Uncivil
A new history podcast from Gimlet Media, where we go back to the time our divisions led to war. We ransack America's past, and bring you stories left out of the official history. Hosted by Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika.
Gimlet
Show overview
Uncivil has been publishing since 2017, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 16 episodes, alongside 2 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 7 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a roughly quarterly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 25 min and 32 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language History show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 5.6 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2017, with 12 episodes published. Published by Gimlet.
From the publisher
America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the political battlefield we’re living on right now.
Latest Episodes
Introducing Resistance: Is It Too Revolutionary?
Hey Uncivil listeners! We want to share a new show we think you’ll love, made by one of our producers. Resistance is a show about refusing to accept things as they are. Stories from the front lines of the movement for Black lives, told by the generation fighting for change. In this first episode, 22-year-old Chi Ossé goes out to protest and the trajectory of his life is changed forever. If you like this episode, follow now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Fugitive
A young woman, held by one of America’s founding slaveowners, bolts one day for a life of freedom that keeps her on the lam for the rest of her life, eventually touching upon the life of the most notorious slaveowner of the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Ring
Two brilliant women—one black, one white—assemble a spy ring in the rebel capital of Richmond, Virginia that eventually attempts a ‘mission impossible’ inside the military planning rooms of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 13Uncivil Presents: The Nod
Hey, Uncivil listeners! This week we’re sharing a story from our friends at the The Nod, a podcast that tells the stories of Black life that don't get told anywhere else. We know you all will love this episode about a woman who broke away from a plantation in the South, where descendants of enslaved people and slave owners stayed together as family, long after the end of slavery. To listen to part 2 of the story, Diary of a Mad Black Cousin, look for The Nod in your podcast feed, wherever you get them, or on their website, http://www.gimletmedia.com/the-nod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 10The Portrait
A listener voicemail sends us deep down the rabbit hole into one of the most toxic myths of the Confederacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 9The Assets
Rachel Swarns of the New York Times joins us to discuss what she discovered when she followed the money trail of one of the nation's top financial institutions all the back to the 19th century. Further reading: You can read more of Rachel Swarns's reporting here, and check out her book, American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama. For further reading on slave insurance we recommend Investing in Life: Insurance in Antebellum America by Sharon Ann Murphy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 8The Sentence
In 1640 three men attempted to escape indentured servitude. The outcome lay the foundation for the split in America that lead to Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 7The Paper
A small shopkeeper in Philadelphia unwittingly stumbles into a con that helps take down the Confederacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 6The Song
We dig deep into the anthem of the Confederacy, and learn that almost everything we thought we knew about it... was wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 5The Spin
From the cemetery to the big screen, a 150 year old push to rewrite American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 4The Soldiers
A woman discovers a secret that the government long tried to keep hidden: a secret about who exactly fought in the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 3The Takedown
We sat down with Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times Magazine, Al Letson of Reveal, and Christy Coleman of the American Civil War Museum to talk about how they take down Civil War myths. For more Uncivil, visit our website: uncivil.show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 2The Deed
A 19th century promise, and a 21st century betrayal. The past and present of 40 acres and a mule. For more Uncivil, visit our website: uncivil.show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
S1 Ep 1The Raid
A group of ex-farmers, a terrorist from Kansas, and a schoolteacher attempt the greatest covert operation of the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Give Us a Call
bonusWe want to hear from you! Do you have a family story from the Civil War? A myth you've seen on social media you want busted? Let us know! Call 347-395-5078 and leave us a voicemail with your name, story, and the best way to reach you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coming Soon
trailerAmerica is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the political battlefield we’re living on right now. For early access, check out uncivil.show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices