Exploring History
Exploring History with Ray Notgrass offers background on what you hear in the news, shares stories from history that will enlighten and inspire you, and provides encouragement about homeschooling, family life, and your walk with God.
Episodes
America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. On today's Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells about five books that your family would enjoy reading to enhance your understanding of the American Revolution.
Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/
Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources: https://homeschoolhistory.com/
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Most people know the Marquis de Lafayette as an aide to General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how Lafayette lived an entire life of service to the United States and France, often at great sacrifice to himself.
Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/
Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources...
The former Soviet Union had a project to map the entire world. They produced over one million distinct maps of places around the world. On his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses this amazing project and the amazing detail work that went into it.
Read the transcript and find more resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/secret-soviet-documents-revealed-313
One woman's letters to a president may have changed his thinking and may have helped bring about needed reforms in our country. On the next Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how the letters of one woman might have affected the presidency of Chester Arthur.
Read the transcript and find more resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-letters-of-julia-sand-312
A little known incident in 1854 was part of the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. It reminds us today of our need to be done with prejudice and scapegoating. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how a standoff on a New York City streetcar furthered the cause of civil rights.
Read the transcript and find more resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/when-riding-a-stre...
During World War II, the American military and American society were marked by segregation and prejudice. Many Americans believed that black persons were not capable of flying airplanes. But a training program at Tuskegee Institute showed that black persons were fully capable of flying airplanes and performing skillfully and courageously in battle. In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Seventy-five years ago, Whittaker Chambers accused highly respected U.S. government official Alger Hiss of being a Communist. Hiss denied the accusation. Who was telling the truth? In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass examines the controversy, the court trial that resulted, and the impact that the controversy had on American politics.
Read the transcript and find more resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-po...
Mabel Fairbanks was an African American ice skater who overcame poverty, prejudice, and a host of other hardships to become an international skating star. In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass tells Mabel's story to inspire us all to overcome the hardships we all endure to make a contribution to the world in which we live.
Visit our website for a transcript and links to additional resources:
https://shop.notgrass.co...
One of the special aspects of Christmas is hearing and singing the same songs, even though we have heard them year after year. Perhaps it is the memories that these songs bring to mind, or the beautiful music these songs contain, or perhaps it is the thrilling message these songs convey. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the background stories of some of our favorite Christmas hymns, and then you can hear ...
On the Exploring History podcast for Thanksgiving, Ray Notgrass tells the true story of a man who escaped Poland in 1938, came to the United States, and lived with gratitude for the country that gave him freedom and opportunity.
Read the transcript, see photos, and find additional resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/thankful-for-our-country-302
In 1957 nine brave teenagers showed remarkable courage and conviction as they integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. On his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass shares the story of this remarkable group and how they overcame often violent opposition to achieve a milestone in America's civil rights movement.
See photos, read a transcript, and find links to additional resources:
https://s...
World War I brought unprecedented loss of life and destruction. But it also provided stories of amazing heroism. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass examines the causes of the war, how the war progressed to a bitter end, and tells stories of American heroes in the war.
Read the transcript, see photos, and explore additional resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-grea...
Why should anyone, especially our students, bother to learn history? In his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass offers six specific things we can gain from a study of history that can enrich our lives and help us make a positive contribution to the world around us.
Read a transcript and find additional resources:
https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/what-can-you-learn-from-history-298
Ronald Reagan was a man of faith: faith in God, and faith in the strength of our country. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass looks at the life and presidency of Ronald Reagan, focusing especially on his faith in God and his approach to the Soviet Union that changed the dynamics of the Cold War and helped lead to the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Read a transcript, see photos, ...
Hot enough for you? We can be thankful that we can do something about it, but it hasn't always been this way. In this podcast, Ray Notgrass traces the history of attempts to produce conditioned air, from awnings to fans blowing over ice to the invention of systems that really provided cooler air to homes, businesses, and cars. We hope you enjoy this really cool presentation.
Read the transcript and find links to addit...
Richard Nixon resigned the office of president of the United States fifty years ago, on August 9, 1974. This was the result of the Watergate scandal and other failings of the Nixon administration. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass surveys what the scandal involved and how the Nixon presidency unraveled after achieving unprecedented political success.
Read the transcript and find additional resources:
As the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, take place this year, we hearken back one hundred years to another Paris Olympics, and the accomplishments of a man of faith, Eric Liddell, both in the Olympics and in his later life. Ray Notgrass shares the remarkable story of this man of Christian conscience who won the race of serving God.
Read the transcript, see photos, and find resources for further study:
https://shop.notgrass.com/...
It’s time for that quadrennial exercise in American democracy, when thousands of people spend millions of dollars and take several days to make a decision that’s already been made. Of course I’m talking about our national political party presidential nominating conventions. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses the history of conventions and how they work today.
Read the transcript and find links ...
Fred Vinson's life went from being born in a jailer's house in Eastern Kentucky to serving as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a key player in American government during and after World War II. In this podcast, Ray Notgrass tells Vinson's life story and shows how it encourages all of us to take part in the great story of America.
Read the episode transcript, see photos, and find links to more ...
On June 19th, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that all enslaved persons were free. Slavery was ended. On the latest episode of the Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how slavery ended in the United States and how people began to celebrate Juneteenth (June 19th) as America's second Independence Day.
Visit our website for a transcript, photos, and links to more resources rel...
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