American History Hit
By History Hit
Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today.
We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park.
From pre-colonial America to independence, slavery to civil rights, the gold rush to the space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.
New episodes every Monday and Thursday.
Brought to you by History Hit, the award-winning podcast network and world’s best history channel on demand, featuring shows like Dan Snow’s History Hit, Not Just The Tudors and Betwixt the Sheets.
Latest episode
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President William McKinley: The Secret Service & the Spanish-American War
Why does the Secret Service protect the President of the United States? And what can we learn from McKinley's life and presidency, not just his assassination?Don speaks with Kim Kenney, Executive Director at the … -
Biden: US Presidents, Reelection & the Second Term Curse
President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, after announcing he was ending his reelection bid a few days ago. Dropping out so close to the election is historically unprecedented, but Biden is… -
Secrets of the White House
How did a party in the White House end in mayhem? When did the West Wing become a hive of government? And how has the private life of the President been shielded from the public, despite them living and working in the same building? -
US Presidents Who Escaped Assassination
Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and now Trump. All have been targets of assassination attempts while in or running for office. Listen to this bonus episode from our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit, where host Dan is joined by Prof… -
Sovereignty, the Constitution and 100 years of Citizenship: Native Rights
This podcast contains adult language.What was the ‘Indian Citizenship Act’ of 1924? Why was it necessary? How did it happen? And why did it happen in 1924?Shannon… -
The Rise of Presidential Power
Right from independence, a question has hovered over the government of the United States. How much power should the President have? Not too much, lest they become a monarch. But not too little, they are elected to do a job and that job must … -
President Grover Cleveland: Panic in the Second Term
What caused the economic panic of 1893? In this episode we are delving into the event that made Grover Cleveland's second term so different from his first.Don is joined once again by Professor Mark Zachary Taylor… -
Zionism in Texas
What do you know about Galveston, Texas? Perhaps you've heard about the disastrous hurricane of 1900, perhaps not. This was also likely the case for the thousands of European Jews who migrated to the United States via the city's port in the … -
What is Populism? From the Farmers' Alliance to Trump
In the long unanswered question of whether the established elite truly support the concerns of ordinary people, a supposed hero arises: Populism.But what is Populism? Where did it come from? And is this political… -
What Caused the American Revolution?
What took the US from the Boston Tea Party to Lexington and Concord? Where was the turning point for the creation of the republic?Mary Beth Norton joins Don in this episode to take us through the causes of the Re…