15-Minute History

By popular demand, the 15-Minute History team is re-airing one of our most popular episodes. This originally aired on April 8th, 2019. New episode next Monday, March 2nd.

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The name “Enterprise” is not exclusive to fictional starships or the space shuttle; in fact, nineteen ships of the British Royal Navy and nine of the United States Navy have born the name (spelled either with an S or a Z). Undoubtedly, the most famous USS Ente...

Historians have often compared current Russian aggression toward Ukraine with the two world wars of the last century. But what does history tell us about an aggressor's fate after a conflict ends? Should other nations try to contain them, isolating these aggressive states with strong alliances and large military arsenals? Or is it better to bring them into the so-called "family of nations" and allow them to reform?

Joi...

American progressives at the turn of the 20th century saw major flaws in the United States Constitution and worked to correct them through the process of amendments. Each one was the subject of debate and controversy, and all four made measurable changes to American society (though one can debate the merits of some). Join us for this survey of the four progressive amendments--as well as a funny story from Jon's classroom--and tune ...

The 15-Minute History Podcast team welcomes you back to another Sketches in History. This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story; it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.

In this episode, she travels to May 1903 to witness an unlikely camping trip that changed America forever. Standing beside a crackling campfire in Yosemite V...

"What struck you most about Roosevelt?" The question hangs in the air as we return to last week's episode. The spectacles, the gymnasium, the Badlands, the Bull Moose - each moment revealing layers we're still unpacking.

Roosevelt's life demands conversation - about privilege and responsibility, grief and reinvention, the price of the strenuous life, and whether we're equal to the standard he set.

Join us as...

"You must make your body." An asthmatic boy in wire-rimmed spectacles nods. Decades later, shot in the chest, he'll deliver a 90-minute speech: "It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."

Theodore Roosevelt is often reduced to caricature - the Rough Rider, the big game hunter, the face on Mount Rushmore. But this oversimplified image misses the man who transformed personal weakness into national strength.

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The 15-Minute History Podcast team welcomes you back to another Sketches in History. This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story; it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.

In this episode, she travels to 1907 to witness one of humanity's greatest engineering challenges: the construction of the Panama Canal. Standing...

In this week's discussion, we cover more detail about the building of the canal and the herculean medical and engineering feats American and Panamanian workers achieved. (Joe even gets to put on his doctor's hat and tell us about yellow fever.) We then get into some of the current-day events and what the future might hold for America and its southern neighbors.

Join us every Monday for discussions and episodes as well as our...

Over a century ago, the United States blasted its way through a continent in one of the largest engineering projects in world history. The Panama Canal's construction brought with it decades of American involvement in Latin America--the effects of which are still felt today.

Join us every Monday as we explore topics in American history leading to our 250th birthday in July and for pop quizzes and "Sketches in History" ...

During the holiday break, Jon and Joe wanted to reshare some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on January 27, 2025. New episodes starting next week!

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The Battle of Agincourt, though small by modern standards, stands as a turning point in European history by bringing democracy to the battlefield. Joe takes us through the battle in all its detail and asks whether Henry V's actions proved to be a good idea...

During the holiday break, Jon and Joe wanted to reshare some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on June 5, 2025.

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In this double pop quiz, Jon answers a question from an audience member and then discusses the Overton Window and how the range of "acceptable" political discourse changes over time.

Join us every other week for these pop quizzes during the summer, and comment below with any topics you&#...

During the holiday break, Jon and Joe wanted to reshare some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on June 23, 2025.

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This season has been about good and bad ideas, and we are concluding with Jon's thoughts on a journey he's been on through early American history. In his 1989 book Albion's Seed, Dr. David Hackett Fischer describes how four groups of English settlers brought utopian ideals to the New...