American History Hotline

Could a new president ever be carved into Mount Rushmore? It depends on who you ask. We call up historian Matthew Davis (author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore) to learn about the history of the monument and what its future might hold. 

It’s a story with a lot of surprising twists and turns, from the hills of Georgia to the sacred mountains of South Dakota. How does Mount Rushmore r...

What is the greatest movie of the 21st century?

The New York Times says it’s Parasite, but not everyone agrees. We call up Rotten Tomatoes correspondent Mark Ellis to debate the NYT’s list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century and explore how cinema has changed in the past 25 years. Mark says it’s an era of “hopeless films in a time of hopelessness.” 

Grab some popcorn and silence your phone ...

Netflix’s Death by Lightning is gripping, dramatic and TRUE. Or is it? 

We call up historian and New York Times bestselling author Alexis Coe for a lightning round fact check of Netflix’s new James A. Garfield series Death by Lightning. What does the series gets right? What does it bend for dramatic effect? And how does it rank compared to other presidential biopic(esque) series? 

We'll hit all the highlights:

Was Johnny Appleseed a real person or just another American tall tale? We get to the core of the issue with author William Kerrigan (Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard: A Cultural History) to see how one man's true story inspired an enduring folk legend. 

In this episode Bob and William explore how John Chapman's religious revival led him to pioneer apple nurseries across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Just like some hybrid app...

Many Americans have turned their backs on the vax, but early Early Americans would literally have killed for some vaccines.

In this episode, we explore the history of America's first vaccines, which can be traced to a mandate from none other than General George Washington. Dr. Kathryn Olivarius (author of Necropolis: D...

Was it the rise of hitchhiking? Lead in the water pipes? Or was it something a little darker in our culture? Bob rings up private investigator and host of the podcast Hell & Gone: Murder Line — Catherine Townsend — to learn why there were so many serial killers in America during the 1970s.

From Ted Bundy to the Night Stalker and John Wayne Gacy, we dive into the “golden age” of serial killers to see how ...

We all have that relative that tells us there was actually no green bean casserole at the first Thanksgiving. Yeah, we know, Grandma! But how much do we really know about that first feast between the Pilgrims and the Indians? 

Well, a lot. But the story most of us learned in school is completely wrong. Author David J. Silverman, (This Land Is Thei...

In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles murdered Philip Barton Key (son of the man who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner) in a fit of jealous rage just steps from the White House. The resulting trial became America’s first true media circus, and gave rise to the “crime of passion” defense. In short, it basically became legal to kill a man for sleeping with your wife. While this wasn't technically a law, it was the "Unwri...

You won't see it on the ballot, but it's always the winner in American elections. That's right, we're talking about big tech. From Facebook to Google and AI, technology not only has the power to affect the outcomes of our elections ... it's already doing it! 

Who could have seen this coming? Well, we're glad you asked, because Roger McNamee has been ringing alarm bells since you were playing Snake on your Nokia. 

Roger jo...

Set it and forget it! That's what most Americans want to do with their clocks. They want standard time year-round. So, why are we stuck with Daylight Saving Time? And where did it come from in the first place? Some say it was Benjamin Franklin. But if we Scooby-Doo this thing and pull off the mask to see who's really behind this whole clock caper it's ... (gasp) ... CAPITALISM! 

Tune in an hour earlier ... or is it later? ... ...

Which witch is which? You probably heard a lot of lawyers saying that in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. That was the year of America's largest witch hunt ever. But what sparked this mass hysteria that led to false accusations, sham justice and wrongful executions? Teenagers, of course. 

Bob is joined by historian Emerson Baker (A Storm of Witchcraft) to explore how religion, politics, and panic fueled the Salem Witch Trials. A ...

How did America’s presidents really make—and manage—their money? Bob Crawford sits down with financial expert and author Megan Gorman to explore the personal finances of presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump. Drawing from her new book, All the Presidents...

A complicated man in complicated times? A genocidal enslaving maniac? Or something in between? Bob voyages back in time with biographer Matthew Restall (The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus) to learn about the REAL Christopher Columbus. Together, they separate the flesh-and-blood navigator from the larger-than-life symbol of European conquest, examining Columbus’s ambitions, his treatment of Indigenous peoples, and how his ...

What’s so wrong about a white person painting their face black to entertain a crowd? Well, it helps to understand the history of blackface in America to understand its harmful legacy. 

Bob and Tyrone Howard trace how 19th-century minstrel shows dehumanized Black Americans, reinforced racist stereotypes, and shaped American culture, politics, and entertainment for generations. They also explore why it's important to learn...

Did Ozzy bite the head off a bat? Is there a political message in Sweet Home Alabama? Bob Crawford sits down with music critic and author Mark Kemp to dissect some rock legends and myths.

We'll dive into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic Sweet Home Alabama, unpack the band’s response to Neil Young’s critiques of the Sou...

This episode demands satisfaction! Why did Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr meet on the dueling ground—and how common were duels in early America? Historian Lindsay Chervinsky joins Bob Crawford on American History Hotline to explore the surprising history of dueling in the United States.

Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
There was a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival

Most people know the phrase Buffalo Soldier from Bob Marley’s famous reggae song—but what’s...

Spoilers ahead! No, not those type of spoilers. We're talking about third party presidential candidates and the reasons third parties can't get a footing in American politics. So, why do third parties fail? And could the current toxicity of both major American political parties create an opening for a centrist third party? 

GUEST: Michael Cullinane, professor of U.S. History and the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt St...

Who was America's most successful spy? What happens to a spy that's captured? How can you tell if your child is lying? We interrogate a former member of the CIA to get some info about American intelligence. 

GUEST: Brittany Butler, former targeting officer within CIA’s Directorate of Operations, Counterterrorism Center. Author of The Syndicate Spy: A Juliet Arroway Novel. 

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