Best Ushistory Podcasts (2025)

1
BFW Revisited: The Poison Plot: Adultery & Murder in Colonial Newport 47:22

2d ago47:22

47:22

In 1738, a cooper named Benedict Arnold petitioned the Rhode Island General Assembly for a divorce from his wife Mary Ward Arnold. Benedict claimed that Mary had taken a lover and together they had attempted to murder him with poison. How did this story of love, divorce, and attempted murder unfold? What does it reveal about the larger world of col…

1
405 African Americans in Early New York 59:59

9d ago59:59

59:59

When we think of slavery in Early America, we often think about the plantations and economies of the South. But did you know that slavery was also deeply entrenched in New York City? Did you know that Africans and African Americans helped New York City confront slavery, freedom, and racism in the Early American Republic and Antebellum periods? Lesl…

1
174: The First “First Hundred Days:” FDR Kicks Off the New Deal 1:07:05

10d ago1:07:05

1:07:05

“[We] had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats. We were just a bunch of men trying to save the banking system.” This is the story of FDR’s first 100 days in office. In early 1933, banks foreclose on thousands upon thousands of homes and farms every month. The banks have little choice–they too are failing! Meanwhile, unemployment is hovering nea…

1
Jesse James | Northfield Raid (Part 5) 46:21

15d ago46:21

46:21

On September 7th,1876, three heavily armed men entered the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. They immediately pulled their guns and hopped over the counter, demanding that the clerk open the safe. When he refused, he was viciously beaten. And when one of the other employees made a break for freedom, the bandits shot him in the back. Mea…

1
BFW Revisited: Free People of Color in Early America 1:03:59

16d ago1:03:59

1:03:59

What does freedom mean when the deck is stacked against you? In commemoration of Black History Month, we’re revisiting a story that is too often overlooked, but critical to our understanding of Early America. Join Warren Milteer, Jr., an Associate Professor of History at George Washington University, as we uncover the lives of free people of color …

1
Jesse James | Perdition (Part 4) 42:35

22d ago42:35

42:35

Today, we’re going to examine the war between the Pinkertons and Jesse James, a bloody feud that would culminate in an ill-advised attack on the James farm, along with the tragic death of Jesse’s eight-year-old brother. We’ll also be talking about that “special device” that was thrown through the window. Was it really a bomb or something else entir…

1
404 The Hidden Legacy of Early African American Cuisine 1:00:55

23d ago1:00:55

1:00:55

Did you know that many of the food traditions that define cuisine in the United States today have roots in African culinary traditions and history? Diane Spviey, a culinary historian and author of three culinary history books, joins us to uncover the rich and complex legacy of African and African American foodways and how those foodways helped esta…

1
173: From Hyde Park to the White House: The Early Life and Election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1:11:24

24d ago1:11:24

1:11:24

“First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” This is the story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s journey to the White House. Even as a young boy, Franklin admires his fifth cousin Theodore Roosev…

1
Jesse James | Cross-Dresser? (Part 3) 43:24

29d ago43:24

43:24

Was the outlaw Jesse James a cross-dresser? Probably not, but an interesting story claims he dressed as a young lady on at least one occasion. Also discussed is how Jesse earned his nickname (Dingus!), Jim Lane and the Osceola massacre, the Lawrence massacre, how to properly pronounce Glassgow, American Primeval, Jim Bridger, and whether or not the…

1
BFW Revisited: Running from Bondage in Revolutionary America 51:24

1M ago51:24

51:24

What would you risk for freedom? Would you risk your safety? You family? Your life? During the American Revolution, enslaved women faced these impossible choices when the British Army promised freedom to those who dared to escape. In honor of Black History Month, we’re revisiting an extraordinary chapter of resilience and bravery: the stories of en…

1
Jesse James | Bank Robber (Part 2) 28:18

1M ago28:18

28:18

The outlaw Jesse James got his start during the Civil War as a young bushwhacker, fighting with William Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson. He killed his first man at the age of 16 and continued doing so even after the war was officially over. Today, we’ll discuss Jesse’s rise from a mere bushwhacker to an outlaw as he and his brother Frank begin r…

1
403 Re-Evaluating John Adams' Presidency 1:06:04

1M ago1:06:04

1:06:04

Did you know that John Adams, not George Washington, solidified the precedents of the executive branch and the presidency? Lindsay Chervinsky, an award-winning presidential historian and the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, has written a book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Repub…

1
14 (Second Edition): The Newburgh Conspiracy and The Peace of Paris 1:09:01

1M ago1:09:01

1:09:01

“I have not only grown gray but almost blind in service to my country.” This is the story (or tale) of two cities. In Paris, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and (briefly) Henry Laurens are negotiating the terms of American independence. They know what they want, but getting there will require outmaneuvering the greatest powers on earth and defyi…

1
Jesse James | Bushwhacker (Part 1) 42:44

1M ago42:44

42:44

According to many, Jesse James was a hero, a freedom fighter who continued resisting Northern aggression long after the Civil War came to an end. But to his victims, Jesse was nothing more than a cold-blooded killer, one who used the war as a convenient excuse to lead a life of violence and destruction. But where does the truth lie? What occurred d…

