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.
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Latest episode
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Vietnam: The My Lai Massacre
How did a US Army mission in Vietnam end with the massacre of up to 500 people?In this episode, Don is joined by Christopher Levasque to examine one of the most harrowing chapters of the war in Vietnam. They retu… -
President Lyndon B. Johnson: Triumph to Tragedy
Born in poverty in Texas Hill Country, President Johnson delivered an unsurpassed series of legislation, including the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act. Yet by 1968 he was so toxically unpopular that he decided against running again.&l… -
Vietnam War: Turning Points
The Vietnam War is a defining chapter in American military history. But how did the US get so involved in this far away conflict? And when did those in command realise that they had to leave?To answer these quest… -
Battle of Fort Donelson
Almost a year into the American Civil War, Union forces laid siege to Fort Donelson. In this episode, we're going to find out why this fort was strategically important, and how Ulysses S Grant got his nickname - Unconditional Surrender. -
Bobby Kennedy: Assassination of a Future President
Bobby Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign had an aura around it. Its urgency, idealism and raw emotion connected with a nation in turmoil. But his life was cut short, just as his brother's had been, by an assassin's bullet. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
80 years ago, the battle of Iwo Jima came to an end on 26 March 1945. After 36 days of fighting, nearly 7,000 US Marines had been killed and another 20,000 injured.Don is joined by historian Timothy Heck, naval h… -
Confederacy: Myth of the Lost Cause
How do you justify a war you lost, and that destroyed countless homes, businesses, towns and families? This was a question facing the southern states after the Civil War.Their answer? The myth of the Lost Cause.&… -
What If JFK Wasn't Shot?
The biggest counterfactual that hangs on the assassination of JFK is this: Would JFK have launched a ground war in the jungles of Vietnam? Don Wildman and his guest Fredrik Logevall explore what might have happened if JFK didn't die. -
The Confederacy: Could They Have Won?
Did the Confederates predict that secession would lead to war? How ready were they to fight? And what was their military strategy?Cecily Zander is back on the podcast for this third part of our series on the Conf… -
President Eisenhower: War on Soviets & Segregation
Dwight D. Eisenhower is a fixture in the lists of America's favourite Presidents. How did Eisenhower change America? How did the Cold War and Civil Rights become intertwined in this period? What doomsday did Eisenhower foresee for America at…