Tore Olsson as our guest for this episode. Tore is Professor of History at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and his most recent work is <em>Red Dead’s History: A Video Game, An Obsession, and America’s Violent Past</em>.</p><br><p>Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tomos Delargy. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.</p><br><p>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 <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe</a>.  </p><br><p>All music from Epidemic Sounds.</p><br><p>American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>