1
BFW Revisited: The Cabinet: Creation of an American Institution 1:10:18

1M ago1:10:18

1:10:18

January 20th, marked Inauguration Day in the United States, the day a new president and his administration takes office. So it seems a fitting time for us to revisit a conversation we had in 2020 about the creation of the Executive Branch, and more specifically, the creation of the president’s cabinet. Lindsay Chervinsky is an award-winning preside…

1
Buckshot Roberts 31:15

2M ago31:15

31:15

On April 4, 1878, Andrew L. “Buckshot” Roberts took on the Lincoln County Regulators in what’s now known as the Gunfight at Blazer’s Mill. Today, we’ll dive into Roberts’ background and discuss who really killed him – Billy the Kid or Charlie Bowdre. Also mentioned are Dick Brewer, John Tunstall, and one of the greatest westerns ever made, Young Gu…

1
402 Clocks, Watches, and Life in Early America 1:03:41

2M ago1:03:41

1:03:41

Do you know what time it is? In early America, this question wasn’t as simple to answer as it is today. Urban dwellers in cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston often wondered about the time—but few owned their own watches or clocks. So, how did they keep track of the hours? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of early Ame…

1
13 (Second Edition): The Battle of the Chesapeake & the World Turns Upside Down at Yorktown 1:12:06

2M ago1:12:06

1:12:06

"The British officers in general behaved like boys who had been whipped at school.” This is the story of the beginning of the Revolution's end. Following Lord Cornwallis’ vow to take the fight to Virginia, infamous Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton raids Charlottesville, takes a few legislators captive, and forces Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee. Tom o…

1
Black Jack Ketchum 32:38

2M ago32:38

32:38

Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum was an Old West cowboy turned outlaw. He and his gang robbed trains and stole livestock all throughout the American Southwest before coming to a disastrous end. And that’s when things went from bad to worse. Before it was all said and done, Ketchum would go down in history as the only person ever executed for ATTEMPTING …

1
BFW Revisited: The Politics of Tea 1:27:31

2M ago1:27:31

1:27:31

To close out our mini-series on Tea in early America, we’re going to revisit Episode 160: The Politics of Tea. This episode was part of our Doing History: To the Revolution series with the Omohundro Institute in 2017. In this episode, we’ll revisit how early Americans went from attending tea parties to holding the Boston Tea Party. We’ll also explo…

1
Doc Scurlock & the Lincoln County Regulators 1:01:51

2M ago1:01:51

1:01:51

Josiah "Doc" Scurlock was a poet, philosopher, intellectual, and hardened killer long before he met Billy the Kid. His mysterious past in Mexico, rumors of dead men from New Orleans to Texas, penchant for vigilantism, and several close calls with hostile Natives all made Doc a man to be both feared and respected. However, the trials he would face a…

1
401 Tea, Boycotts, and Revolution 58:59

2M ago58:59

58:59

During the early days of the American Revolution, British Americans attempted to sway their fellow Britons with consumer politics. In 1768 and 1769, they organized a non-consumption movement of British goods to protest the Townshend Duties. In 1774, they arranged a non-importation and non-exportation movement to protest the Tea Act and Coercive Act…

1
12 (Second Edition): An American Judas Betrays & Nathanael Greene Saves! 1:07:53

2M ago1:07:53

1:07:53

"Arnold has betrayed us! Whom can we trust now?" This isn't a story of betrayal; this is THE story of betrayal. After half a decade of giving his all for the Patriot cause, Benedict Arnold becomes America's Judas Iscariot. He betrays his brothers-in-arms for a commission in the British army and cold hard cash (a lot more than thirty pieces of silve…

1
ENCORE: An Old West Christmas Miracle 14:55

2M ago14:55

14:55

On Christmas Day 1851, Lieutenant Amiel Whipple and his men find themselves outnumbered and facing certain death at the hands of the Quechan people. What happens next is what many would consider a Blood Meridian Christmas miracle. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwe…

1
BFW Revisited: The Tea Crisis of 1773 43:27

2M ago43:27

43:27

In Episode 401, we’ll be exploring the Tea Crisis and how it led to the non-importation/non-exportation movement of 1774-1776. Our guest historian, James Fichter, references the work of Mary Beth Norton and her “The Seventh Tea Ship” article from The William and Mary Quarterly. In this BFW Revisited episode, we’ll travel back to December 2016, when…

1
The Escape of Chief Satanta 16:49

3M ago16:49

16:49

Chief Satanta, the great orator, was an extremely influential Kiowa leader. A participant in both battles of Adobe Walls, Satanta was eventually tried for murder and sentenced to life in prison. This is the story of his escape. Check out today’s sponsor, Mint Mobile! – https://www.mintmobile.com/wildwest Check out the website for more true tales fr…

1
400 Ben Franklin's world 42:42

3M ago42:42

42:42

How do historians define Ben Franklin’s “world?” What historical event, person, or place in the era of Ben Franklin do they wish you knew about? In celebration of the 400th episode of Ben Franklin’s World, we posed these questions to more than 20 scholars. What do they think? Join the celebration and discover more about the world Ben Franklin lived…

1
172: Breadlines, Bank Failures, & the Bonus Army: Hoover & the Early Great Depression 1:06:40

3M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

"Too much praise cannot be given to the President for the prompt and resolute and skillful way in which he has set about reassuring the country after the financial collapse.” This is the story of Herbert Hoover’s facing the early years of the Great Depression. Just after the stock market crash of 1929, people aren’t expecting the worst. Most, inclu…

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