Lectures in History
422 episodes — Page 1 of 9
Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary War, Civil War & 20th Century America
The American Revolution Era and the Rest of the World
Why Did America Declare Independence?
Was America Founded as a Secular or Christian Nation?
Appalachia's Role in America's Founding
Why Did America Declare Independence?
International Context of the American Revolution
Revolutionary War Leadership
Religion & The American Revolution
U.S. Court System in Revolutionary War
Revolutionary War Roots of the Civil War
When the Sea Came Alive - An Oral History Of D-Day
The Serial Killer H.H. Holmes
FEED DROP A250: Abraham Lincoln and Conditions Leading to the Civil War
FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent & James Patterson
FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi & Jalen Rose
The History of the Oil Business
Red Dead's History - A Video Game, An Obsession, and America's Violent Past
FEED DROP: BN+ - Bob Crawford, "America's Founding Son"
FEED DROP: America's Book Club with Beverly Gage
"Whiteness" & U.S. Citizenship
Allen Guelzo on Abraham Lincoln
FEED DROP BN+: Investigative Journalist Seth Harp Explores The Fort Bragg Cartel
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 Lewis Powell, who served on the Supreme Court from 1972 to 1987. He died in 1998 at age 90. Author Sirota, who is 50, writes that the Powell memo laid out a comprehensive step-by-step strategy for corporate America to regain control, protect its interests, and reshape the political and legal system of the United States to favor business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Reaganomics
Brigham Young University professor Grant Madsen examines supply-side economics which was termed "Reaganomics." Brigham Young University is located in Provo, Utah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 on September the 24th, 1975. The shooter, Sara Jane Moore, served 32 years in prison and died almost 50 years to the day on September the 24th, 2025. Author Geri Spieler wrote the book "Housewife Assassin" in 2009. She talked to and exchanged letters with Sara Jane Moore on several occasions. Here's her up-to-date story about the woman who tried to kill President Ford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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 of early America’s greatest mysteries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices